The Middle East Institute, The Foundation for Middle East Peace, Churches for Middle East Peace, and Americans for Peace Now Present Breaking the Silence, A book discussion with Avner Gvaryahu Author of Our Harsh Logic: Israeli Soldiers' Testimonies from the Occupied Territories, 2000-2010  Moderated byAmb. Philip WilcoxFoundation for Middle East Peace Tuesday, October 112:00pm-1:30pm Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceRoot Room, 2nd Floor1779 Massachusetts Ave, NWWashington, DC 20036   The Israel Defense Force (IDF) is held by many to be "the most moral army in the world," and its actions in the Occupied Territories are - it claims - first and foremost aimed at protecting the country from terror. But Our Harsh Logic, a compilation of testimonies from former IDF soldiers, tells a different story. Talking frankly about what they did, what they were told to do, and what they saw, these young Israelis draw a broad and powerful portrait of an ostensibly defensive military program that in fact serves an offensive agenda. As the soldiers show in vivid and immediate detail, even the key terms of IDF policy - "preventing terror," "separating populations," "preserving normal Palestinian life," and "law enforcement" - in fact mean precisely the opposite on the ground. Bios: Avner Gvaryahu was born and raised in a religious-Zionist family in Rehovot, Israel. He joined the IDF as a paratrooper in 2004, and served as a sniper team sergeant in a special operations unit, mostly around Nablus and Jenin. After his military service, Avner became involved with Breaking the Silence where he has served as Jewish Relations Coordinator for the past year. He holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Tel Aviv University, and lives with his wife in Tel Aviv. Ambassador Philip C. Wilcox, Jr. is president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Mr. Wilcox retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 1997 after a 31-year career. He served as press attaché in Vientiane, Laos, political and economic-commercial officer in Jakarta, Indonesia, and chief of the Economic-Commercial Section in Dhaka, Bangladesh. His last overseas assignment was as chief of mission and consul general in Jerusalem. Ambassador Wilcox served as special assistant to the undersecretary for management, deputy director for U.N. political affairs in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs and as director for regional affairs in the Bureau for Middle Eastern and South Asian Affairs. He also held the positions of director for Israeli and Arab-Israeli affairs and deputy assistant secretary of state for Middle Eastern affairs.