CPTnet
24 October 2006

HEBRON REFLECTION: War is not healthy

by Jan Benvie

I have grown sad here in Hebron. As the 1960s poster says, "War is Not
Healthy for Children and Other Living Things."

Many Israeli soldiers are young men and women undertaking mandatory military
service. The Israeli government sends them to the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, gives them a gun, and puts them in positions of authority. A
soldier from "Breaking the Silence'" (a group of discharged soldiers) has
testified, "In Hebron, I was disturbed and frightened most of all by the
unregulated and uncontrolled power, and the things it made people do." (For
the complete testimony of this anonymous soldier, see
http://www.oznik.com/words/040630_a.html.)

I witnessed this unregulated power a few days ago when soldiers entered a
Palestinian home. From an open window, we heard the cries of women, the
voices of men and the shouting of soldiers. They kept the family prisoners
in their home for almost two hours. The commander of the soldiers, angry at
our presence, threatened to arrest us. When I questioned the legality of
what he was doing, he said "I am the law."

A few days ago, three Israeli settler boys attacked another CPTer and me as
we walked past an Israeli settlement enclave. They threw stones at us, hit
us, and kicked us. Nothing surprising in this context, you may think.
Perhaps not, but what amazed me was the total lack of response from the many
adult settlers witnessing this attack. I later saw a young four or
five-year-old settler boy sitting alone at a military checkpoint. He looked
at the young Palestinian men soldiers were detaining, and drew his finger
across his throat several times, to signify cutting their throats.

Last week a young Palestinian boy, pretending to be a reporter, came up to
me with his plastic juice bottle microphone. He aggressively thrust his
"microphone" towards me and barked out his question. Female CPTers,
especially younger ones face sexual harassment from other young Palestinian
men in the street.

Israeli peace activists speak of their concern about the effect of the
occupation on their young people who serve in the army. Palestinian friends
are concerned that their boys and young men are becoming more aggressive and
sexually harassing Palestinian girls and women, as well as internationals.

War is not healthy. A short time here in Hebron with the Israeli soldiers,
settlers and Palestinians has confirmed that for me.

However, amid the sadness, Israelis and Palestinians who are concerned about
the effects of occupation on their young people give me hope. I am happy to
stand side by side with Israelis working to end the occupation and happy to
support Palestinian groups working with young people here in Hebron. That is
why I am in CPT.