Comments on: West Bank Trip, Part One http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/ Danya Ruttenberg's website Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:51:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Judith http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-308 Judith Sun, 12 Jun 2005 12:38:00 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-308 " "sane military"? I'm not sure I understand this phrase." Well, if that's your bias, and if you think American soldiers are making snuff films in Iraq, no wonder you buy into everything you are told at these kumbaya sessions. I hope you get deprogrammed before you get smicha. ” “sane military”?
I’m not sure I understand this phrase.”

Well, if that’s your bias, and if you think American soldiers are making snuff films in Iraq, no wonder you buy into everything you are told at these kumbaya sessions. I hope you get deprogrammed before you get smicha.

]]> By: Rachel http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-307 Rachel Sat, 26 Mar 2005 06:05:00 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-307 Man, this is a powerful post. Thank you. Man, this is a powerful post. Thank you.

]]> By: Anonymous http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-306 Anonymous Thu, 24 Mar 2005 23:21:00 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-306 When you first said you were going to the West Bank, I thought maybe you went to visit chalutzim (engl. settlers, but today its a politically charged term) in yishuvim there to see the diverse lifestyle of the myrads of Israeli Jews who live in Yehuda and Shomron. Some, of course, are extremist but I reckon to say that they are only a tiny minority. When you first said you were going to the West Bank, I thought maybe you went to visit chalutzim (engl. settlers, but today its a politically charged term) in yishuvim there to see the diverse lifestyle of the myrads of Israeli Jews who live in Yehuda and Shomron. Some, of course, are extremist but I reckon to say that they are only a tiny minority.

]]> By: Danya http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-305 Danya Thu, 24 Mar 2005 17:19:00 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-305 "sane military"? I'm not sure I understand this phrase. “sane military”?

I’m not sure I understand this phrase.

]]> By: mili http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-304 mili Thu, 24 Mar 2005 07:23:00 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-304 Bethlehem in Arabic = bayt laham (imagine a dot below the h), house of meat. Don't know if the school shooting here in the US made it into the press you read, but a 16 year old Native American boy who wanted to be a Nazi shot up his town school after killing his grandfather. Again, angry children with guns. There's something so self-reinforcing about being a soldier in an occupation situation (Iraq/Palestine/etc)--you only encounter the occupied people in situations that are going to make you look bad to them, which are therefore going to make them angry/bitter/upset with you, which is therefore going to make you dislike them more and distance yourself from them and dehumanize them more in order to get through your day, which is what makes it possible to shoot up a car full of people without stopping them first. The structure just lends itself to making people into lousy human beings (on both sides). It's enough to make me wonder why any sane military keeps it up. Bethlehem in Arabic = bayt laham (imagine a dot below the h), house of meat.

Don’t know if the school shooting here in the US made it into the press you read, but a 16 year old Native American boy who wanted to be a Nazi shot up his town school after killing his grandfather. Again, angry children with guns.

There’s something so self-reinforcing about being a soldier in an occupation situation (Iraq/Palestine/etc)–you only encounter the occupied people in situations that are going to make you look bad to them, which are therefore going to make them angry/bitter/upset with you, which is therefore going to make you dislike them more and distance yourself from them and dehumanize them more in order to get through your day, which is what makes it possible to shoot up a car full of people without stopping them first. The structure just lends itself to making people into lousy human beings (on both sides). It’s enough to make me wonder why any sane military keeps it up.

]]> By: B2 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-303 B2 Thu, 24 Mar 2005 06:47:00 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/03/23/west-bank-trip-part-one/#comment-303 That's a great account; it made me homesick (and I only lived in Israel for a year). That’s a great account; it made me homesick (and I only lived in Israel for a year).

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