Avner Gvaryahu (; born 1983/1984) is the current executive director of the Israeli-based non-profit

Breaking the Silence Breaking the Silence may refer to: Films * ''Breaking the Silence'' (1992 film) a made-for-TV film directed by Robert Iscove * ''Breaking the Silence'' (film), a 2000 Chinese film * '' Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror'' ...

Early life and education

Gvaryahu was born to a religious, Zionist family. He was raised in

Rehovot Rehovot (, / ) is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. In it had a population of . Etymology Israel Belkind, founder of the Bilu (movement), Bilu movement, proposed the name "Rehovot ...

, alongside his two brothers and two sisters. He attended a

yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...

until grade 12, after which he volunteered with the Israeli Scouts for a year. After joining the

Israeli Defense Forces Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli (b ...

in 2004, he served as a sergeant in the Orev unit of the

paratroopers A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light inf ...

until 2007. While serving in the IDF in

Nablus Nablus ( ; , ) is a State of Palestine, Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 156,906. Located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a ...

and Jenin, Gvaryahu realized the negative effects of the IDF on Palestinian communities. He later claimed that his commanders encouraged members of his battalion to kill, rather than arrest, targets. After serving in the IDF, Gvaryahu studied social work in Tel Aviv.

Activism

Gvaryahu was working with Breaking the Silence by 2011. At the time, he worked as a tour guide for the non-profit, showing visitors the impact of the occupation in the West Bank. By 2014, Gvaryahu was the non-profit's spokesperson. In 2018, Gvaryahu, by then the group's CEO, and three other members of Breaking the Silence leadership were detained by Israeli border police in Mitzpe Yair while leading a tour in the South Hebron Hills. Gvaryahu has spoken out against Israeli military campaigns in the

occupied territories Military occupation, also called belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is temporary hostile control exerted by a ruling power's military apparatus over a sovereign territory that is outside of the legal boundaries of that ruling powe ...

, such as raids on the West Bank's Jenin refugee camp. He has clarified that although he believes Israel has a right to self-defense, he does not believe current military activity in the occupied territories constitutes self-defense.

Personal life

In 2016, Gvaryahu became a target in a campaign by Im Tirzu, which accused him of being planted by a foreign government. Gvaryahu and his wife, who works as a journalist, live in Tel Aviv.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gvaryahu, Avner 1980s births Living people 21st-century Israeli Jews 21st-century Israeli military personnel Israeli anti-war activists Jewish anti-war activists People from Rehovot Activists from Tel Aviv