1
1
1
A Border Patrol First Sergeant said:
"Somehow, a female combatant has to prove herself more, on the ground too. Again a female combatant who can lash out is a serious fighter. Capable. A ball-breaker. There was one with me when I got there, she'd been there long before, she was - wow, everyone talked about what grit she had, because she could humiliate Arabs without batting an eyelash. That was the thing to do."
She had a good reputation in her company until in the field and wasn't tough. Too "wimpy," (she said), unlike "guys (who) need to prove themselves less in this respect....We (talked about) tough female combatant(s) having no problem beating up Arabs....Take a look at that one, a real 'ball-breaker,' see her humiliating them, slapping them, what a slap she gave that guy! You hear this kind of talk all the time."
A Hebron Regional Brigade/Education Corp officer said she witnessed two soldiers "pacing around a detainee - blindfolded, his hands shackled behind his back. Suddenly I see that one of the guys simply approaches him, and without any warning, knee-kicks him in the head."
She leapt at him saying, "You're coming with me now," but he didn't understand how a female soldier could order him around. Her rank concealed under a fleeze jacket, "He shoved me off, this was a big guy - he pushed me away and ran into the barracks." Complaining to the deputy commander, she was told "Let it go, it's pointless." She had a hard time accepting it.
A Border Patrol First Sergeant recounted incidents of violence, including harassment, keeping Palestinians on their feet, in formation made to sing and hop, and if anyone laughs he gets punched. "It can last for hours" against anyone, including women, children and the elderly. "Some (of us) had absolutely no restraint and abused anyone."
A Gaza Division Education Corps Officer described the "everyday routine of combat service," saying only in retrospect did she realize "to what extent I had not been a human being out there....it's like a movie with a lot of death around you, an unreasonable reality, with soldiers doing inhumane things to others....doing irrational things to other people."
Another Border Patrol First Sergeant recalled chasing a Palestinian who was ordered to halt when he began running. Even though he wasn't a threat, they shot and killed him. "An investigation was carried out. First they said it was really an unjustified killing. He was a child about nine years old....Eventually the army claimed he was doing something (like) checking escape spots for terrorists....And that was that, the file was closed."
An Erez Crossing Sergeant said "there was this procedure, before you released a Palestinian back into the Strip, you'd take him into the tent and beat him up." Commanders took part....even if I let an illegal go at my side of the checkpoint, until he'd get to Gaza he'd go through hell. (He'd) be stopped along the way and every soldier would take his turn beating him. Commanders, too."
A Border Patrol Seam Zone (between the Green Line and Separation Wall) First Sergeant recalled "patroll(ing) the Fence and a group of tiny children were standing near (it) and throwing these little stones at the vehicles of the fence construction firm." They weren't harming anyone, but the commander ordered, "Okay, load rubber ammo," so she loaded and explained that bullets come in units of three, and soldiers peel off the rubber "because that hurts more." It also kills or badly wounds.
She fired low, in the ground near their feet, angering her operations officer who took her gun and said, "You don't know how to shoot." She responded, "Where do you want me to shoot? He came along, fired....Straight at the belly. Fortunately he missed. But he fired straight at their belly, and of course they ran."
A Jenin Border Patrol First Sergeant said she felt guilty about not having said anything about what went on, but believes "it wouldn't have made any difference....There is still an air of violence so when "things get boring....let's invent an incident." Make one up. "Get on the radio and report: Stones have been thrown at me on this street. And then you detain someone and start questioning him....Naturally, when they're caught, they're beaten up" even if nothing happened.
An Etzion Regional Brigade Sergeant said stone-throwers "get beaten up and taken to brigade headquarters....They beat the hell out of (them) or take (them) to division headquarters....If kids throw stones, all the shops in the village would be shut down."
A Hebron Hills Border Patrol First Sergeant spoke about daily roadblocks and her position as a crew commander. "You've got to throw your weight around, show authority....I mean, I've never raised a hand against (Palestinians). There are other ways to make them understand. Once we were blocking a certain road and there were about ten vans with 20 - 30 passengers each. (They) have to stand waiting....everyone gets off with their belongings, their permits, and they're checked one by one. (At times) there were detector dogs, trackers, explosive and weapons detectors that would join us."
She'd "start checking them (all). They would wait inside the cars." Everyone is checked on the police computer to learn who's authorized to drive. Those who aren't are detained and turned over to the police. They're fined and if they don't report to a traffic police station in two day "there would be an arrest warrant against (them) and more fines." The idea is to teach them a lesson and make them pay so "they'd not mess with us any more."
A Hebron Sergeant complained that she wasn't cut out to be a combatant, then explained that when "An Arab says something to her that he shouldn't, for example - she calls some four guys from her company to come handle him (and they) beat him to a pulp." She then detains the person.
