Taking Pictures over Soldiers' Shoulders: Reporting on Human Rights Abuse from the Israeli Occupied Territories
2011; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 10; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/14754835.2011.546234
ISSN1475-4843
Autores Tópico(s)Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies
ResumoAbstract This article seeks to explore the practice of Israeli human rights organizations through detailed analysis of the photographs that they publish in their reports and on their websites. A recurrent theme that emerges from these photos is the way in which they have been taken over the shoulders of Israeli soldiers. My intention is to question what governs the selection of these images. The persistent appearance of these images in human rights reports is puzzling when we pause to consider the aims of such reports. It is through the highlighting of human rights abuse that the reports aim to generate a sense of responsibility that transcends responsibilities to one's family, one's community or even one's nation. Through the deployment of a hermeneutical reading of the photographs and interviews with the organizations protagonists that complement and illuminate each other, I intend to demonstrate that the local civil activists focus on the soldiers for both pragmatic and sentimental reasons. It would seem, upon first reflection, somewhat disturbing that the subjects of concern are absent from view but, upon closer inspection, these subjects are not neglected by focusing on those in charge. I argue that the Israeli citizens belonging to human rights organizations highlight the responsibilities of the representative of the Israeli state by focusing on duties rather than on rights. Acknowledgments Ruthie Ginsburg has written her dissertation at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, under the supervision of Dr. Ariella Azoulay and Prof. Ronen Shamir. She continued her research in the UK at the Durham Centre for Advanced Photography Studies, working with Prof. David Campbell. Her research focuses on the discourse of local Israeli Human Rights organizations through critical reading of their visual documentation. Ginsburg is currently teaching at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, and Hamidrasha, The School of Art, Beit Berl College. I thank the reviewers and Prof. David Campbell for their illuminating comments and Dr. Ariella Azoulay, Prof. Ronen Shamir, Dr. Chava Brownfield-Stein, Dr. Michal Givoni, and Regev Nathansohn for their constructive criticism to an earlier version of this article. Notes 1. http://www.amnesty.org.il/, http://www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/israel-and-occupied-territories (data obtained in June 2008). 2. http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/ (data obtained in June 2008). 3. http://www.btselem.org. & Palestine Monitor. 4. An example of the work of the "embedded photographer" is a famous photograph by Phillips Jones Griffiths, who photographed a US soldier during the Saigon battle in 1968. See: //www. phototexts.org. See also David Campbell comments on photojournalism from Afghanistan: http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/05/22/embedded-in-afghanistan/. 5. See Crary's comment (1995: 30–31) regarding the Camera Obscura. 6. http://www.btselem.org/English/About_BTselem/Index.asp 7. For more information on "Performative" act see CitationButler (2006). 8. See "B'Tselem" "2008 Activity Report." 9. The word "B'Tselem" is taken from Genesis 1:27 "And God created humans in his image. In the image of God did He create him." According to the organization's website, it is in this spirit that the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "All human beings are born equal in dignity and rights" (http://www.btselem.org/english/About_BTselem/Index.asp). 10. For More information on MW see Amir (2007: 32), CitationNaaman (2006), CitationKeshet (2006), CitationGinsburg (2009). 11. See CitationKadmon (2003). 12. See B'Tselem report: "Ground to a Halt: Denial of Palestinians' Freedom of Movement in the West Bank" (Barsela 2007). 13. http://www.machsomwatch.org/ (September 2009). 14. In 2004, Lia Nirgad published a book in Hebrew on her experience as a MW activist in Qalandia Checkpoint (Winter in Qalandia). The book was adapted into a play and preformed by a group in "Seminar Ha'Kibutzim" Collage during 2006. 15. See, for example, other B'Tselem's reports: "Ghost Town: Israel's Separation Policy and Forced Eviction of Palestinians from the Center of Hebron," (Feuerstein 2007); "Standing Idly By: Non-enforcement of the Law on Settlers: Hebron," (Stein 2002); "Free Rein: Vigilante Settlers and Israel's Non-Enforcement of the Law, Information Sheet," (Dudai 2001). 16. http://www.btselem.org 17. In a comparative analysis between the "American Physicians for Human Rights" and the Israeli organization of "Physicians for Human Rights—Israel," Neve Gordon examines the relationship between local activity and international activity as well as the relationship between inclusion and exclusion. Gordon argues that the focus of the local organization in a region expands its activity whereas international organizations, by contrast, highlight limited issues that are within the scope of their particular concerns. See CitationGordon (2006). 18. Bethlehem, Friday morning, 14-09-2007 (http://www.machsomwatch.org/). 19. The interview was held in November 21, 2006. 20. The interview was held in July 31, 2007. 21. The interview was held in July 4, 2007. 22. The interview was held in August 13, 2007. 23. In "Opposed View" MW report, 2004 (Hebrew). 24. The interview was held in October 16, 2007. 25. In May 2007, one of MW's activists was arrested by an Israeli police officer at Huwwara checkpoint after she was detected crossing the "white line" by a soldier at the checkpoint. The activist was detained for a night, but the judge released her the next day. According to the hearing, she did not violated any law. 26. See CitationHass (2007). 27. B'Tselem workers did not recall the exact date when the booklets were distributed to Israeli soldiers at the checkpoints. It is worth mentioning that the Israeli organization meets from time to time with soldiers while they are in military service in order to present lectures on human rights. The aim of these meeting and the aim of the booklets are to educate the soldiers to respect and guard human rights. 28. Apparently "Yesh Gvul" ("There is a limit!"), an Israeli peace group, was the first to distribute booklets to Israeli soldiers at the Occupied Territories. I found similar booklets of two other Israeli organizations: Breaking the Silence and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (http://www.yeshgvul.org/, and http://www.shovrimshtika.org/, http://www.acri.org.il/).
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