Breaking the Silences: Acknowledging Our Own Stories, Talking with Our Families and the Nation: An interview with Yehuda Shaul— Virginia Leake

Breaking the Silence is an organisation of young Israelis who are publicly sharing the stories and images of what they were involved with when serving in the military in the occupied Palestinian Territories. Their work is contributing to debate within Israeli society and their exhibitions have also travelled the world, raising awareness of the consequences of occupation wherever it is taking place. This interview describes the different sorts of silences – personal, familial, national – that act to sustain occupation and the work that is required to change this. The following piece will be relevant not only to those with an interest in the Middle East, but also for those working with the military, ex-military and their families, and for those working with people who are trying to come to terms with what they may have participated with in the past. The interview took place in Jerusalem. The interviewer was Virginia Leake, who works at Dulwich Centre Publications.