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Why Breaking the Silence is prime target for Israeli right

The Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence draws more fire than any other anti-occupation organization because it defies an Israeli taboo: discussing the activities of the military.
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The Israeli occupation of the territories has engendered dozens of human rights organizations and peace movements over the years, and its political right spreads libel about each one. Peace Now “informs” on settlers and their associates. B'Tselem “poisons” the media by spreading video clips showing settlers abusing Palestinians. Yesh Din “snitches” on Jews who “merely” reminded their Arab neighbors who's boss in “Judea and Samaria.” Taayush “collaborates” with “the enemy” — non-Jews who refuse to remove themselves from the land "promised" to the people of Israel. And so on and so forth — some are a “fifth column," and others “Israel haters” and “petty leftists.” But only the activists of one organization, Breaking the Silence, have the dubious honor of being labeled “traitors.” That organization, which has documented and published testimony by military veterans about human rights violations in the territories since 2004, draws more fire than all the other organizations put together.

The Israeli right does not consider the term “occupation” a legitimate one. Thus, any person or organization that defines itself as an activist against the occupation is considered illegitimate. But over the past year, Breaking the Silence has become anathema even in the talking points of Yesh Atid, and the unrestrained incitement against the organization is usually greeted by silence from Labor.

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