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Our Harsh Logic: Israeli Soldiers' Testimonies from the Occupied Territories, 2000-2010 Kindle Edition
by Breaking the Silence (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 87 ratings
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.Read less
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Review
“The soldiers in Our Harsh Logic have come forward to rouse the conscience of their fellow citizens....Anyone who thinks the IDF limits itself to confiscating weapons and punishing terrorists when patrolling the occupied territories would do well to consider what its own members say.” ―The Nation
“Random brutality, Kafkaesque bureaucracy, hatred, and dehumanization: that's the face of Israeli rule in the West Bank and Gaza as described by disaffected soldiers in this troubling oral history....Our Harsh Logic conveys a truth about the inescapable ugliness of Israel's military rule over its neighbors.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Humanitarian activists and opponents of illegal Israeli settlements will find much ammunition in these pages.” ―Kirkus 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.
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From the United States
Kevin C. Kresse
5.0 out of 5 stars unimpeachable testimonies paint painful history of colonial ruleReviewed in the United States on September 7, 2014
Verified Purchase
A must read for those interested in the perspective of Israeli veterans who served their country as patriotic soldiers but developed dissident views based on their experiences in the occupied territories. After reading the testimonies it is difficult to imagine how the policies of occupation can continue much longer without Israel destroying itself from within. Colonialism is torture and terrorism. Israel has embraced colonialism and in the process, sacrificed its young and its best and brightest to the "dirty war" logic inherent in its promotion and defense. This documentary history will become an important reference for future scholars, representing an unimpeachable source of knowledge about what Israelis knew and when they knew it, as well as how and why they did it. Unfortunately, too many people refuse to consider systemic human rights violations as a fundamental truth of the Israeli occupation and colonial expansion, even when Israeli combat veterans make the case based on their own lived experiences as front line instruments of Israeli policy.
13 people found this helpful
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J. Butler
5.0 out of 5 stars Israel's terrorism is well documented, including the harm to the Israeli soldiers themselvesReviewed in the United States on March 2, 2013
Verified Purchase
Anyone who has been fooled by generations of Israeli propaganda portraying itself as always the victim, these reports by the Israeli military themselves show that the barbarity and crimes against humanity that they inflict daily on the Palestinians and others not only are deadly to the Palestinians, but are also terribly damaging to the Israeli soldiers themselves.
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.
20 people found this helpful
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Peter Malek
5.0 out of 5 stars Really informativeReviewed in the United States on August 19, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is an awesome book. I learned so much about different things that take place on the ground, in terms of procedures and what is considered acceptable and what is considered unacceptable. Plus it gives hope that if this many Israeli soldiers could identify that what they were doing was wrong, and feel bad about it, maybe some day in the future there can be hope for both people.
4 people found this helpful
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Peter B. Young
4.0 out of 5 stars SAD RECITAL OF THE BRUTALITY OF WARReviewed in the United States on June 12, 2014
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YES, IT RECOUNTS JEWISH TROOPS DOING BAD, SOMETIMES VERY BAD, THINGS TO PALESTINIANS. NOT FUN, BUT ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW. IT DOES NOT PRECLUDE OR EXCUSE WHAT THE PALESTINIANS HAVE DONE IN RECIPROCATION, BUT THEN THAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH WAR...NO ONE WINS.
3 people found this helpful
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Julian Samuel
5.0 out of 5 stars The truth is harsh and you need to hear it.Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2014
Verified Purchase
Very few people know the truth of what is really going on in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza. These stories come from actual IDF soldiers… their daily accounts of what they are asked to do and how they feel about it. The testimonies are honest and bare, no embellishment by the interviewer. Every person, Jew and gentile, needs to hear what they have to say. US mainstream media sure won't talk about it. Only the truth will release both sides from this continuing human tragedy.
5 people found this helpful
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Patricia Green
5.0 out of 5 stars The other side of the storyReviewed in the United States on June 21, 2019
Verified Purchase
Very disturbing testimony from soldiers stationed in the occupied territories. Everyone should read this book, especially politicians who haven’t been physically present, not talked with people who are the occupied. This presents the other side of the story, not just what politicians want you to hear.
3 people found this helpful
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Noreen A. Thompsen
5.0 out of 5 stars Reflects the experience of Israeli soldiers and the their conflicted feelings about the occupation of Palestine.Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
Recently heard one of the soldiers speak locally who assisted with compiling this testimony of Israeli soldiers for the organization "Breaking the Silence". His courage and compassion for his fellow human beings came through loud and clear. Our WILPF chapter purchased two copies for local libraries. This book is about healing and is an excellent resource for any veteran who has experienced active duty during war or occupation.
18 people found this helpful
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Per Carlsson
3.0 out of 5 stars ImportantReviewed in the United States on September 6, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is a book full of important statements from the ones that actually took part in a conflict with no winners. As such books often are, it becomes a bit boring to read, but it is still important, very important
17 people found this helpful
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Alexander
5.0 out of 5 stars but because they know what they do is wrong and immoral and they hate doing itReviewed in the United States on April 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
a view into the reality of israeli soldiers. proves many of them are mean and nasty not because they're jerks, but because they know what they do is wrong and immoral and they hate doing it. my hat off to these brave men and women who come forward and tell it like it is. this book is one of the few that puts a human face on the IDF
3 people found this helpful
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Khalil Musa
4.0 out of 5 stars i love this book and i am sure you love it ...Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2014
Verified Purchase
if you really want to know what the palestinian people are going through in the occupy territory this book is in detail description on that, i love this book and i am sure you love it too, and the money totally worth it
3 people found this helpful
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