Nahal Brigade

There is a group of soldiers patrolling the Old City of Hebron that I need to make mention of. They are the Nahal Brigade. I do not know of the history of Nahal or of their actions elsewhere in Israel or Palestine or what all of them are like.

But I would like to mention this group of soldiers because they are known for having a conscience. They have been in the area for a few months and are part of the occupation. They follow orders that include randomly detaining young men at checkpoints, guarding the settlers, making night raids on people who are sleeping, and arresting people who break the rules like walking down Shuhada Street if you are Palestinian.

However, unlike other soldiers, they do not seem to take any particular delight in carrying out their job and they are not known to show cruelty that goes beyond their orders. The occupation itself is an act of cruelty, as are the orders they carry out. However, they do not go any farther than they "need to".

They will say hi to kids walking to school. Some of the soldiers have told CPTers that they chose to be here because they know what other brigades are like. I have had a conversation with one of the soldiers today while we were doing a school patrol. He was very friendly, and told me he doesn't want to be here. He called the settlers "a bunch of bums" and said that if it was up to him he would arrest them all. He said hello to some kids walking by and chatted with his parents. I have heard both CPTers and Palestinians say that these soldiers are different from others who have been in this city.

I am against the occupation and my role here kind of ensures there will always be some tension between us and the soldiers. Whenever possible though I say "shalom" to them and they often say "shalom" back. I have seen Palestinians greet them too.

They are not the enemy. I feel bad for the soldiers. They are being dehumanized by their work, as are the people they are ordered to rule over. Last year, 4 soldiers who have served in Hebron have committed suicide. I pray for their physical and mental safety, as well as the same for the Palestinians and activists they run into.