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Home » Soldiers »

Testimony - 'Gotta keep my spirits up'

 

Name: Anonymous
Rank: First Sergeant
Unit: Kfir Brigade
Location: Tulkarm, West Bank
Date: 2008
 
A former Israeli soldier provides a testimony to Breaking the Silence in which he describes how his friend slapped a 14-year old Palestinian boy in the face because he was humming but how he could not report the abuse.
 
Soldier: There was another instance of a 14-year old, an illegal alien. He was detained, kept on the side, so he stood there and hummed to himself. This annoyed one of the guys. He went up to him and said: 'Something amusing you?’ The kid said: 'Yes, gotta keep my spirits up,’ 'Spirits up, eh?’ and the soldier slapped his face. You’re in a dilemma here, because he’s your buddy so you’re not going to tell on him. I began to say to him: 'What are you doing?’ and he said: 'No, they have to learn their lesson.’
 
Interviewer: You never told anyone?
 
Soldier: I couldn’t.