Soldier: It [the mapping] was totally arbitrary; I could choose whatever house I wanted, like checking the wind, when you lick your finger and put it up to see where the wind is blowing. There was no guidance. I think that at certain times there was a quota [a number of mappings the company was required to perform in a certain timeframe], which was flexible. Nothing would happen if I did one less or two extra or something like that. But there was an impetus to do it.

 

I think, for the system, it [mapping] serves two purposes. One, it serves gathering intel on buildings and people. Two, it produces fear and terror and this whole business of demonstrating presence, which we were required to do - not only be there, but to be seen. So just like you go into a village so they see you’re going into the village and you’re not afraid, and to show them you’re here, the same effect, in different form, happens when you allow yourself to enter homes every night, or every other night, or every week, even families that didn’t do anything and have nothing to do with anything: “Look, we’re here.” 

 

This isn’t something we were told. The [official] line we were told was “We need information, it’s for the brigade’s intelligence and for the Shin Bet.” But the mission of demonstrating a presence – applying to our service there in general – was clear and we were also told that. It wasn’t linked to mapping, but it was part of the message from the leadership in these matters. 

 

Interviewer: In your opinion, were these missions beneficial say for the security of the region or the area?

 Soldier: No, [it’s] horrible. In my opinion. 

 

Interviewer: And what’s your opinion as company commander?

 

Soldier: As a company commander, at a certain point during active duty I started to avoid mapping. I mean that I didn’t initiate them anymore and performed them only when we were required to, and even then I argued. I had no problem searching for weapons, and I still don’t when it’s necessary to do something like this, with arrests – I don’t have a problem. It’s necessary and that’s the way it is. I have a serious problem with mapping, and I did then too. There are young children there and all they’ll remember for the rest of their lives is how much they hate the soldiers because they were at home with their mom and [soldiers] came like in the middle of the night and put them in one room and a soldier stood over them, threatening them with a weapon when they were four years old. And they won’t forget it for the rest of their lives, and that’s what will lead them in how they think about Israelis – this is it. And there was one mapping that changed everything. 

 

Interviewer: Tell me.

 

Soldier: It was certainly in Idhna. We went, decided [on the house], entered. The person who opened the door for us was a woman, I think in her thirties, and it turned out that other than her, there were two or three small children in the house. The oldest must have been 10, and I’m exaggerating, three, four, five, six, somewhere around there, just her and the kids. “Where’s your husband?” Her husband is a fashion designer, and he’s trying to sell his collection in Jordan right now, and she’s alone with the kids in the house, and her husband is a fucking fashion designer who’s trying to make a living by trying to sell what he’s making in Jordan. And there’s half a company raiding his house in the middle of the night with small children who are sitting and crying hysterically, with two soldiers standing next to them while the rest are mapping the house. And I just wanted to die. I just wanted to die like.