Archiv: Soldaten / soldiers


05.11.2024 - 19:16 [ yoman miluim / Youtube ]

A Soldier‘s diary : an Israel reserve soldier‘s occupation diary

Authors: Gideon Gitai, Yishai Shuster, Era Lapid, Kirsti Eskelinen, Yleisradio Oy, Gig Films Production, First Run/Icarus Films

Summary: This unsettling film was made by Gideon Gitai and Yishai Shuster, a disillusioned soldier who served as part of an Israeli military force occupying the West Bank. They created the film because, as Shuster explained, ‚I wanted my friends to see what I saw in the occupied territories‘—the seemingly endless tension and conflict between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli settlers, driven by the ongoing political and military situation. The Israeli soldiers found themselves in the difficult position of regularly controlling and confronting the Arab civilian population, a task that most of them disliked. The rare documentation Shuster provided reflects resistance to the policing measures imposed by the state on the Palestinian population. These practices have since intensified, becoming a painful routine, with Palestinian citizens—deprived of rights—suffering under the weight of Israeli occupation.

VHS Video, Hebrew, ©1991

05.11.2024 - 19:05 [ Margarita Estévez-Abe / mastodon.social ]

“Why You Must Watch This Lost Documentary on the Israeli Occupation ‚Reserve Diary: Hebron 1989‘

was perhaps the first Israeli film to break the silence on soldiers‘ illegal actions in the West Bank – so how come almost no one has seen it in 35 years? Its director, Yishai Shuster, reveals all.” @palestine #westbank
Link to the article https://archive.is/fY6MK
Link to the documentary: https://youtu.be/AcNOxPKvYFo

21.04.2024 - 12:00 [ Zeitpunkt.ch ]

50 Jahre Nelkenrevolution in Portugal

Am 25. April 2024 wird Portugal zum fünfzigsten Mal seine so genannte friedliche Revolution feiern. Von den damaligen Errungenschaften ist fast nichts geblieben. (…)

Das Kapital eroberte sich Schritt für Schritt seine Macht zurück. Die Landreform wurde zurückgenommen. Bei der Rückgabe von Ländereien kam es zu bitteren Szenen und Prügeleien. Kleinbauern verloren die Früchte ihrer Arbeit und das gerade bestellte eigene Land. Den verbleibenden Kooperativen – Versammlungsstätten und kulturelle Wohnzimmer der Dörfer, in denen sich die Bewohner gegenseitig versorgen und ihre Produkte lokal anbieten konnten – wurden die steuerlichen Vergünstigungen und damit die Arbeitsgrundlage genommen. Damit ging ein Herzstück der Revolution verloren.

Der Westen hatte gesiegt. Dem portugiesischen Volk wurde der Beitritt zur EU 1986 als Weg zu Sicherheit und Wohlstand verkauft.

11.04.2024 - 22:32 [ Kyiv Post ]

Final Version of Mobilization Bill Approved, Ukraine’s Soldiers ‘Not Happy’ About It

However, at the same time, the rule on demobilization after 36 months of service disappeared from the final version. (…)

The military members, who have been serving since 2022, were waiting for this provision, wrote DPSU officer Maksym Nesmyanov.

“This is a disaster… How could it be possible to promise demobilization to soldiers from December 2023, only to abandon them at the end!!! You can‘t take away hope from soldiers that they will return home,” Nesmyanov wrote on Facebook.

26.02.2024 - 22:00 [ Al Jazeera ]

Suicide vs genocide: Rest in power, Aaron Bushnell

In the aftermath of Bushnell’s self-immolation, the New York Times announced: “Man Dies After Setting Himself on Fire Outside Israeli Embassy in Washington, Police Say” – a rather strong contender, perhaps, for the most diluted and decontextualised headline ever. One wonders what folks would have said in 1965 had the US newspaper of record run headlines like: “Octogenarian Detroit Woman Dies After Setting Herself on Fire, Police Say – An Event Having Nothing Potentially To Do With Said Woman’s Opposition To The Vietnam War Or Anything Like That”.

