A talk with soldiers

At around 8:00 this evening, we noticed four Palestinian men seated on the curb, outside our window. Soldiers were standing a few metres away, talking to themselves. Right away we had the feeling that what was happening was something that happens here on a daily basis- Palestinians being stopped by soldiers and either having their IDs taken, or ordered to not move. Unfortunately, we were right.

We waited for about fifteen minutes, and decided to intervene. A fellow activist and I went down, and after having received permission from the men, tried to talk to the soldiers guarding him. There were initially two of them, both of them obviously new and quite young.

I asked them why these men were being held, and they said they had to check their IDs. I asked them politely what was taking so long, the response was they were waiting for their commander to respond on the radio. I asked them if they considered that these men have families or workplaces they may have to go to.

Another group of soldiers then appeared, ones who we've had interactions with in the past, none of them positive. One of them laughed at the Palestinians sitting on the curb, who by then were growing frantic and calling their family members on their cellphones to explain why they would be late, not knowing of course how long. This same soldier then recognized us, and began to shine his Iphone flashlight into our faces. Walking circles around us and jeering, he began taking picture after picture. He was grinning at us, and kept telling us he will put us on Facebook. His friends laughed. We both ignored him, and the guy who was with me, who was Italian, coolly lit up a cigar. Responding to the idiotic behaviour of the soldier in any other way would have potentially resulted in the Palestinian men being detained for even longer, or worse. The soldier kept circling us, snapping photo after photo and laughing loudly. Eventually, he grew tired of this game, and he and his buddies walked away.

We started again talking to the two soldiers, who were watching silently. I told them I knew they were better than their friend, and that they know this is wrong. I also told them that surely they realized that treating people this way is a recipe for actions like rock throwing which result in trouble for them, that in the long run they are only harming themselves.

I asked these soldiers how they would feel if men in uniforms with guns stopped their brothers or sisters or parents or grandparents on their way to work or to their homes when they wanted to be with their families. It is possible that their grandparents did go through such things, if not far worse, but I left it unsaid.


Again, I asked them to let the men go, or to at least call their commander again.

Upon hearing what I asked about how they would feel if their family was being detained, both of the soldiers started to look very uncomfortable. Maybe what I said struck a chord. One of them called on the radio again, and upon hearing the response. told the men they were free to go.

I believe that every human being has a sense of right and wrong that God has written in their heart, regardless if they believe in Him or not. Some people choose to ignore this, and follow the darkness. For others though, there is still hope. Praying and hoping that at least some of these men in uniforms that we come across in Hebron everyday, will one day wake up and find the courage to stop following orders to continue to harass and victimize the Palestinian people who live here.

The young men, when we first noticed them being detained.

As the men sit on a curb and an older Palestinian man talks to them, a soldier circles us, taking pictures with his cellphone. I am wearing the striped shirt, my friend a black shirt and shorts (we quickly left the house).

The soldier shining a flashlight in my friend's face.

Now it's my turn. Fortunately, after these guys left, the other two soldiers who are standing further away and out of the view of the lens, let the men go.