For those serving in the IDF in the Gaza Strip during the current war against the Hamas terror entity, there is a tremendous feeling of unity among the troops from all walks of life. We are united in purpose and deed. Whatever our political, religious, or social views are, we, as one, realize the importance of ridding the world of the evil scourge of Hamas to ensure that “never again” means just that. Morale is still sky-high.
When I am on leave, if I spend too much time ingesting the domestic media outlets, it seems as if there are two wars. This sentiment is expressed by many other soldiers in my unit. Inside the military, we are motivated and filled with optimism and hope for a successful conclusion. Outside, in the media, it is mostly “doom and gloom.”
As Rabbi Seth Mandell, whose son Kobi was killed in a terrorist attack in 2001, recently observed: “Turn on the TV in Israel today or read a newspaper or a website and you’re certain to find interviews with the family of a kidnapped loved one in Gaza or a moving tribute to one of our fallen soldiers. Interspersed are reports and commentary on the conduct of the war and the demands for Bibi to resign or an argument about when to begin the investigation into the failures of October 7. It’s almost as if, during the most difficult war Israel has faced, the media is on a campaign of psychological warfare against the morale of our nation.”
Unity within IDF unit
My unit is a reserve medical unit composed of doctors, paramedics, combat medics, and combat troops. Our mission is to provide rapid medical response, stabilization, and evacuation for our soldiers. Everyone has come here voluntarily from all over Israel and indeed, all over the globe. They come from all levels of society, religious, and political beliefs. We are united by one desire to destroy the evil forces who sowed terror and death upon Israel on the Black Saturday of October 7.
In our unit, we have a lone soldier combat medic who came from Argentina to fight the just fight. Another medic abandoned his post-army trip to India after only two weeks to return. One of our paramedics has three (of his six) children serving in the IDF. Additionally, he donated a kidney and was aged out of the reserves.
A doctor flew in from London, where he was in the middle of a two-year sub-specialty training program, and left a sick wife and four small children. Everyone here has a story, from students who abandoned their studies both here and abroad, to parents who barely see their children and spouses, to professionals who have put their careers on hold for the duration of the war.
We all know that we do not have another land, and this is a war that was imposed on us (there was a ceasefire in place until October 6), and we have no choice but to fight until victory. We understand that, as Shakespeare wrote: “There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.”
In the IDF we are all focused on what we have in common, and not what divides us. The media, after a hiatus for the first few months of the war, seems to have returned to what it does best and tries to stir up negative emotions, divisions, and politics. We, as a society, must not succumb to this negativity.
Unfortunately, it took a war for us to find our current coalescent unity. Let’s hope it continues after our victory. This is why the IDF, the “people’s army,” must prevail. Together we will be victorious.
The writer is a Jewish educator, author, and licensed tour guide. His latest book is Jewish Journeys: The Second Temple Period to the Bar Kokhba Revolt: 536 BCE-136 CE (Koren Publishers). He is currently serving as a reservist in the IDF as a combat medic in Gaza.