Soldier: We had this checkpoint for Palestinians at Ofer Prison, the interrogation facility. We had to check Palestinians coming into the base. We did it by pointing our gun at them, telling them to approach, lift their shirt, regardless of the weather – this is near Ramallah, where it’s not warm at all in the winter. If necessary they had to lift their pant legs. Men came through, girls came through – I don’t know who we had to check.

 

Interviewer: Did you ever find a person of interest?

 

Soldier: No. Not at all. I would talk to them. It was important for me to be the good soldier.

 

Interviewer: What was the point of taking off their pants?

 

Soldier: If anything aroused suspicion. Personally I never saw this, but I suppose certain people were amused by this. I’m sure there were such cases: 'What a kick, I can tell him to take of his pants’ … I recall a detainee being brought in, a 16-17-year-old kid who tried to stab a guard at Ofer Prison. He was shackled, blindfolded, and claimed he was beaten all the way there. I told him: 'Sit-down, have a drink of water, eat some fruit.’ Everyone laughed at me. 'What do you care?’ I don’t care what he did, he’s a kid. Regardless whether he committed the worst crime, it’s not his fault. These things can still be changed. Even the worst 15-year-old settler who beats up Palestinians, I still believe these things can be changed.

 

Interviewer: Where did he come from?

 

Soldier: From jail. He was visiting his brother, and I was told he came with a knife, wanting to stab a guard.

 

Interviewer: So he was brought to your detention facility?

 

Soldier: No, just brought so we’d keep an eye on him, at our quarters. He sat there shackled and blindfolded for 3-4 hours. He was scared, pissed in his pants, a little fellow, 16 years old. He claimed he’d been beaten up. It’s not really our business. I told the Border Police to come pick him up, and they said: 'Don’t worry, it’s okay …

 

Interviewer: Do you think it was passed on?

 

Soldier: Yeah, right … his hitters were put on trial … No, I’m kidding. These are the little anecdotes. Suppose it’s right, and I’ve totally lost faith. A guy tries to stab a guard, he deserves to sit in jail. He gets beaten to a pulp on the way, and I’ve seen things like this done: A detainee is brought in, he is tied to a post at the company HQ and anyone passing by slaps him a couple.