Raz, Lothan

Raz, Lothan

Lothan Raz

1 June 2002Feature

From the cradle to the grave... Lothan Raz explains how ideals of heroism, strength and security, conspire to create an "inhumanly" militarised existence for Israeli men.

There is nothing more horrendous than sending people off to war. This is what my country is doing. Israel is sending its children to war and it has been doing so for many years now. Indeed we have been warring from the moment we came into being, and have been involved in conflict pretty much ever since.

For many of us who live in Israel, it seems almost natural, almost a necessary part of our lives, that at the age of 18 we will be enrolled into the army and made to fight these wars…