Soldiering under Occupation - Processes of Numbing among Israeli soldiers in the Al-Aqsa Intifada
Booklaunch by Erella Grassiani (co-founder of gate48, UvA) (Berghahn Books)
Often, violent behavior or harassment from a soldier is dismissed by the military as unacceptable acts by individuals termed, "rotten apples." In this study, the author argues that this dismissal is unsatisfactory and that there is an urgent need to look at the (mis)behavior of soldiers from a structural point of view.
When soldiers serve as an occupational force, they find themselves in a
particular situation influenced by structural circumstances that heavily
influence their behavior and moral decision-making. This study focuses on young
Israeli men and their experiences as combat soldiers in the Israeli Defense
Forces (IDF), particularly those who served in the "Occupied Palestinian
Territories", (OPT) during the Al Aqsa Intifada, which broke out in 2000.
In describing the soldiers' circumstances, especially focusing on space, the
study shows how processes of numbing on different levels influence the (moral)
behavior of these soldiers.
Erella Grassiani is an anthropologist, working at the University of Amsterdam. Her academic work focuses on military and (private) security issues in Israel. She is also the co-founder of gate48, a platform for critical Israeli's in the Netherlands.
The Book Launch is organized by gate48 - platform for critical Israelis in the Netherlands.
<http://www.gate48.org/>
www.gate48.org
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gate48/274124952606576>
- Thursday, 7 November 18:30, ABC treehouse, Voetboogstraat 11, Amsterdam.
- Friday 8, November 19:00, ABC Treehut, Lange Poten 23, Den Haag