Matan Mazor

I feel stupid and ashamed. In May, an expose came out on CNN detailing the abuses in Sde Taiman. Then, the NYT released their own article on it. Both were backed up with Israeli sources, crossed with Palestinian ones. I dismissed them because my government sources and Israeli media denied them. My whole life I was told that the international media was out to get Israel. That they were all antisemites. But today, I realized how much I was lied to. By my country. By my friends. By my media. Today, many of the people I talked to who denied these allegations admitted they were true. And the worst part? None of this is coming to light because the IDF and government have changed their hearts about it. Its coming out because the pressure from the UK, ICC and ICJ was getting too great to ignore. This would get Netanyahu, Gallant and the Chief of Staff in serious trouble. So they finally said the truth. That Israel is routinely torturing inmates. That sexual abuse is fairly common there. That people have been tortured to death. Worst of all, many of the people in this facility were innocent. Rounded up by accident. But there was no real verification process before they were subjected to this hell on earth. This can't go on.