"Shooting and crying" (Hebrew: יורים ובוכים, romanizedyorim ve bochim) is an expression used to describe books, films or other forms of media that portray soldiers expressing remorse for actions they were ordered to undertake during their service.[1] It has often been associated with a practice that some former Israel Defense Force soldiers follow.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Descriptions edit

Gil Hochberg described "shooting and crying" as a soldier being "sorry for things I had to do." This "non-apologetic apology" was the self-critique model advanced in Israel in many politically reflective works of literature and cinema as "a way of maintaining the nation's self-image as youthful and innocent. Along with its sense of vocation against the reality of war, growing military violence, occupation, invasion, [there was] [...] an overall sense that things were going wrong."[8]

Felice Naomi Wonnenberg (writing for the book Contemporary Jewish Reality in Germany and Its Reflection in Film) described "shooting and crying" as people being "aware of the problematic issues of war, yet still take part in it."[9]

Sarah Benton described it as "an act through which the soldier cleans his conscience (at least somewhat), without taking personal responsibility or any practical steps, either to prevent 'inappropriate behaviour by soldiers in the field' as it occurs or to redress injustice and prosecute criminals later."[10]

Karen Grumberg noted that "the Zionist soldier, a man with a conscience, loathes violence but realizes he must act violently to survive; the dilemma causes him to weep while pulling the trigger. Looking inward, he despairs at the violence he feels compelled to enact this way because he fears his moral corruption."

Amir Vodka wrote "It typically depicts the IDF in a critical light, as a traumatizer of young soldiers, yet the genre itself is often criticized for turning the assailants into victims, and in a sense allowing the continuation of war under the guise of self-victimization."[10]

Appearances in media edit

Literature edit

  • Si’ah Lohamim (Fighters’ Discourse) (1968)[6]

Film edit

Television edit

See also edit

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Shabi, Rachel (23 May 2018). "The next Homeland? The problems with Fauda, Israel's brutal TV hit". The Guardian.
  2. ^ Streiner, Scott (December 1, 2001). "Shooting and Crying: The Emergence of Protest in Israeli Popular Music". The European Legacy. 6 (6): 771–792. doi:10.1080/03075070120099520. S2CID 145424985 – via Taylor and Francis+NEJM.
  3. ^ Bishara, Marwan (19 July 2014). "On chutzpah and war". Al Jazeera.
  4. ^ Zlutnick, David. "No More Shooting and Crying: Israeli Soldiers After Their Service". www.cultureunplugged.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  5. ^ Munk, Yael (December 31, 2012). "Investigating the Israeli Soldier's Guilt and Responsibility. The case of the NGO "Breaking the Silence"". Bulletin du Centre de recherche français à Jérusalem (23) – via journals.openedition.org.
  6. ^ a b Mendelson-Maoz, Adia (June 24, 2018). Borders, Territories, and Ethics. Purdue University Press. ISBN 9781612495361 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Zlutnick, David. "Shooting and Crying: Israeli Soldiers After Their Service". Truthout. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
  8. ^ Hochberg, Gil (17 May 2019). "From "Shooting and Crying" to "Shooting and Singing": Notes on the 2019 Eurovision in Israel". University of Notre Dame.
  9. ^ Wonnenberg, Felice Naomi (2013). Contemporary Jewish Reality in Germany and Its Reflection in Film. De Gruyter. p. 212. doi:10.1515/9783110265132.205.
  10. ^ a b c Vodka, Amir (2010). "Seeing Shooting Crying". Springerin (3): 8–9. ProQuest 761408288 – via ProQuest.
  11. ^ Shoot and Cry (1988) - Turner Classic Movies
  12. ^ Shoot and Cry - Jewish Film Institute
  13. ^ Flynn, Michael; Salek, Fabiola Fernandez (September 18, 2012). Screening Torture: Media Representations of State Terror and Political Domination. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231526975 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ "Shooting Film and Crying". MERIP. March 16, 2009.
  15. ^ Hochberg, Gil (2019-05-17). "From "Shooting and Crying" to "Shooting and Singing": Notes on the 2019 Eurovision in Israel". Contending Modernities. Retrieved 2020-09-09.