A REALITY WE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND
DURING OUR MILITARY SERVICE.
JOINING ME NOW IS THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF BREAKING THE
SILENCE, AVNER GVARYAHU, WITH
WHOM I TOURED SOME OF THE
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES IN 2019, IN
PARTICULAR, HEBRON, ONE OF THE
STARKEST EXAMPLES OF THE
APARTHEID-LIKE SITUATION THAT
EXISTS FOR PALESTINIANS.
AVNER, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU
ABOUT SOME OF THE NEWS WERE
GETTING RIGHT NOW FIRST.
THIS DOES FEEL LIKE AN
ESCALATION WITH EACH PASSING
HOUR.
WERE GETTING MORE REPORTS OF
ROCKETS GOING FROM GAZA TO
ISRAELI CITIES, BEING
INTERCEPTED BY THE IRON DOME AND
MORESTS BY SEFFORTS BY THE ITS
RAILLIES TORAILLY
S
ISRAELIS AND PUNISH THE GAZANS.
>> I THINK THATS THE PRECISE
POINT TO UNDERSTAND.
WERE LIVING THIS GROUNDHOG DAY
OF CYCLES OVER AND OVER AND OVER
AGAIN.
IM SPEAKING TO YOU NOW FROM MY
APARTMENT IN TEL AVIV.
ANY SECOND NOW I COULD HAVE TO
RUSH OFF TO A BOMB SHELTER,
SOMETHING THAT JUST HAPPENED
LITERALLY LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO.
I THINK PART OF WHAT I KEEP
TRYING TO REMIND MYSELF IS THIS
REALITY THATS TAKING PLACE JUST
A FEW KILOMETERS SOUTH FROM MERE
IN GAZA IS A MAN MADE CRISIS,
ONE THAT I AS AN ISRAELI, I SEE
MYSELF AS AN ISRAELI PATRIOT
FEEL RESPONSIBILITY TO SPEAK OUT
AGAINST IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE
REALITY ON THE GROUND.
>> AVNER, WE KNOW MANY PEOPLE IN
THE UNITED STATES WHOSE KIDS
WILLINGLY GO OVER TO ISRAEL TO
JOIN THE ARMED FORCES IN
STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE
COUNTRY THEY RIGHTLY BELIEVE
DESERVES TO LIVE IN PEACE AND
FREE OF HARASSMENT.
BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT
YOU KNOW, THAT YOU AND I SAW
TOGETHER.
WE SAW ISRAELI SOLDIERS DOING
THAT PARENTS OF THESE AMERICAN
KIDS DONT KNOW IS GOING ON.
THAT THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY
EXCLUSIVELY THIS PATRIOTIC JOB
OF PROTECTING FOR AND STANDING
FOR THE STATE OF ISRAEL, WHICH
IS AN IMPORTANT JOB.
THERES MORE TO IT THAN THAT.
THERES ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT BY
MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY IN
REALLY BREAKING THE SPIRIT AND
CONTROLLING THE LIVES OF
PALESTINIANS.
>> I MEAN, I WOULD SAY -- THIS
IS TRUE TO GAZA, BUT DEFINITELY
TRUE TO ISRAEL IN GENERAL.
ISRAEL NOT ONLY HAS THE RIGHT
BUT I BELIEVE THE DUTY TO
PROTECT ITS CITIZENS.
AND SHOOTING INTO POPULATED
AREAS, I BELIEVE, IS
INDEFENSIBLE AND SHOULD BE
CONDEMNED.
I SAY THAT, YOU KNOW,
UNEQUIVOCALLY AND I THINK THATS
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE THAT
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ISRAELS
CONTROL OVER PALESTINIANS -- AND
THIS IS TRUE TO THE WEST BANK
AND THIS IS TRUE TO THE STRIP --
WHAT WEVE BEEN DOING FOR MANY,
MANY YEARS NOW -- AND THIS IS
DEFINITELY TRUE WITH NETANYAHUS
LEADERSHIP -- IS DO WHATEVER WE
KCAN ON THE ENTRENCHED
OCCUPATION.
WE HAVE PATROLS, CHECKPOINTS,
NIGHT RAIDS, MAKING OUR PRESENCE
FELT, SHOWING OUR CONTROL AS WE
HAVE DISCUSSED ON THE STREETS OF
HEBRON.
SOME OF THESE STREETS ARE
TOTALLY CLOSED OFF FOR
PALESTINIANS OR AS SOLDIERS CALL
THEM, STERILIZED ROADS.
WE ALSO SEE A REALITY NOT ONLY
IN HEBRON BUT ALSO IN THE GAZA
STRIP THAT PART OF THE WAY THAT
WE CONTROL THE GAZANS ARE THESE
RECURRING OPERATIONS.
THE CONCEPT OF MOWING THE LAWN,
THAT WE ARE SORT OF IN THESE
CYCLES OF VIOLENCE.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THERE IS NO
PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THERE ISNT
RESPONSIBILITY ON LEADERSHIPS ON
BOTH SIDES.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO SAY A
BIG PART OF THE ENERGY ISRAEL IS
USING WITH ITS MILITARY FORCES
IS NOT IN ORDER TO DEFEND THE
STATE OF ISRAEL SO MUCH AS IT IS
TO DEFEND ISRAELI CONTROL OVER
PALESTINIANS.
PART OF WHAT GROUPS LIKE
BREAKING THE SILENCE ARE
DEMANDING AND CALLING FOR IS FOR
THE SAKE OF ISRAELIS AND
PALESTINIANS, WE HAVE TO RETHINK
THE WAY WERE OPERATING.
ANOTHER ROUND IS JUST AROUND THE
CORNER.
NOTHING THAT ANOTHER BUILDING IN
GAZA WILL COLLAPSE OR SADLY
ANOTHER ISRAELI CITIZEN SHOT OR
KILLED IN HIS APARTMENT WILL
END.
THE ONLY WAY TO END IT IS WITH
POLITICAL WILL AND THATS WHY
ITS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO --
AS THOSE WHO CARRIED OUT THIS
MILITARY CONTROL, TO SPEAK OUT.
>> AVNER, I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE
SIRENS GOING ON AROUND YOU.