26.02.2024 - 21:54 [ Assal Rad / Twitter ]

Why did he do it? Four major news outlets have almost the exact same headline for the self-immolation of 25-year old Aaron Bushnell. Not one of them mentions the words “Gaza” or “genocide,” the reason for Aaron’s protest, or the word “Palestine,” his last words spoken.

26.02.2024 - 21:43 [ USA Today ]

Air Force member Aaron Bushnell dies after setting himself on fire near Israeli Embassy

Bushnell began livestreaming to Twitch as he approached the embassy, declaring that he „will no longer be complicit in genocide,“ a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Officials believe Bushnell started the stream, set his phone on the ground, poured liquid over himself, and lit himself on fire.

14.02.2024 - 12:58 [ BBC News (World) / Twitter ]

They were Israel‘s eyes on the border – but their Hamas warnings went unheard

(15.01.2024)

29.01.2024 - 09:50 [ Bundestag.de ]

Bundeswehreinsatz in Irak

(18. Oktober 2023)

Beschlussempfehlung des Auswärtigen Ausschusses (3. Ausschuss) zu dem Antrag der Bundesregierung Fortsetzung des Einsatzes bewaffneter deutscher Streitkräfte – Stabilisierung sichern, Wiedererstarken des IS verhindern, Versöhnung in Irak fördern (Drucksache. 20/8341 und 20/8797)

Abstimmungsergebnis…

16.01.2024 - 02:00 [ BBC News (World) / Twitter ]

They were Israel‘s eyes on the border – but their Hamas warnings went unheard

28.12.2023 - 15:38 [ Noga Tarnopolsky נגה טרנופולסקי نوغا ترنوبولسكي / Twitter ]

Netanyahu‘s office responded to the hospitalized soldiers rejecting his visit with a formal statement in which they wrote: „An absolute majority of the fighters are very excited to meet the prime minister.“ (I am not joking.)

28.12.2023 - 14:58 [ David Sheen / Twitter ]

Killed by order of Israeli general Barak Hiram

(25.12.2023)

1) Pessi Cohen
2) Hannah Cohen
3) Yitzhak Siton
4) Tal Siton
5) Zeev Hacker
6) Zehava Hacker
7) Hava Ben Ami
8) Adi Dagan
9) Tal Katz
10) Ayala Hatsroni
11) Liel Hatsroni
12) Yanai Hatsroni
13) Suhayb al-Razim

28.12.2023 - 14:54 [ ElectronicIntifada.net ]

Israeli general killed Israelis on 7 October then lied about it

Video and witness accounts recently published by Israeli media reveal new details about how Israeli forces killed their own civilians in Kibbutz Be’eri on 7 October.

Last week, Israel’s Channel 12 released previously unseen footage of an Israeli tank firing at a civilian home in the settlement, just a few miles east of Gaza.

The new evidence shows that the Israeli commander on the scene, Brigadier General Barak Hiram, lied to a top Israeli journalist about what happened in the kibbutz that day, after Palestinian resistance fighters launched a large-scale assault on Israeli military bases and settlements across the boundary from Gaza.

28.12.2023 - 14:46 [ Uncaptured.media ]

Israeli volunteer: Apache helicopter fired into Kibbutz Be’eri

(14.12.2023)

An Israeli Apache helicopter fired into Kibbutz Be’eri, according to testimony from Erez Tidhar, a military veteran who on the scene on October 7 as a rescue and evacuation volunteer for the Eitam unit .

“Every minute a missile comes down on you, every minute,” Tidhar recalled. “And suddenly you see a missile from a helicopter that fires into the kibbutz. You say to yourself, ‘I don’t get it. An IDF helicopter firing into an Israeli kibbutz.’ And then you see a tank driving through the streets of the kibbutz flanking the cannon and it fires a shell into a house. These are things you cannot comprehend.”

