4 thoughts on “Shabak Strikes Again, Israeli Palestinian Boy Arrested Under Gag for Alleged Security Offenses – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. A “boy”? In the article you state he is 18 years of age. That’s the age of draft into the Israeli army. If you are going to run a propaganda web site, at least do it right!

  2. “How can it be that the victims are so terrified that they cannot even speak about their terror or those who are causing it? How can the Shabak have so worked its ‘magic’ that all one can do is shake with fear in the face of its power?”

    It’s not just the Shabak that wields this power to silence. For the past few weeks my centre has been trying to arrange a street festival with music and dancing, originally meant to be in honour of Land Day, to which the women from Dheisheh refugee camp were invited. They refused to come, as our street is choked by the wall, within sight of the checkpoint, and overlooked by watchtowers. (This is the whole purpose of holding the festival here – we try to bring life back to the most militarized areas of Bethlehem.) But the refugee women were so afraid at the thought of singing, of dancing, of existing in the presence of the Israeli military that we have had to relocate to a centre in Dheisheh. The festival will take place within four walls. It’s the only place these women feel safe.

    It’s the same with the stories I collect and the psychoeducational work that I do. I used to use a voice recorder when I was conducting interviews, but it created such panic in people that I had to stop. Recently I spoke with a woman who was imprisoned without trial, suffering repeated torture and sexual assault, and she refused to let me record her testimony – she was scared that the recording would fall into the wrong hands and she would be sent back to prison. She has anxiety attacks if people knock on her door too loudly because she thinks it is the IDF come to take her back. So she doesn’t speak to anyone about it. Simple. I have heard her story now, but I don’t know how long it will take before she trusts me enough to tell it. (If she ever does – I can’t guarantee her safety.)

    Psychoeducational work is the hardest. I am planning a course on non-violence and how it can enhance personal strength for the youth group, but it’s going to be tough to implement, because the youth find it difficult to talk about their strength or weakness. To them both things are an admission of vulnerability, and you can’t afford to be vulnerable here. Who knows who’s listening? Everybody is frightened of their shadows.

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