Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Amira Hass reports that the Israeli army is working hard to insure that no more soldiers break the silence

With Goldstone commission expected to issue their report in August, damning reports already released by HRW and Amnesty, and a variety of legal actions in progress around the globe, officials of the "most moral army" (as Ehud Barak insists on labeling the Israeli army) are apparently working hard to keep soldiers who fought in Gaza quiet. Therefore, this is a good time to see what all the fuss is about and read "Breaking the Silence".

Hass observes that:
"The testimonies in the booklet prove again and again the reliability of the testimony by Palestinians. And vice versa: The Palestinian affidavits prove the authenticity of the soldiers' statements.

"The accumulating testimonies prove that it wasn't a matter of rotten apples but rather a conscious policy. Therefore the IDF and the government that sent it into action must prevent further such confirmations of the truth.

"It suits the IDF that after their release, soldiers travel to Peru and Colombia to bury their agonized memories or belated insights - as adults. The IDF prefers that its demobilized soldiers travel to Goa to get stoned out of their minds before Breaking the Silence activists reach them."

No comments: