Israel “Breaking the Silence” movement: Soldiers serving in occupied Palestinian territories

The collectivity Shovrim Shtika (Breaking the silence) was founded in 2004 by Israeli soldiers who were serving in Hebron and needed to expose the reality of occupation from a different point of view.

Testimonies of Israeli soldiers who served in the occupied Palestinian territories between 2000-2010 were gathered in the book “Occupation of the Territories” (of the West Bank and Gaza).  It is estimated that around 60,000 Israeli soldiers served in the occupied territories since the second Intifada of 2000; 750 soldiers were interviewed.

A soldier returned from the front, during the Gaza preemptive war of 2008, and told his family his story: “I was in my dug out and a few Palestinian kids, of no more than 12 year-old, threw stones on us. We had order to shoot if the distance is close to a stone throw: Kids might throw hand grenades for example.  I want to believe that I aimed at his feet, so that I could sleep at night.  My parents considered my actions as emanating from a hero and told my story at the synagogue.  I flipped since I was still in state of chock.

“Occupation of the Territories” is the most complete testimony of Israel modus operandi in the occupied territories.

Soldiers revealed that they shot on civilian Palestinians out of peer pressure; they executed Palestinian police officers in retaliation for an activity in a nearby checkpoint; orders were to approach a dying Palestinian and shoot through his mouth; scenes of rapes, vandalism, and stealing were common behaviors...

Avihai Stoler said: “It was not a casual horror show acted by Tsahal: It is the story of a generation of Israelis of our own generation.  The last three decades after the preemptive war of 1967, most of the debates focused on whether it was necessary to occupy or occupation was a monstrosity to avoid like the plague.”

The irony is that nobody in Israel mention the word “occupation” anymore.  The State preferred to substitute the terms of Judea and Samaria, but never occupied territories.

For example, during a television emission someone said: “I can confirm that the increase of crime and violence in Israel is the cause of our occupation“.  Orders came to demand from the invited person to apologize for mentioning the term “occupation” and recant.

Since the second Intifada, control exercised over Palestinians is methodical, systematic, and “scientifically” applied:  It is as if all the ancient and modern control and humiliation tactics and methods have been synthesized and tried for efficiency rating.

For example, the military institution uses jargon such as:

1. “Prevention measures against terrorism” to mean propagating fear and terror amid the civilian population;

2. “separation zones” to mean appropriation and annexation;

3. “life fabric” of constructing special routes for the colonies to mean controlling all the aspect of Palestinian life.

“Our mission was to perturb and harass the life of citizens. I think the formula is still applicable even today.  Destabilization activities in the occupied land were not due to negligence, but the main tool to administer the occupied land.  If a village produces activities, then it is time to creating insomnia in the village.”

For example, Stoler stayed in the Hebron district for three years and witnessed events such as soldiers coming in mass to the center of the city and detonating bombs so that the “Palestinians remember that we are here“.

Loud manifestations of soldiers and colons accompanied with random ransacking of houses, installing checkpoints for several hours… “We were ordered to instill a feeling of persecution so that Palestinians never fell at ease...”

Note 1: Article inspired from a piece published in the French monthly “Le Monde Diplomatic” by Meron Rapoport

Note 2: In June 2014, 3 Israeli soldiers disappeared in Hebron. Nobody claimed anything, and nobody know if they were kidnapped.

And yet, Israel has been ransacking villages, detaining administratively over 300 Palestinians (many of them who have been released recently after a brokered deal) and many Palestinian youth killed by live bullet and many injured.