Israeli Soldiers are Speaking Out Against the IDF's Conduct in Gaza. We Must Listen to Them.

These testimonies have intensified since the beginning of the war in Gaza, following the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, 2023, with information coming to light about the IDF using Palestinian civilians as human shields, or the AI technology used to direct Israel's bombing campaigns in Gaza.

This week, Israeli soldiers spoke to Haaretz about the arbitrary killings and lawlessness taking place in Gaza's Netzarim corridor, a seven-kilometer-wide strip of land that stretches from near Kibbutz Be'eri to the Mediterranean coast.

The retelling of their actions is equal parts heartbreaking, maddening, and unbelievable. Any Palestinian entering specific areas in Gaza is automatically classified as a terrorist and is therefore treated as a legitimate target. And while the argument is often made that these zones are communicated to the civilian population, these arbitrary lines on a map are invisible when on the ground. Couple this with the desperation of finding food, water, or even family members, to assume that these areas are so easily avoidable is a herculean task that not many of us would successfully complete.

The effects on Palestinians in Gaza are immediately evident. Not only have far too many civilian lives been taken for a war whose aims are either already accomplished (severely weakening Hamas) or not able to be accomplished through military measures (the release of the hostages), but the trauma of what is left at these sites will forever alter one's psyche.

It is clear that the effects of these orders by the IDF are more traumatizing, cause more damage, and are far more fatal to Palestinians than to Israeli soldiers, but that does not mean that there is no effect on these soldiers and indeed, on all of us who want to support and care about Israel.

After October 7, there was no doubt that embarking on a war against Hamas was just, and is what any other nation would do in the same situation. But wars, especially after over a year, must aim to bring about a diplomatic agreement for the betterment of both societies, not revenge at all costs.

When Netanyahu and his ilk say the war will be fought "until total victory," we must recognize that "total victory" is leading not only to the ethnic cleansing and mass killing of Palestinians - it is the destruction of Israel's values, morals, and its very soul.

The soldiers who shared their stories with Haaretz will no doubt live with trauma and horror from their actions, as one says in the piece, "Calling ourselves the world's most moral army absolves soldiers who know exactly what we're doing. It means ignoring that, for over a year, we've operated in a lawless space where human life holds no value. Yes, we commanders and combatants are participating in the atrocity unfolding in Gaza. Now everyone must face this reality."

It is also taking a toll on Israel's supporters in the diaspora. For many of us, we grew up learning that the IDF is the most moral army in the world. It is the "people's army" and therefore, when you question its behaviour or actions, you are questioning and implicating all of that society. This is why it is so hard for so many to believe that these soldiers' testimonies are accurate. For some, they will find a way to justify these actions, which essentially means devaluing human life when it is the life of a Palestinian.

While coming to grips with these issues plaguing the IDF is difficult, while it challenges what we've learned, and feels personal considering that many of us have family members or friends who served in some capacity, we are doing ourselves no favours by ignoring what is happening.

The soldiers speaking out are doing so knowing the dangers they will face within their own society, and the ostracization likely to befall them. But they do it anyway, so desperate they are for something to change, for Israelis and their supporters to wake up and demand change.

When our desire to defend rather than confront, and make excuses rather than accept reality is this strong, the people we become are not the people we should strive to be. We are not the people created in the image of God. We are not the people who will be a light unto nations. We are not the people who will relentlessly seek peace.

We become people who dehumanize the other, who devalue human life, who implicitly or explicitly admit that we would rather these soldiers who beg us to listen suffer in silence lest we are forced to confront what they want to tell us.

No one is irredeemable, no one is unforgivable, and no person or institution is beyond reform. In Hebrew, the word for sin (het), means something that has gone astray. Something that has gone astray is not lost. It is not given up on. It does not cease to exist. It simply must get back on its rightful path. 

To call for an end to this war, a renewed focus on a diplomatic deal that returns the hostages, an investigation into the actions of the IDF, and much-needed reform within the institution is not to turn our backs on Israel or our people. It is to find our way back to the rightful path. The path of justice, diplomacy, and peace.

It is also in service of ourselves. So that we are not led further astray, toward vengeance, dehumanization, and callousness. 

Hamas terrorists did not see the Israeli civilians they murdered, abused, and tortured as human, and we must not become like them.

Hamas terrorists did not distinguish between civilians and fighters, and we must not become like them.

Hamas terrorists sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice their own people for their messianic, extremist fantasies, and we must not become like them.

Pain and trauma can cause people to do ugly, inhumane things. It can also cause people to fight for a better world. Soldiers are telling us their stories because they want us to fight for a better world. We must listen.