An event featuring Breaking the Silence, a leftist non-governmental organization that aims to expose the IDF's human rights violations, was canceled at Kibbutz Neve Ur, in northern Israel, on Monday because of pressure from kibbutz residents. The cancellation follows a wave of similar cancellations of events featuring the controversial group in kibbutzim and other small communities. Breaking the Silence collects testimonies from Israeli soldiers on alleged human rights violations committed by troops against Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. The group often elicits criticism for disparaging the Israeli military. Residents of another northern kibbutz, Kibbutz Mizra, are currently calling to cancel a similar conference planned for next Thursday in the kibbutz meeting hall, with kibbutz members collecting signatures to petition against the event. All the canceled conferences were initially planned to be held in public buildings. Faced with fierce resistance from residents, some of the meetings were forced to move to private homes or rented auditoriums. In one kibbutz, event planners rented an auditorium in a nearby hotel, while in another, the conference was moved from the kibbutz meeting hall to another facility sponsored by the regional council. Marco Gilboa, a member of Kibbutz Neve Ur and one of the leaders in opposing the event, told Israel Hayom: "We learned about the planned conference in the kibbutz library on Friday. I asked the kibbutz secretary to bring groups from the other side, like My Truth or Reservists on Duty, for a sort of panel to provide the other viewpoint, but that [request] was rejected." My Truth is a non-profit organization comprised of Israeli army reservists who share their values and experiences. Reservists on Duty is a similar organization that specifically aims to counter the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, as well as Israeli NGOs that support them. Other Neve Ur residents quickly joined the stiff opposition to holding the event in a public building. This stirred up a storm in the small community, and ultimately, the kibbutz members opposing the event called for a discussion in the kibbutz administrative council. The council decided by majority vote to cancel the event. "You have to understand, there aren't a lot of right-wingers in the kibbutz," Gilboa said. "These are guys from the Zionist Left who love the country and serve in the army. This is not about Left and Right. It's simply unacceptable to give these guys a platform. It's like inviting Benny Sela [Israel's most notorious serial rapist] to lecture on how to protect yourself against rape. "In my opinion they aren't a legitimate group. I have no problem with bringing the Joint Arab List here or [Arab MK] Ahmed Tibi. With them I know where I stand. I couldn't live with it afterward if they [Breaking the Silence] came here because they were invited to a public building that belongs to everyone." Amit Deri, founder and CEO of Reservists on Duty, responded to the wave of cancellations by pointing out that "large portions of the Zionist Left, with an emphasis on moshavim [agricultural communities] and kibbutzim, understand that Breaking the Silence is a radical group that predominantly serves to stir provocation and not debate. Breaking the Silence consistently refuses to sit with us in panels in these kibbutzim, despite repeated requests from kibbutz members. Breaking the Silence only knows how to voice criticism, not receive it." Uri Heitner, a member of the Kibbutz Movement and of Kibbutz Ortal in the Golan Heights, said that "kibbutz children enlist en masse to the most [rigorous] combat units, and they are the main victims of Breaking the Silence's despicable blood libel against IDF soldiers. They know the truth of IDF's morality well, so the vast majority of kibbutz members, regardless of their political views, are disgusted by Breaking the Silence, which acts against Israel around the world, and see it as illegitimate."
