Historia Oculta

BREAKING THE SILENCE Children and Youth Soldiers' Testimonies 2005-2011

“There was this incident where a ‘straw widow’ was put up following a riot at Qalandiya on a Friday, in an abandoned house near the square. Soldiers got out with army clubs and beat people to a pulp. Finally the children who remained on the ground were arrested. The order was to run, make people fall to the ground. Therewas a 10-12 man team, 4 soldiers lighting up the area. People were made to fall to the ground, and then the soldiers with the clubs would go over to them and beat them. A slow runner was beaten, that was the rule...”

“Breaking the Silence” is an organization of Israeli veterans who served during the Second Intifada, beginning in 2000. The organization aims to make public the everyday liferoutine as it exists in the Occupied Territories, a reality that remains voiceless in the media, and to serve as an alternative information conduit for the public at large about the goings-on in the State of Israel’s ‘backyard’. The organization was founded in 2004, and since then has received unique public and media standing, bearing the voice of soldiers who have previously kept silent. Since itsinception, over 800 male and female soldiers have given testimony about their experiences in the military. They described the reality of military rule in the Occupied Territories for the past twelve years, as reflected by the soldiers’ point of view. The main purpose of “Breaking the Silence” is to arouse public discussion of the moral price that Israeli society pays for a reality in which youngsoldiers face a civilian population and dominate it on a daily basis. Every testimony published by the organization undergoes careful research. This includes verification of the facts and crossing-checking them with other testimonies and archive materials of human rights organizations active on the ground. Our journalistic mode of operation requires the identity of testifiers to remain confidential.The testimonies published in this booklet have remained in their original formulation, except for dropping any information that might help identify the witness. Certain short notes have been added in parentheses in certain cases, to clarify content and military terminology. We wish to thank our volunteers and activists who have dedicated their time and energy, enabling this publication. Withouttheir extensive assistance we could not bring such important testimonies to the attention of those who must be made aware of them.

Breaking the Silence

Breaking the Silence activities are made possible through the generous support of individuals and foundations including: Broederlijk Delen, Dan Church Aid, Ford Israel Fund, ICCO, NGO Development Center (NDC), Network for Social Change (UK),medico International, MISEREOR, the Moriah Fund, the New Israel Fund, The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Israel, Foundation Open Society Institute, Sigrid Rausing Trust, SIVMO, and Trocaire.
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This booklet is a compendium of testimonies given by over thirty IDF soldiers who served in the West Bank and in and around the Gaza Strip in the years 2005-2011. Like previous publications by Breaking theSilence, it portrays daily events in the Occupied Territories. The testimonies in this anthology illuminate the realities of everyday life for Palestinian children and youth who live under Israeli occupation. Although the events described here took place after the peak of the Second Intifada, at a time perceived as calm and uneventful from a ‘security’ standpoint, the reality that emerges from thetestimonies shows that harsh treatment of Palestinian children continues unabated, and despite the overall security situation. Having served in different units and regions, the testifiers depict a routine in which Palestinian minors, often under 10 years of age, are treated in a manner that ignores their young age, and how, in practicality, they are perceived by both the soldiers and the...