Testimonies

The First Intifada in the Middle East broke out in 1987, with heavily armed Israeli soldiers confronting young Palestinians throwing stones. News footage of the conflict was broadcast all over the world. In this documentary, former soldiers and those who gave their orders speak out, seated in front of the camera in a bare studio. Their stories are often shocking, and full of gruesome details. Looking back, the Israeli soldiers realize that they too are in fact victims of a situation that put them in an impossible position. They feel like Goliath taking on David -- not something to be proud of, especially from a Jewish perspective. Dealing with real violence was also something new for these young people doing their military service. It was no longer a game, and this filled them with dread. One man, who normally wouldn't hurt a fly, confesses to killing 21 people. Another man has the death of a baby on his conscience, when he fired tear gas into a house with barricaded doors. Insight into their own failures is the first step on the road to atonement for these ex-soldiers. One of the interviewees compares his revelations to a public confession, through which he wants to ask the world for forgiveness. When asked why he doesn't seek this in person from his victim, he gives no answer.