kids with guns

art on the separation barrier in Bethlehem

Driving down to Jericho a few weeks ago I couldn’t help but notice all the tables by the road with plastic guns for sale, and the young boys pointing little pistols at each other. 

Then, a few days later Muki and Brahim and I walked around Tibera, a touristy spot on the Sea of Galilee, where we saw a group of young Israelis in casual clothes who appeared to be shouldering large weapons.  We asked Brahim, “are they real?” He said yes.  But they are just teens, I though. We pulled aside two 19 year old girls with almost spotless English and curly hair.  They said the two of them are military commanders, and their group was on an ‘educational tour.' Being soldiers, they could not be caught unarmed. 

They asked where we were from and we asked in return.  One girl said she was from ‘just outside of Jerusalem.’ Brahim said, oh well I’m from Bethlehem, so where exactly are you from?  Somewhat uncomfortably, she named an illegal settlement that is close to Bethlehem (I think it was Gilo, but I don't quite remember). Without missing a beat Brahim said “oh yes, I know there. So we are almost like ‘neighbors.’”

His statement sank in the silence that followed, hitting a place that five strangers could not otherwise go in the short minutes of that conversation.  

The girls said they needed to catch up to the group.  Walking away, their weapons thu-bump-thu-bumped against narrow hips. And I thought of all the little plastic guns sold on the side of the road. 

art on the separation barrier in Bethlehem 

Military service is required of all young Israelis. Two years for females, three years for males.  And being a ‘contentious objector’ usually isn’t an option.  One Israeli man said he got out of the service by receiving proof of mental illness (which he may or may not have faked/exaggerated) from a psychiatrist.  Many others face years in prison for refusing to join the Israeli military.  I recently read a report about how a significant number of soldiers are forced to desert the army because their families need more financial support than they can provide.  The average Israeli soldier is paid less than minimum wage (I've found different numbers, so I don't want to give wrong information, but this report said it was like $100/month or $200 for combatants).  Of the 14,000 imprisoned soldiers, 70% were sentenced for desertion, the majority of which was motivated by economic reasons, the report said.

On June 9 of this year, tens of thousands of Orthodox Jews living in the US gathered in Manhattan to protest the Israeli regime.  Many of the speakers passionately spoke out against the military service requirement for young Orthodox Jews. Click here for additional information.