17.10.2023 - 18:35 [ Breaking The Silence ]

Breaking the Silence: Text testimonies

“We want to make a big boom before the ceasefire”
Rank: First Sergeant
Unit: Engineering Corps
Area: Northern Gaza strip
period: 2014

(…)

“Anything that could shatter had been shattered”
Rank: First Sergeant
Unit: Engineering Corps
Area: Northern Gaza strip
period: 2014

(…)

“It was obvious that if it wasn’t our forces there, we needed to shoot”
Rank: Captain
Area: Gaza strip
period: 2014

17.10.2023 - 15:00 [ Combatants for Peace ]

Combatants for Peace: About Us

We are a group of Palestinians and Israelis who have taken an active part in the cycle of violence in our region: Israeli soldiers serving in the IDF and Palestinians as combatants fighting to free their country, Palestine, from the Israeli occupation. We – serving our peoples, raised weapons which we aimed at each other and saw each other only through gun sights – have established Combatants for Peace on the basis of non-violence principles.

CFP’s mission is to build the social infrastructure necessary for ending the conflict and the occupation: communities of Palestinians and Israelis working together through non-violent means to promote peace.

17.10.2023 - 14:56 [ Yesh-Gvul.org.il ]

About Yesh-Gvul

Yesh Gvul was founded in 1982 with the outbreak of the First Lebanon War, as a refusal movement of soldiers in the reserves force.
Its first petition, which would define the movement’s trajectory, reads:
„[…] you are trying to solve the Palestinian problem by warfare … to impose a ‘new order’ on the ruins of Lebanon, to spill our blood and the blood of others for the sake of the Phalange. That is not why we enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces.”
Close to 3,000 reservists signed the petition, 160 of whom were jailed for refusing to serve on Lebanese territory. Yesh Gvul supported the first Lebanon War refuseniks, most of whom were selective objectors, and worked to influence public opinion against waging wars in Lebanon. Ever since, the movement has helped soldiers who refuse to serve or are considering refusal, as well as their families.

08.10.2023 - 09:02 [ Times of Israel ]

IDF releases names of 26 soldiers killed fighting in southern Israel

The Israel Defense Forces publishes the names of 26 soldiers killed during fighting with Hamas terrorists on the border with the Gaza Strip during the past day. Their families have been notified.

07.10.2023 - 17:22 [ Yossi Melman / Twitter ]

Israel declared massive reserves recruitment. The protest movement announced that they cancelled all demonstrations tonight. Reserve Air force pilots and personnels said that they are ready for duty

07.10.2023 - 14:14 [ CBKNEWS / Twitter ]

GRAPHIC CONTENT! Israeli soldier captured and taken back to Gaza

(…)

16.09.2023 - 00:29 [ Washington Post ]

Pentagon to revisit Kabul airport bombing with new witness interviews

Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, who oversees U.S. Central Command, ordered the additional interviews “to ensure we do our due diligence” with information that came to light after the military closed its investigation of the incident, Michael Lawhorn, a Central Command spokesman, said in a statement. By itself, the move does not formally reopen the investigation, completed in November 2021, but the general could determine that doing so is necessary once the additional interviews are complete.

(…)

The attack’s suspected mastermind was killed by the Taliban earlier this year, U.S. officials disclosed in April.

07.09.2023 - 21:13 [ Nachdenkseiten ]

Krieg ohne Krieger – oder: Das phantomhafte Töten und Sterben an der Front

Nicht nur die USA, auch die manifest kriegführenden Akteure in der Ukraine haben aus dem seinerzeitigen ‚Informationsdesaster‘ der US-Army und ihrer GIs im Vietnamkrieg gelernt: Damals lieferten mutige Kriegsberichterstatter noch weitestgehend unzensierte Bilder vom Morden, vom Töten und vom Sterben direkt von der Front frei Haus, die weltweit über die Bildschirme flimmerten und auf den Titelseiten der tonangebenden Zeitungen erschienen – und vor allem die junge Generation in den Ländern des Westens zu Protest- und Verweigerungsaktionen auf die Straße trieben. Spätestens seit dem Golfkrieg 1991 werden wir, wenn überhaupt, nur noch mit – den Militärs und Machthabern genehmen – klinisch-reinen Bildern und Filmen von „Embedded Journalists“ beliefert.

