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| Lt. Tamar Bartokan Bokia in an IDF military courtroom. Photo: IDF Spokesperson |
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Lt. Tamar Bartokan Bokia protects the law in the military courtroom in the Judea and Samaria region
Rotem Caro Weizman
Lt. Tamar Bartokan Bokia is an IDF military prosecutor in the Judea and Samaria region. It is her job to deal with people who threaten Israel's security. From her modest office on the Ofer military base she is the unyielding voice for every citizen of Israel. Despite her job of central importance, most people do not recognize her name. From behind her prosecutor's desk, this gentle girl looks the accused in the eyes and fights to protect the legal rights of Israel.
Tamar gracefully works to protect the purity of the law. Every sentence spoken from one side of a case garners a quick response from the other side. The military legal battlefield seems to an observer from the side like a real battlefield, accompanied by a translator who quickly explains the situation to the accused in fluent Arabic. The lawyers recognize each other from previous meetings, and between them there is an uncertain friendship from working together on cases and sharing the legal professional language, and everyone is protecting the interests of their client.
The flow of words, the quick search among the files and the extraction of the correct response in lightening speed, are just a part of the professional job of the prosecutor, who is well prepared for every scenario and argument that either party will throw at her. After the verdict is stated and those sitting in the courtroom honor the judge's entrance by standing, Tamar can know that the professional defense line for Israel and her soldiers has once again succeeded. That being said, she does not rest for a minute – and immediately starts working on the next case.
From the periphery to the Interdisciplinary School
At the end of her high school studies, Tamar began a preparatory year of learning at the Technion Institute of Technology, in engineering studies. She very quickly understood that this field of study was not the right fit for her and began to study Business Management and Law in the Interdisciplinary School in Herzliya, within the framework of the Atidim scholarship program, which was founded to encourage high school graduates of excellence from development towns and periphery cities to become integrated in the IDF Academic Officer's program and to find their full potential within a military framework. "Many people around me went to the Academic Officer's program. It is something that was really encouraged in my high school. The idea to receive a degree at a young age seemed magical to me," explains Tamar.
In July 2007 Tamar began her military service, and went to the Lawyers' Officer's Course. After she finished this course, Tamar decided that she wanted to be placed as an attorney in the Judea and Samaria region. The heavy responsibility involved in this job did not bother her at all. "The job sounded very interesting and there seemed to be a range of topics," she says, and adds that the way she was introduced to her job caused her to recognize its importance. "I feel like I am representing the country."
Confidence in What She Does
Tamar's path began while she was a lawyer in the field of Administrative Detentions. Today she is responsible for trials of the population in the Judea and Samaria region resulting from security or security-criminal offences like illegal entrance into Israel, shootings, and the like. The cases that Tamar works on are of great importance and there is much responsibility placed in her hands. "Administrative Detention is always a last choice; we always try to check if there is enough evidence for someone to stand trial. The screening process is long and there is always a judge's verification. In every position I have filled, there was always someone to advise me because there are more senior ranks above me. With time comes the confidence in what I do," she says.
Tamar's daily schedule is complex and full of each stage of the treatment of a case brought to her hands. In the initial stage, she checks if she should put someone on trial or close the case due to lack of evidence. After that, she presents the official indictment and the other documents to the courthouse, formulates her summaries from a legal standpoint and of course goes to the courtroom many times. "I really enjoy the work in the courtrooms and from all of the stages of treating the different cases. From the moment you understand the importance of the work here you are encouraged from within," Tamar explains, and adds that despite the fact that she already signed on to serve for more years to be an Academic Officer, she is considering continuing on in a military framework. "I find it very interesting. The place where I serve is like a second home to me, the feeling of cohesive friendship is amazing. As of now I am working in two fields within my framework and I believe I may want to continue working in the legal field and to expose a different side of the law."
A respectful dialogue
Working in a military legal office in general and in the Judea and Samaria Region in particular is very meaningful and sensitive work. "I feel that the nature of my military service has advanced me greatly and I have received more than I have given," Tamar says. In the courthouse she meets face to face with Palestinians, among them people guilty of crimes and the lawyers who represent them, but it is not strange to her because as a young girl she was part of the Seeds of Peace project which establishes meetings between Israeli and Palestinian youth. "Personal opinions do not enter at all and professionalism is upheld at all times. There is a regular interaction between all of the lawyers," she says. This does in fact seem to be true, as the Israeli and Palestinian defense attorneys have free access to the prosecutors' offices, and there is a respectful dialogue between both sides.
The military courthouse is characterized by an especially dynamic atmosphere. People come and go, cases are quickly passed between different hands and words are spoken between the judges, lawyers, and accused in Hebrew and Arabic. None of this confuses Tamar, and she always succeeds in maneuvering among it all. Trials can deal with many different things, from throwing rocks and Molotov Cocktails, over an unlicensed Israeli vehicle, to activities of senior Hamas officials, and everything in between, all of which being cases Tamar has worked on. Despite her young age, she works like a true professional who is determined and confident. Despite the hustle and bustle of the small courtroom she upholds the spirit of the law. "I learn a lot from a professional standpoint in the criminal court. This job has given me a new perspective. The responsibility really opened my mind and gave me more confidence in my work, as I work with extremely sensitive material which is central to the security of Israel," she explains.
The IDF is a reflection of Israeli society
The military courthouse was established using the guidelines of the Geneva Conventions. The military legal system is carried out by people in uniform, and according to Tamar, everything is appropriate and there is much emphasis placed in strict adherence to etiquette.
As an Ethiopian, Tamar explains that the IDF is the reflection of Israeli society in each of its layers. The beginning is the same for everyone, even to those who were not born and/or raised in Israel. "The army has a significant role in the integration of a new immigrant. They do not differentiate, and you can advance according to your abilities and desires," she explains, and adds that this is true not only for immigrants but also for women. "The army is a place where almost every job available is open to women. Everyone needs to determine for herself what she wants to do with her military service. I believe that even if I wasn't serving in this job, I would still head towards being an officer. It is one's view of her service which is the most important."
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