“Do you know what it means to serve in the occupied Palestinian territories?” With these words, Breaking the Silence has released stunning new testimonies from former soldiers, six Israeli women.
Very upsetting. Raw brutalization and debasement. Who cannot weep when they hear these women’s stories of degradation? This society has lost its soul, and these brave witnesses are open about the damage, so as to try and save Israel and Palestine– the politics are irrelevant to this work.
Full testimonies here. In the video excerpts above, the women describe the brutalization of the Palestinians, enforced by debasing peer pressure among the soldiers:
“You can’t think that they’re good hardworking people trying to survive in a closed, place.”“Later I realized that in order to be there you have to break them, break their spirit. Breaking them means making them wait, blindfolding them, treating them badly, writing ‘Death to Arabs’ on their vests.”“Putting cigarettes out on them.”
One describes a smiling girl who transforms into the “roadblock queen,” a tyrant adored by Israeli soldiers.
Several describe routine thefts from Palestinians: of prayer beads, pottery, food. What is wrong with taking gifts? one said to herself.
Another: We could do whatever we wanted.
And the psychic damage of oppression is foremost in these women’s minds. That’s why they’re coming forward. One says she paid a high high price for her service, and so has her entire society.
“People don’t know what’s going on there.”
Here is a link to all the new women’s testimonies. See the ghastly headlines: “Slap,” “Collective Punishment,” “Flak Jackets with ‘Death to Arabs Written on Them'” “Throwing them into the sewage pit,” “Because I’m bored,” “Settler violence.”
on our database:
None of this is surprising. A lot of us knew how Israeli fascists behave.
I remember a lecture by Norman Finkelstein. He was talking about the IDF’s banality of evil in the territories and some Israeli woman started ranting at him.
He cut her off and said, ‘No, you’re not going to have your way here, this isn’t the Occupied Territories.’
That kind of petulance and entitlement are unique to Zionist Jews. Or at the least, they wear that behavior like a badge of honor.
Damning testimonies.
Thank you Breaking the Silence.
On a related note, although I know Atzmon’s POV is not tolerated on this site, I think MW readers should know that Atzmon gives kudos to the Israeli media for being critical of Israel, while the US does not–here’s he’s talking about the Syrian situation: Israel’s Losing in Syrian War & Israeli media is far more tolerant of criticism than Zionist dominated Western Media http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/06/07/israel-is-losing-in-the-syrian-war/#.UbSoThTszJQ.twitter
Sabras, Israeli Jews, were always designed to be different.
Not Palestinian Jews. Israeli.
Not European Jews. Israeli.
No studying. Not the kind of Jews to get pushed around. No pale skin.
Aggressive. In your face.
Not the kind of Jews who are incarcerated in concentration camps.
The kind of Jews who run concentration camps.
And then some.
I wonder how it affects their relationships after they leave the army and later how it affects their kids.