13.08.2023 - 16:20 [ Haaretz ]

Ex-Israeli General Says Army Partner in West Bank War Crimes, Invokes Nazi Germany

Speaking to Israel’s public broadcasting station Kan, Amiram Levin, former head of the Israeli army’s Northern Command, said that “there hasn’t been a democracy there in 57 years, there is total apartheid.” According to Levin, “the IDF, which is forced to exert sovereignty there, is rotting from the inside. It’s standing by, looking at the settler rioters and is beginning to be a partner to war crimes. These are deep processes.”

When asked to elaborate on the specific “processes,” Levin invoked Nazi Germany. “It’s hard for us to say it, but it’s the truth. Walk around Hebron, look at the streets. Streets where Arabs are no longer allowed to go on, only Jews. That’s exactly what happened there, in that dark country.”

13.08.2023 - 16:05 [ Times of Israel ]

‘The time to fight is now’: Masses nationwide rally against overhaul for 32nd week

Levin, who at various times headed the IDF Northern Command, commanded the elite Sayeret Matkal unit and served as deputy director of the Mossad spy agency, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of wanting to hand the country over to criminals.

“Bibi wants to give the keys to the country to a group of awful ministers, some of whom are convicted criminals and draft dodgers, to ministers who encourage massacring Palestinians subject to our rule, to a racist minister who loots the state budget and blocks funds for Arabs, just because they are Arabs. To a justice minister who wants one branch of government and no independent judiciary,”

13.08.2023 - 15:53 [ Haaretz ]

32nd Week of Israel’s Pro-democracy Protests: „Choose Democracy!“ Ex-IDF General Calls on Army Chief to Back Rule of Law in Looming Conflict With ‘Gov’t of Criminals’

At the main Kaplan Street protest in Tel Aviv, former Israeli General, Amiram Levin called on defense leaders to stand up to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who “are trying to drag you into war crimes.”

“If the terrible moment comes when you will be required to decide between the court and a government of criminals – Choose democracy! We will all stand behind you, fearlessly and unreservedly,” said Levin.

13.08.2023 - 15:28 [ ModernDiplomacy.eu ]

Gen. Mark Milley: “Measured pace of Ukraine’s counteroffensive not a surprise”

The primary challenge for Ukrainian forces is the continued difficulty of breaking through Russia’s multi-layered defensive lines in the eastern and southern parts of the country, which are marked by tens of thousands of mines and vast networks of trenches. Ukrainian forces have incurred staggering losses there, leading Ukrainian commanders to hold back some units to regroup and reduce casualties.

“Russians have a number of defensive lines and they [Ukrainian forces] haven’t really gone through the first line,” said a senior Western diplomat.

13.08.2023 - 14:56 [ Washington Post ]

Slow counteroffensive darkens mood in Ukraine

(August 10, 2023)

In Smila, a small city in central Ukraine, baker Alla Blyzniuk, 42, said she sells sweets for funeral receptions daily as parents prepare to bury their children killed on the front hundreds of miles away. (…)

Blyzniuk also lives in fear that her husband or two sons of fighting age will be mobilized. She has already noticed that far fewer men walk the streets of her city than before. Ukraine does not disclose its military casualty counts, but everyone shares stories, she said, of new soldiers at the front lasting just two to three days.

25.07.2023 - 22:15 [ Times of Israel ]

Several top nuclear scientists said weighing resigning from atomic commission to protest overhaul

The report, which did not cite sources, stressed there was no collective action, with the scientists deciding for themselves how they will act. It added that the scientists were still deliberating the matter with each other and their predecessors, along with “heads of the scientific-military community,” but have not raised it with any superiors.

25.07.2023 - 22:12 [ Times of Isarel ]

IDF says battle-readiness weeks from being impacted as reservists decamp en masse

Thousands of reservists have threatened to end their volunteer reserve duty in protest of the overhaul in recent weeks, sparking alarm from defense brass, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who issued a rare video statement Tuesday calling for unity within the military.

The IDF has said that the “cohesion,” or unity of the IDF has already been harmed amid the protests against the judicial overhaul, and it will take time to fix.

25.07.2023 - 21:10 [ Kathimerini ]

Two firefighting pilots confirmed dead

In a statement, the General Air Staff Air Force named the two officers as Captain Christos Moulas (34) and his co-pilot, Second Lieutenant Periklis Stefanidis (27).

