Breaking the Silence

Breaking the Silence
Name	Breaking the Silence
Native name	משרד שמירה
Formation	2004
Type	Non-governmental organization
Headquarters	Jerusalem
Region served	Israel, West Bank, Gaza Strip
Language	Hebrew, English
Leader title	Executive Director

Breaking the Silence is an Israeli organization composed largely of military veterans who collect and publish firsthand accounts of service in the Israeli Defense Forces during operations in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and other territories. Founded in the early 2000s amid post-Second Intifada discourse, the group has sought to document soldier testimonies about conduct, rules of engagement, and civilian interactions to influence public debate in Israel, Europe, and international institutions. Its activity has generated sustained attention from Israeli political parties, human rights organizations, international bodies, and media outlets.

Background and Origins

Breaking the Silence emerged from the milieu of Israeli public debate after the Second Intifada and during Israeli operations such as Operation Defensive Shield and engagements around Operation Cast Lead. Founders included veterans who had served in units connected to the Israel Defense Forces' IDF Southern Command, Golani Brigade, Givati Brigade, and Paratroopers Brigade. The organization was formed in response to incidents that entered public consciousness after events associated with the Hebron tensions, the Ariel Sharon era, and later clashes during the 2006 Lebanon War. Early supporters and interlocutors included figures from Israeli civil society such as activists associated with B'Tselem, journalists from Haaretz, and academics at institutions like Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Mission and Activities

Breaking the Silence states its mission as gathering anonymous testimonies from former soldiers, compiling reports, and presenting findings to Israeli and international audiences. Activities have included testimony collection from veterans of units involved in operations in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and border areas near Rafah and Gaza City; publication of reports; organized exhibitions touring civic spaces in cities such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and international forums like the European Parliament and the United Nations Human Rights Council. The group has maintained archives of recorded testimonies, participated in documentary projects screened at festivals like the Jerusalem Film Festival, and collaborated with NGOs including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on thematic briefings. Breaking the Silence has also engaged with legal scholars at institutions like Tel Aviv University and policy forums hosted by think tanks such as the Brookings Institution.

Controversies and Criticism

The organization has been the focus of intense controversy involving political figures from Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu, Yesh Atid, and parties on the political right and left. Critics inside Israel, including ministers and members of the Knesset, have accused it of harming troop morale, providing material to bodies like the International Criminal Court and international media outlets such as BBC News and The New York Times. Allegations have included claims about selective testimony, anonymity practices, and coordination with foreign NGOs. Supporters and allied organizations such as Physicians for Human Rights Israel and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel counter that the group performs essential oversight, citing comparative practices in democracies exemplified by organizations documenting wartime conduct in contexts like Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Ireland. High-profile public disputes have involved figures like Benjamin Netanyahu, Avigdor Lieberman, Tzipi Livni, and journalists at Channel 2 and Channel 10.

Impact and Influence

Breaking the Silence has influenced domestic debates about rules of engagement, military ethics education at institutions like the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar-Ilan University, and legislative initiatives debated in the Knesset concerning civil society regulation. Internationally, its reports have figured in discussions at the European Union, prompted responses from foreign ministries such as those of United Kingdom and Germany, and been cited in submissions to bodies including the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the International Criminal Court. The organization’s materials have been used in academic research by scholars at institutions such as Oxford University, Harvard University, and King's College London and in curricula in human rights courses at Columbia University and SOAS University of London.

Organizational Structure and Funding

Breaking the Silence is organized with a board, an executive director, field coordinators, and a volunteer network of former soldiers and researchers. Its administrative offices have been located in Jerusalem with regional outreach to cities such as Haifa, Beersheba, and Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut. Funding sources have included private donors, foundations in Europe and North America, and grants reported from organizations and foundations in countries such as the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United States; partners and critics have named specific funders in public debates. Financial transparency and donor influence have been recurring topics in parliamentary hearings and media investigations by outlets including Yedioth Ahronoth and The Guardian.

Legal and Political Responses

Responses have ranged from parliamentary bills debated in the Knesset aimed at restricting foreign-funded NGOs to legal reviews at the level of the Israeli Supreme Court and police inquiries into alleged breaches of confidentiality. Several municipal governments, such as those of Beit Shemesh and settlements in the West Bank, passed resolutions limiting the group's presence at local events. Internationally, diplomatic exchanges have occurred between the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foreign capitals over invitations to hearings at bodies like the European Parliament. Litigation and administrative actions have addressed issues of privacy, defamation, and the legality of publishing anonymous testimonies under Israeli law, with involvement from legal organizations such as Israel Bar Association and human rights litigators connected to Adalah.

Category:Non-governmental organizations based in Israel