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Our Harsh Logic: Israeli Soldiers' Testimonies from the Occupied Territories, 2000-2010 Hardcover – Bargain Price, September 18, 2012
<>Israeli soldiers speak out for the first time about the truth of the Palestinian occupation, in "one of the most important books on Israel/Palestine in this generation" (The New York Review of Books)
The very name of the Israel Defense Forces—which many Israelis speak of as "the most moral army in the world"—suggests that its primary mission is the defense of the country's territory. Indeed, both internationally and within Israel, support for the occupation of Palestinian territory rests on the belief that the army's actions and presence in the West Bank and Gaza are essentially defensive and responsive, aimed at protecting the country from terror.
But Israeli soldiers themselves tell a profoundly different story. In this landmark work, which includes hundreds of soldiers' testimonies collected over a decade, what emerges is a broad policy that is anything but defensive. In their own words, the soldiers reveal in human and vivid detail how the key planks of the army's ostensibly protective program—"prevention of terror," "separation of populations," "preservation of the fabric of life," and "law enforcement"—have in fact served to accelerate acquisition of Palestinian land, cripple all normal political and social life, and ultimately thwart the possibility of independence.
The many soldiers who have spoken out have taken aim at a silence of complicity, both within Israel and in the wider world, that perpetuates the justification for occupation. In the process, they have created a gripping and immediate record of oppression. Powerful and incontrovertible, Our Harsh Logic is a supremely significant contribution to one of the world's most vexed conflicts.
- Length
400
Pages
- Language
EN
English
- PublisherMetropolitan Books
- Publication date
2012
September 18
- Dimensions
6.5 x 1.3 x 9.4
inches
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
<>Breaking the Silence, one of Israel's most internationally lauded NGOs, was established in Jerusalem in 2004 by Israel Defense Forces veterans to document the testimonies of Israeli soldiers who have served in the occupied territories.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
<>1. Stun grenades at three in the morning
UNIT: PARATROOPERS
LOCATION: NABLUS DISTRICT
YEAR: 2003
We did all kinds of very sketchy work in Area A.* That could mean, for example, going into Tubas on a Friday, when the market is packed, to set up a surprise checkpoint in the middle of the village. One time, we arrived to set up a checkpoint like that on Friday morning, and we started to spread out: inspecting vehicles and every car that passed. Three hundred meters from us some kids start a small demonstration. They throw rocks at us, but they come maybe ten meters and don’t hit us. They start cursing us and everything. At the same time, a crowd of people gathers. Of course, this was followed by aiming our weapons at the kids—you can call it self-defense.
What was the purpose of the checkpoint?
Just to show our presence, to get into a firefight—we didn’t know whether that would happen or not. In the end we got out without a scratch, without anything happening, but the company commander lost it. He asked one of the grenade launchers to fire a riot control grenade toward the demonstrators, the children. The grenade launcher refused, and afterward he was treated terribly by the company commander. He wasn’t punished, because the company commander knew he’d given an illegal order, but he was treated really disgustingly by the staff. That’s what happened. Another time we went into Tubas at three in the morning in a Safari and threw stun grenades in the street. For no reason, just to wake people up.
What was the point?
To say, “We’re here. The IDF is here.” In general, they told us that if some terrorist heard the IDF in the village, then maybe he’d come outside to fight. No one ever came out. It seems that the goal was just to show the local population that the IDF is here, and it’s a common policy: “The IDF is here, in the Territories, and we’ll make your life bitter until you decide to stop the terror.” The IDF has no problem doing it. But we didn’t understand why we were throwing grenades. We threw a grenade. We heard a “boom,” and we saw people waking up. When we got back they’d say, “Great operation,” but we didn’t understand why. This happened every day—a different force from the company did it each time, it was just part of the routine, part of our lives.
Copyright © 2012 by Breaking the Silence
Product details
- ASIN : B00DEZ2UT2
- Publisher : Metropolitan Books; Reprint edition (September 18, 2012)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 400 pages
- Item Weight : 1.32 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.45 x 1.32 x 9.38 inches
- Customer Reviews:
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There are Israeli apologists that claim that not all the reports are first hand observations. Some are not. But the descriptions of the institutionalized violence toward the Palestinians is told so many times in so many ways that especially coming from within the Israeli military, it must be true and most likely just the tip of the iceberg.
In the words of Israel's own military, it is a state sponsor of terrorism that is virtually unaccountable for its actions.
That said, the US seems to be following closely the Israeli model, which is in itself a very tragic issue about which more and more is being written every day.
This is an important book that opens a window into the hearts and minds of the Israeli military in the words of the military itself.
It shows a lot of the reasons why unless there is regime change in Israel, there will never be peace in the region.
Top reviews from other countries
In March 2009 Israel stood accused of committing war crimes against innocent civilians during the brutal assault on Gaza, known as `Operation Cast Lead'.
Despite worldwide condemnation of the Israeli government and their forces at that time, Ehud Barak, the defence Minister made the following statement: "I have no doubt in my heart that the Israeli Defence Force is the most moral army in the World". This book contains some 145 testimonies taken from more than 700 interviews from commanders, officers as well as rank and file and both men and women. It reveals a defence force that is far from moral. The documented confessions reveal a military that is brutal, inhuman and hell bent on making the lives of the Palestinian population intolerable. Israel has every right to defend itself against attacks from Palestinian resistance groups but their policy of metering out `collective punishment' has resulted in the domination and dehumanisation of the Palestinian population.
The bravery and honesty of Israelis who have been prepared to speak out against the occupation should not be underestimated in terms of the effect it has on world opinion.
It would be wrong to condemn Israel out of hand - both sides are not blameless, and both sides believe that they are justified in their objectives and actions. If history repeats itself, the current peace talks are unlikely to resolve the situation. World opinion is gathering in support of the Palestinian cause and this collective pressure may be something that the politicians are eventually unable to ignore. The contents of this book have added another stain on Israel's reputation. One can only hope that international pressure will one day result in the recognition of a Palestinian state and liberty for its people, and also that the unique state of Israel will at last find harmony and be free from conflict.
After reading this book, you will ask yourself - "how can this go on?" "How can these politics have a public mandate?".
It is difficult to review this book as it is so very overwhelming and I feel I lack the words to actually emphasize the importance of it.
I sympathize deeply with the Palestinians who try to live their lives and I sympathize deeply with the Israeli soldiers who realize that what they are forced to do is such a grave breach of human rights.