Leading tributes to the two pilots, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said: “Our sense of gratitude is immense and our sorrow for their loss profound.”

22.07.2023 - 23:45 [ Times of Israel ]

IDF chief to reportedly speak with PM about reservist protests’ impact on IDF

IDF chief Herzi Halevi is expected to speak tomorrow with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the growing number of reservists suspending their volunteer service to protest the judicial overhaul and the expected impact on military readiness, according to Hebrew media reports.

22.07.2023 - 22:38 [ Times of Israel ]

Ex-Shin Bet chief Diskin: Suspending voluntary reserve service now ‘is a heroic step’

“My brothers and sisters… who have saved our state on the battlefield from our enemies,” he says, “the battle today is for the nature of the state, against those who are seeking to destroy its foundations and its values.”

Diskin continues: “Suspending voluntary reserve service is certainly an irregular step — but it is a legal, democratic and non-violent step. And above all, it is a heroic step.”

22.07.2023 - 22:05 [ Times of Israel ]

‘This is where we draw the line’: 10,000 more reservists to stop volunteering

Some 10,000 Israel Defense Forces reservists will suspend their volunteer reserve duty in protest of the government’s plans to overhaul the judicial system, a large protest group announced Saturday evening.

At a press conference in Herzliya, leaders of Brothers in Arms announced the move, the latest to send shockwaves through the Israel Defense Forces, which is struggling to stem a growing flood of reserve troops dropping out of volunteer duty to protest the overhaul, as defense officials warn the phenomenon could affect national preparedness.

22.07.2023 - 21:49 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu’s Judicial Coup: 10,000 Reservists Announce Suspension of Service Until Judicial Coup Nixed as Tens of Thousands Protest Across Israel for 29th Straight Week Ahead of Key Vote

Netanyahu’s coalition is set to vote on Monday to significantly weaken the Israeli High Court’s ability to review government decisions

21.07.2023 - 16:10 [ Haaretz ]

Over 1,000 Israeli Air Force Personnel to Suspend Reserve Duty if Netanyahu‘s Judicial Coup Continues

(today)

„The [judicial overhaul] legislation, which allows the government to act in an extremely unreasonable manner, will harm the security of the State of Israel, will break the trust and violate our consent to continue risking our lives – and will very sadly leave us with no choice but to refrain from volunteering for reserve duty,“ a letter penned by 1,142 reserve officers read. It was sent to Knesset members, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi and IAF Commander Tomer Bar.

19.07.2023 - 18:12 [ Haaretz ]

Israel‘s Judicial Coup: Hundreds of Reservists in Israeli Army’s Medical Corps Say They Won’t Report for Duty

The announcement came a day after 161 air force reservists said they would stop reporting for duty in protest of the overhaul. The day before that, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned reservists threatening to end their service.

19.07.2023 - 17:53 [ Times of Israel ]

Likud minister calls attorney general ‘the most dangerous person’ in Israel

(today)

The minister pointed to widespread “chaos” the day before, when anti-overhaul protesters blocked roads and disrupted train services while, he said, the attorney general “doesn’t see anything.”

“In my opinion, she is the most dangerous person in the country today,” Amsalem said. “In practice, there is a revolt going on in the IDF, and the attorney general doesn’t see, doesn’t hear.”

17.07.2023 - 16:40 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu‘s Judicial Coup – Israeli Army Heads to Defense Minister: Decline in IDF Cohesion Already Evident

In recent days an increasing number of reservists have announced that they will stop volunteering for duty due to the overhaul legislation, particularly the amendment repealing the reasonableness standard.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met Sunday with IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi and other senior IDF officers to assess the effect of the protest and the reservists’ initiatives on the military.

29.06.2023 - 20:22 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Calls Meeting to Address Planned Protests Outside Coalition Members’ Homes

Protest leaders announced their intention earlier this week on intensifying the demonstrations, including a large protest at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Monday. Several demonstrations against ministers and coalition members are already expected to take place including Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel, and MK Boaz Bismuth.