“Blessed be The Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.” – Psalm 144: 1 

I said I would tell you what it is exactly that the young soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces fight so hard to protect, and since I like to keep my word, here I go again. Although memorial day in Israel has already passed, I believe it is not only appropriate but absolutely necessary to honor all who have fallen as well as all who still fight to protect the values and cultures we know and love. The soldiers of the IDF are the real martyrs and heroes of the Middle East that history will remember, not hamas, not hizbollah, not even the Iranian regime or their puppet in Syria – for these regimes will fall just like every one of their predecessors, and Israel will live on strong and vibrant. Contrary to popular belief, Israel is a Democracy, that means that the rights of every Israeli citizen are protected, whether you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Bahai, Druze, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, ALL ARE PROTECTED IN ISRAEL! Don’t believe me? Take a glimpse at modern Israel, in case you have never been.

If you still thought it was nothing but desert, bombs and camels, I hope you’ve been pleasantly suprised. Each and every one of the faces you see in Israel, each religion, each work of art, every innovative industry, every institute of learning, every sight and sound, every inch of rich and holy land for farming, settling, or for archaeology, is all protected by the Jewish State, and young Israeli men and women put on that uniform every day to protect all of it. True, Israel has a Jewish majority, but did you know that not all Israeli soldiers are Jews? Many Muslims, Christians, Druze and other minorities proudly serve in the IDF. And the most interesting part? Not all are compelled to serve. Some Bedouins, for example, voluntarily fight for Israel, because although they are Muslim, their ancestors were kicked out of every Muslim country they went to, and the only country in the region which gave them shelter and protected them, was the one and only Jewish State, so as far as they are concerned, they are also proud Israelis. You never hear about them on mainstream media outlets do you? All you hear about is the bias on the left, accusing Israel of genocide and war crimes and how Israeli soldiers kill “peaceful protesters” from Gaza. But you never hear from the Israeli side, CNN and New York Times will never interview this guy for example.

As my young brother Hananya stated, Israel wants peace! We do not want to harm or kill anyone, but will do all that is necessary to protect all Israelis from danger. I would also like to take a moment to remember a young Israeli soldier whose life was brutally taken by terrorists in the West Bank regions. Sergeant Ronen Lubarsky was only 20 years old, and a member of an elite IDF unit called the Duvdevan who were performing an arrest operation inside a West Bank town on Thursday. According to reports, a terrorist dropped a marble slab on Sergeant Lubarsky from the third floor of a building. The young soldier died from his wounds today in an Israeli hospital. May his memory be for a blessing. Baruch Dayan Emet!

Ronen’s sacrifice and bravery are one powerful part of an incredible story of rebirth and defense of The Hope of our people. Like Ronen there have been countless other young men and women whose lives were cut too short by the viciousness of terrorism. And yet it is because of young people like Ronen and the countless who currently serve like Hananya, that Israeli men women and children can sleep soundly in their beds tonight. May God protect all the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and deliver our enemies into our hands.

In my next series of posts, I will dedicate a whole article to each and every religious and ethnic minority living in Israel today. I will also discuss Israel’s economy, technology and booming industries. I will share my views on Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and why the BDS movement is more like the “BS” movement – pun intended : ) Stay tuned!