
Israel: A Conscientious Objector’s Thoughts From a Military Prison
(03.11.2019) In military jail, before the girls know your name, they want to know why you’re there. It’s the first question asked of any girl who joins the complex, and her answer, and more importantly, the way she answers, allows the others to understand something about her. Is she angry or afraid? Does her imprisonment seem justified? Is this her first time in jail, or does she know the way things are run here? Is she staying for a while, is it worth getting to know her? When a girl enters a cell at night, the others sit on their beds and watch her carefully, closely, and try to understand what sort of person is going to share their cell and their lives for the next few days or weeks. But after the customary questions are answered and the girl explains why and how long she is there for, the conversation quickly softens and returns to normal.