Breaking Ranks. Refusing to Serve in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Chacham, Ronit.

ISBN 10: 1590510437 / ISBN 13: 9781590510438

Published by Other Press, New York, 2003

About this Item

viii, 153pp + 8 bw figures at rear. Or green boards in jacket. Slightest of edge wear to jacket. The stories of nine Israeli conscientious objectors who refused oders to serve in the West BAnk and Gaza. Size: 8vo.

Seller Inventory # 028290

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Breaking Ranks. Refusing to Serve in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
• Publisher: Other Press, New York
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1590510437
• ISBN 13: 9781590510438
• Binding: Hard Cover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Biography
  • Militaria

About this title

Synopsis

In a series of moving and provocative conversations, nine members of the Israeli Defense Force tell why they refused to serve in the West Bank and Gaza. The "Refuseniks" describe their risky moral decision against the background of what is perhaps the most volatile conflict in the world today: the Israeli-Palestine struggle. Their individual choices and their collective activism have generated intense debate in Israel and the international community, from the leading Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz to a segment on 60 Minutes.

In a sociocultural mosaic of the refusenik movement and the political context in which it arose, these men recount their individual family backgrounds and beliefs. Dedicated to the welfare of their country and its religious heritage, they outline their concerns for the future of Israel. As they tell their stories of personal struggle, they also raise the disturbing and highly controversial issue of human rights abuses in the occupied territories.

These searching personal accounts of existential choice offer new perspectives on some entrenched ideas about the situation in the Middle East. The testimony in Breaking Ranks is essential background for a full understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The refuseniks illuminate the inner workings of Israeli society by challenging what it most reveres, offering a new moral framework that reinforces a sense of belonging to Israel. In this time of grave crisis in the Middle East, with no solution in sight to repair the utter collapse of the peace process, these voices offer a message of hope in their commitment to their society and nation

About the Author

Ronit Chacham, a native of Israel currently living in Jerusalem, is a widely published cultural critic who contributes regularly to news magazines in Israel. She is also the author of numerous works of fiction, including children's books, short stories, and plays.