Friend a Soldier
Encyclopedia
Friend a Soldier is an Israeli Non-Governmental Organization
(NGO) established by Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) veterans to promote dialogue between former IDF soldiers and the Arab world.
veteran Daniel Nisman and IDF infantry veterans Joshua Mintz
and Yagil Beinglass following their experiences debating and discussing the Israeli Palestinian conflict online in chat rooms and forums. According to Beinglass, the three were “disillusioned with the existing forums that have been created for soldiers to express their opinions and experiences in the IDF” and, according to Nisman, “wanted to create a forum that would allow soldiers to speak candidly about their experiences on the one hand, while giving people throughout the world the opportunity to ask whatever they want in a safe, non-politically driven setting.”
Friend a Soldier uses three methods to achieve this:
1) Friend a Soldier’s primary method of dialogue is through their website’s email system. Participants are invited to ‘choose a soldier’ and email them through the site about any topic they choose. Participants then receive a personal reply directly to their email inbox.
2) Friend a Soldier volunteers also reply to popular topics in videos made by the organization. The videos have covered topics ranging from the 2005 Gaza Disengagement to the role of women in the IDF.
3) In November 2011, Friend a Soldier added a live chat function to their website, encouraging participants to engage in live discussions with IDF veterans online. The inaugural live chat was a discussion about Palestinian Reconciliation and the Arab Spring
.
Friend a Soldier has also been accused of being a government / government funded organization, but takes care to stress that they are not affiliated with any government agency whatsoever.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) established by Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
(IDF) veterans to promote dialogue between former IDF soldiers and the Arab world.
History
Friend a Soldier was founded in 2010 by IDF Special ForcesSpecial forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
veteran Daniel Nisman and IDF infantry veterans Joshua Mintz
Joshua Mintz
Joshua Mintz is a British Israeli journalist and activist best known for his contribution to Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz's 'Jewish Thinker' section and his work as one of the founders of the Middle East dialogue project; Friend a Soldier.-Journalism:Mintz began his journalism career as a junior...
and Yagil Beinglass following their experiences debating and discussing the Israeli Palestinian conflict online in chat rooms and forums. According to Beinglass, the three were “disillusioned with the existing forums that have been created for soldiers to express their opinions and experiences in the IDF” and, according to Nisman, “wanted to create a forum that would allow soldiers to speak candidly about their experiences on the one hand, while giving people throughout the world the opportunity to ask whatever they want in a safe, non-politically driven setting.”
Mission and Methods Used
According to their mission statement, Friend a Soldier’s primary function is “to share with the world their experiences taking part in the Middle East conflict and living in Israel. It is their belief that forging personal connections is the only way to gain a better understanding of the complex reality of the conflict and, ultimately, the only way to achieve a lasting peace.”Friend a Soldier uses three methods to achieve this:
1) Friend a Soldier’s primary method of dialogue is through their website’s email system. Participants are invited to ‘choose a soldier’ and email them through the site about any topic they choose. Participants then receive a personal reply directly to their email inbox.
2) Friend a Soldier volunteers also reply to popular topics in videos made by the organization. The videos have covered topics ranging from the 2005 Gaza Disengagement to the role of women in the IDF.
3) In November 2011, Friend a Soldier added a live chat function to their website, encouraging participants to engage in live discussions with IDF veterans online. The inaugural live chat was a discussion about Palestinian Reconciliation and the Arab Spring
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
.
Criticism and Response
Writing for Ma'an News Agency in March 2011 (before the live chat function was added to the FaS website), Charlotte Alfred expressed reservations about the project, questioning whether the format was conducive to two way communication or just a case of “talking at people.”Friend a Soldier has also been accused of being a government / government funded organization, but takes care to stress that they are not affiliated with any government agency whatsoever.