Growing Israeli resistance to army service in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is the subject of Jack Silberman's documentary Raised to Be Heroes, which focuses on a group of “Refuseniks” and reactions to their stand both from the general public and the legal system. While still small, the Refuseniks movement is obviously significant in a nation forced to take a strong defensive posture since its inception—not to mention one in which every citizen (male and female) is required to perform years of active military/reserve duty. But as the interviewees here point out—with real passion and eloquence—the army's continuing operations to preempt Palestinian attacks have led to serious ethical concerns. One can't help but be moved, for instance, by the confession of a soldier who can't forgive himself for standing by while a young Palestinian was tortured so severely by interrogators that he died. The virulence of the response to the refusal to serve is equally notable: both the media—excerpts from news broadcasts call the men's patriotism into question—and passersby who confront the Refuseniks demonstrating in the streets display intense opposition, and the courts prove unsympathetic as well. An interesting facet of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that invites serious debate, Raised to Be Heroes is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Raised to Be Heroes
(2006) 40 min. DVD or VHS: $149. National Film Board of Canada. PPR. Closed captioned. Volume 22, Issue 4
Raised to Be Heroes
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