By Volpe Boykin

Guest columnist

 

After having served with the Israel Defense Forces civilian volunteer program Sar-El last summer, I anxiously monitored what was occurring after my return home because I have many Israeli friends in and out of the IDF. 

Then one day I opened my email and saw that Sar-El was in need of volunteers. I knew I had to return and help Israel and my friends in whatever way possible. I quickly discovered that because the Houthi terrorist group was firing ballistic missiles into Israel, the Israeli airline EL-AL was virtually the only airline flying there. It was several weeks before I could get a flight.

When I arrived in Israel I spent a couple of days with friends. The day before I was to report to Sar-El, the air raid sirens began sounding in Tel Aviv (no unusual occurrence) and I knew the Houthis were firing missiles again. These are not like the small (but still deadly) unguided rockets fired by Hamas; these missiles are 40 feet tall and weigh thousands of pounds, so even when they are intercepted, falling debris injures and kills. Like Hamas, the Houthis don’t care who is killed — Arab, Israeli, Muslim or Jew, as long as it is someone inside Israel. 

Most of the time you get some warning from air raid sirens, but with Hamas rockets at close range, the only warning is the shriek of them flying through the air and the boom of the interceptions. In Israel there is no panic when this happens. Everyone knows what to do. When the raid is over, they resume their normal activities. 

The Iron Dome system has saved thousands of innocent lives and I always felt good seeing its stations pointing skyward ready to protect us. Immediately after the new American president was inaugurated, all the missiles and rockets stopped, at least for now. 

I reported to Sar-El and could see that because of limited flights, there were significantly fewer volunteers than last summer, but people from all over the world found a way to get there to help. We were assigned bases and were placed under charge of young IDF female soldiers. These young women are nice, personable and professional. I admire and respect them all very much. This happened each week of the three weeks I served with the IDF at two different military bases — one in the Negev Desert a few miles from the Gaza Strip and another closer to Tel Aviv. 

Every day was an adventure with different tasks to be performed. On one base we were preparing battlefield medical kits to treat the wounded and at the other checking and preparing the equipment used on the many trucks that haul 143,000 pound Merkava main battle tanks from one battlefield to the other. Everything must be done and be done right; an error can cost someone their life in battle. 

One misconception about the IDF is that the soldiers are all Jews. It is composed of Jews, Arabs, Black, White, Muslim and Druze Israelis, all fighting for their country. I have worked, eaten and lived beside them all. The radical Islamist is the minority in Israel. 

I spoke with individuals who responded to the places and knew what really happened on Oct. 7, 2023, in the murder of innocents and saw what the terrorists recorded in their own videos, but I can not describe such horrible things here. I can say that “just” being murdered would have been merciful compared to much of what was done. 

I was also appalled by books recovered from Gaza meant to teach kindergartners how great it is to be a martyr and that their purpose is to kill Jews. While we and Israelis are teaching our very young children what their colors are and how to count to three, radical Islamists are teaching theirs how to die and kill. I keep thinking what would have happened if some group did in America what they did in Israel or what would happen if some group in an adjoining country started firing missiles into our cities and towns. If history shows anything, I know there would be no mercy and the U.S. would completely destroy them.

I could write a book on my experience in the total of six weeks this year with the IDF, but no room for that here. Just remember when you hear the phrase “From the River to the Sea,” it means the total destruction of Israel and all its people, Jew and non-Jew. The Arab countries have donated billions to U.S. universities (easy to search and find) and I wager it’s not because they love American students. 

History and evidence show the Jewish people were on that land 5,000 years ago, and I know they will remain there. When I hear someone here criticize the State of Israel, I see almost all of them have one thing in common: They have never been there. 

Israel is the west firewall against the radical Islamist. They are fighting as much for the rest of the world as they are for themselves. I am not sure exactly when, but I will return sooner rather than later and be honored to do so.