Breaking the Silence releases a new book containing 96 stories of dozens of women who served in the Occupied Territories.
BREAKING THE SILENCE – Women Soldiers’ Testimonies (.pdf)
Was there violence?
All the time.
What kind?
First of all, just plain harassment. Keeping them on their feet, because if you’re really gung-ho and got up that morning rearing to go and catch some, you could easily hunt down thirty people in a half-hour. The point is you had to detain them. You couldn’t get them and check them out one by one. You had to catch the guy, seat him and wait for others. And often they would come in large groups. Again, when they move in large groups obviously they’re not out on a terrorist mission, that’s not exactly the recommended mode of action… So you catch them and make them stand in formation.
Formation?
Yes. Stand in formation, and there’s that famous Border Patrol rhyme – Wahad hummus, wahad ful, ana bahibbak Mishmar HaGvul (One plate of hummus, one plate of beans, I love you Border Patrol)… They’re made to sing it. Sing and hop. Just
like rookies, the kind of hazing stuff in basic training, about which soldiers’ parents are always raising hell. It’s the same thing. Only much worse. If anyone laughs, or the soldiers decide he’s laughed, he gets punched. Why did you laugh? Boom, a fist. He doesn’t really have to laugh to get that punch. I feel like punching him. Why did you laugh? Boom.
How long does this last?
It can last for hours. It depends how bored the soldiers are, they can stretch it out for two hours. It’s an eight-hour shift. Got to get through it somehow.
And who is made to stand in formation?
Everyone, all age groups.
Women? Children? Elderly people?
Yes. Whoever shows up. Whoever shows up, stands in formation. There were the more sensitive soldiers who’d let the women and elderly go. I’d say the elderly were less harassed. And there were soldiers who’d harass the elderly. Like in any society, this company too, some soldiers abused more and others less. Some had absolutely no restraint and abused anyone.