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Breaking the Silence is a not for profit group in Israel that offers support to veterans and soldiers of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). From their website:

www.breakingthesilence.org

They are an organization of veteran soldiers who have served in the Israeli military since the start of the Second Intifada and have taken it upon themselves to expose the public to the reality of everyday life in the Occupied Territories.

Luiz, a former IDF soldier, shares his powerful story and why he chose to join Breaking the Silence. His testimony is compelling—offering an inside look at the struggles faced by soldiers who confront the reality of systemic oppression and cruelty inflicted on the people of Palestine. Luiz speaks candidly about the orders he and others received—orders that, in his words, went against their faith, their will, and their deepest sense of right and wrong. He now works to reach others, whether they are stepping away from IDF service or still within its ranks, to help them see another way forward.

Read a couple of quotes from their website:

“The official mission was to open a logistical route for maneuvering, but in practice, the bulldozers were simply destroying homes. The southeastern part of Rafah is completely destroyed. The horizon is flat. There is no city.”

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“This is a just war,” and on my last day on reserve duty, I woke up in Sde Teiman and simply saw how an Abu Ghraib (a detention facility in Iraq which was made infamous when American military abused detainees in the early 2000s)-like thing was taking shape. You see normal, pretty ordinary people, reaching a point where they abuse people for their own amusement, not even for an interrogation or anything. For fun, to have something to tell the guys, or [for] revenge. The average Israeli who sees these things simply scrolls past it. They don’t see it. I don’t know if there is a greater impact if a soldier says it (that there was abuse) or not. It’s crazy that I say: “There are plenty of witnesses. There’s no need for me to testify about that.” But for real, it (Palestinians’ testimony) doesn’t count.

War is devastating for anyone who serves—but what we’re seeing now is something more: a collision of religion and political power, where the Zionist government cloaks greed in the language of faith. This oppression contradicts the heart of Jewish teaching and the vow to never repeat the horrors committed against Jews during the Holocaust.

In this episode, hear from Luiz and explore the stories shared at www.breakingthesilence.org. Ask yourself: Who truly has rights to the land? And is there space for everyone?

Thank you for listening to Wall to Wall: Palestine/Israel. In this series, we share the voices of those living within and around the walls of the Holy Land—people holding fast to their truth wh

The Common Table Podcast UMC is supported by the Creation Justice Team (part of the UNY AC UMC General Board of Global Ministry) and Peace with Justice for Palestine/Israel (also UNY AC UMC). Our focus is on Creation Justice, Creation Care, and the urgent need for peace with justice—recognizing how climate change and war disrupts the health of the Earth and all living things. We seek to prayerfully respect and love the creation we were born into, caring for all that lives.

We invite you to join us for conversations rooted in justice and compassion. Every episode is produced by volunteers, and we publish as often as we are able.

Our mission is to lift awareness, foster education, and encourage faithful action within the human community—in the name of Christ.

Hosted by Rev. Dr. Robin Blair.