[rad-green] US-born IDF veterans return to tell their communities about the occupation

Israeli soldiers talk about the occupied territories
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Dear friends,



We’ve had a busy few weeks. Apart from our regular work here in Israel, we
also brought our photo exhibit to the J Street Conference in Washington DC.
But we’ll get to that later; first, let us tell you about the two biggest
things we’re working on at the moment:
Lone Soldiers' Tour

Every year, thousands of Jews from the Diaspora join the Israeli military.
Like Israeli-born soldiers, many of these ‘Lone Soldiers’ are sent to serve
in the occupied territories, maintaining Israeli military rule over
millions of Palestinians.

Throughout November, a group of US-born IDF veterans will be speaking at
synagogues, campuses and other venues - many of them the very communities
in which they were raised. We believe the Diaspora Jewish communities
cannot look away from what's happening on the ground, and have a
responsibility to hear from those Israeli soldiers who grew up in their
midst.

We will be holding panel events in Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, St.
Louis and Washington DC. For a full list of stops on our tour, click here
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.
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Expose[d]: A portrait exhibition by Quique Kierszenbaum

For over a decade, celebrated photojournalist Quique Kierszenbaum has
documented IDF veterans who gave testimony to ‘Breaking the Silence’. As a
photographer who has worked with some of the world’s best-known news
outlets, Kierszenbaum has dedicated himself to the composition of 52 photo
portraits of the young men and women who, as soldiers, participated in
routine patrols, checkpoints and night-time raids of homes across the
occupied territories as well as large-scale military incursions. They stood
in front of his camera with their faces, identities and stories exposed -
and without the blanket of anonymity which our testifiers are given as a
matter of principle. The result is a series of 52 portraits of former
soldiers, Israelis who were sent to uphold a military regime in the
occupied territories, alongside 52 testimonies that describe in stark
detail what that process means - to them as individuals and to us as a
society.

‘Expose[d]’ will run from November 14th to December 5th at 5 Rabenu
Khananel St. in Tel Aviv. This is a must-see, so if you’re in Israel at the
time, please join us; and if you know of someone who will be, tell them to
look up details by searching Quique Kierszenbaum Photographer
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on Facebook.
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What we’ve been up to

On October 27th-29th we had the honor of presenting our very own photo
exhibit at the J Street annual conference in Washington DC. J
Street's annual conference draws thousands of community representatives,
young leaders and rabbis as well as politicians and executives every year,
and this year's guest list included some of the biggest names in Israeli
and American politics (including Democratic 2020 Presidential candidates),
community leaders, presidents of organizations and activists from around
the world.

Our photo exhibit was originally put together in 2004 by the founders of
Breaking the Silence, a group of over 60 IDF Nahal Brigade veterans, and
has since toured the world, from the Israei Knesset and the EU parliament,
to campuses and forums around Israel, North America and Europe. The exhibit
is comprised of photos taken by soldiers while they were serving in the
occupied territories, and gives the viewers a glimpse of life for millions
living under military occupation as seen by the soldiers who upheld it.

But this time was particularly special. Among the hundreds of visitors who
attended the conference and came to the exhibit were several congresswomen
and men, as well as senior Israeli and Palestinian politicians and
officials. We were particularly pleased to welcome Rep. Ilhan Omar to our
exhibit, who had planned to come on a tour of Hebron with us earlier this
year but whose entry was barred by the Israeli Government in an attempt to
cover up the occupation. The cover-up attempt will not be effective as long
as we continue breaking the silence and sharing our stories with anyone
who’s willing to listen.

Banning Reps. Omar and Tlaib from making a congressional visit to Israel
and the occupied territories seems to have had a ripple effect, peaking
interest in visiting the territories and hearing about what goes on there.
This week, the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy released a virtual
reality app
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which lets its users visit - virtually - the very places which the
Congresswomen were banned from entering. And of course, the app’s tour of
Hebron is guided by former IDF soldiers from Breaking the Silence. Check it
out on Android
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or iOS
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.
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We’re always pleased to be keeping busy with special events and
meeting friends and supporters from around the world, but all the while,
we’re making sure to keep up with the bread and butter of our work:
collecting testimonies from former soldiers, taking groups and individuals
on tours of the occupied territories, and giving talks to groups from near
and far. If you’re planning on being in the area soon - or if you know of
someone who is - join us on a tour
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Our next tour, to the South Hebron Hills, will take place on November 12th.

Thank you as always for your ongoing support for our important work.

Yours,

The Breaking the Silence team
Come on a tour with us
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