THE IDEALISM AND FAITH OF ISRAEL'S ARMY. An article by Sara Yoheved Rigler:

The idealism and faith of Israel's Army.

During the war in Lebanon last summer, while walking in my Jerusalem neighborhood, I ran into a friend whose 20-year-old daughter had been killed in a terrorist attack. The news that morning had reported four more Israeli soldiers dead. When I saw my friend, I paled. "I hope none of your sons are in Lebanon!" I exclaimed. Her family, who had made aliyah from South Africa, had certainly paid more than its share for the right of Jews to live in Israel.

My friend frowned. "Well, Tzvi is almost finished with the army, but my second son is serving now. He wanted to join a combat unit. You know, the law is that when a family has lost a child, the remaining children can't join a combat unit unless both parents sign."

"Well of course you're not going to sign!" I blurted out.

She shook her head. "I really didn't want to sign. But these kids are raised on the ideal of fighting to defend Israel. If I don't let him live out his ideals, he'll resent me for the rest of his life."

"Let him resent you!" I implored, remembering how totally devastated this family had been by their terrible loss.

She shook her head resolutely and tears came to her eyes. "I signed this morning."

Read the whole thing.

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