What do they teach their children

“Mi Efo Atem?”, “Ihna min Ramallah.”, “Ok, Saa.” I could not help but notice her peace sign necklace. What a contradiction I thought to myself. A soldier, stoping me from moving around my country, and at the same time wearing the peace sign on her neck. What does she think every morning when she puts it on, dresses in her khaki uniform carries her gun, and rushes down to her roadblock to stop more Palestinians from moving around.

In Israel, everyone is a potential soldier. As a little kid you start receiving in you classes army officers who indoctrinate you on how they are defending the country. The whole society is geared towards militarisation. That is probably why there is such a small peace movement that is largely ineffective in standing up against the government’s aggressive policies.

When you talk about the innocence of little children, this innocence is largely tainted by such indoctrination. Can you imagine little children writing messages on bombshells? What can they write which would not strip them of their innocence?

That’s where things should start. Teach peace, the same applies everywhere.

(AP picture, taken from Al-Ayyam 19/07/06-p11)