Chapter three of Eyal Press’ Beautiful Souls follows Avner Wishnitzer, an Israeli soldier serving in Sayeret Matkal, an elite direct action and hostage rescue unit in the Israeli Defense Force, in the Israeli-occupied territories during the Second Intifada. Israel won the occupied territories, also known as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in the 6-Day War of 1967; however, they are not officially part of Israel. In 1987 to 1991, there was a Palestinian uprising in the occupied territories, the First Intifada, involving resistance and civil disobedience. Israel deployed many soldiers into the occupied territories, and an estimated 1,674 people were killed in total. The Second Intifada from 2000 until 2005, another Palestinian uprising in the
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He worked hard to maintain his father’s pristine reputation and entered the military as an elite combat soldier in the unit Sayeret Matkal. He was serving during the Second Intifada, where the government forced him and members of his unit to serve in the occupied territories. Avner began to feel bad for the conditions of the Arabs and contemplated refusing to serve in the territories as other soldiers had begun to do. Eventually, Avner decided to sign a letter publically saying he and other soldiers refused to serve in the territories. As a result, Avner's commanders dismissed him from his military service and the majority of citizens considered him a disgrace to Israeli society. He joined a group of ex-fighters, both Palestinian and Israeli, who promoted reconciliation and the stop of violence. Avner continued to feel very intensely that the occupation and the treatment towards the Palestinians was unjust, inhumane, and wrong. He felt at war with Israeli society because the majority of people justified treating other human beings so poorly and looked down upon those who fought for human rights. Overall, Avner felt at peace with his decision to leave the military, an integral part of Israeli culture, despite the judgment and hatred from others. Many people felt that Avner was disgracing Israel by publically refusing to serve; however, Avner felt
He worked hard to maintain his father’s pristine reputation and entered the military as an elite combat soldier in the unit Sayeret Matkal. He was serving during the Second Intifada, where the government forced him and members of his unit to serve in the occupied territories. Avner began to feel bad for the conditions of the Arabs and contemplated refusing to serve in the territories as other soldiers had begun to do. Eventually, Avner decided to sign a letter publically saying he and other soldiers refused to serve in the territories. As a result, Avner's commanders dismissed him from his military service and the majority of citizens considered him a disgrace to Israeli society. He joined a group of ex-fighters, both Palestinian and Israeli, who promoted reconciliation and the stop of violence. Avner continued to feel very intensely that the occupation and the treatment towards the Palestinians was unjust, inhumane, and wrong. He felt at war with Israeli society because the majority of people justified treating other human beings so poorly and looked down upon those who fought for human rights. Overall, Avner felt at peace with his decision to leave the military, an integral part of Israeli culture, despite the judgment and hatred from others. Many people felt that Avner was disgracing Israel by publically refusing to serve; however, Avner felt