Letters to a Refusing Pilot is a poignant visual arts project inspired by the urban legend of an Israeli Air Force pilot during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Ordered to bomb a structure near the Ain El-Helweh refugee camp in Saida, the pilot, upon realizing the target was likely a school or hospital, defied his orders. Disconnecting communication with ground officers, he dropped his explosives into the sea.

This act of refusal resonated deeply, evolving into a story of moral courage and humanity amidst war. The pilot was rumored to have ties to Saida, having possibly attended the Public School for Boys he was ordered to destroy—a tale that blends fact and myth.

Presented at the Venice Biennale in 2015, Letters to a Refusing Pilot explores themes of memory, ethics, and the personal choices made in the face of conflict. Through layered storytelling and visual media, the installation reflects on the profound impact of this single act of defiance, drawing connections between historical truth, urban legend, and the enduring question of moral responsibility in times of war.

Letter to a refusing pilot, Lebanese Pavilion, Arsenale, 55. Venice Biennial, Venice, Italy, 2013