No Exit

[vierundzwanzig]

Posted on Friday, January 2, 2004. From an interview with Israeli soldiers (who are identified by pseudonyms) conducted by Israeli journalist Uri Blau and printed in Kol Ha'Ir, a Jerusalem weekly, in September 2001. Translated from the Hebrew by Tal Haran. Originally from April, 2002.
Sources

The Road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

Uri Blau: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "territories"?

Roi : The first thing that comes to my mind is children throwing Molotov cocktails. Basically, you should shoot them in the legs and you don't.

Tzvi : My first memory is of security patrol. You see unbelievable things there: people sitting under the bulldozers, begging us not to demolish their houses. There's a guy who lives in a tent where his house stood once, and now this tent is on ground that has been annexed by the settlement. But there are stories much worse than this. Real pogroms. Angry settlers coming out with sticks and pitchforks and burning down houses. Just like that.

http://www.harpers.org/NoExit.html

[plurality]

1. just saw this somewhere else and wanted to see if it had been posted

can't believe no one replied to this.

I imagine an interview with Palestinian militants might reveal similar thoughts.

[tinnypriv]

2. I think the lack of responses is basically apathy

In that such sentiments are so commonly expressed people often feel no need to respond.

Also, the testimony exposes the occupation for what it is, which is never a popular topic around here.

FWIW, the same response (apathy) occurred in several (mostly Israeli) I/P peace forums. It was noted as just another example of 'Siach Lochamim', inferring the obvious post-1967 conclusions.

[plurality]

3. about what i suspected

unless someone can say, "see, someone blew themself up in a crowd, Palestinians are evil" or the opposite, "Israelis hit one guy in a crowed marketplace with a 1000 lbs bomb the IDF is evil" then it's not fit for discussion.

ughhh.

[undergroundrailroad]

4. Locking per I/P Guidelines.

New threads must be based on a recently-published news item or op-ed piece. They may not be based on editorial cartoons or photographs. Citations and references should include a link to the original source.

Undergroundrailroad
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