Israel: Living Under Siege

The nation of Israel is different from any other on the earth, as it has been in an existential battle for survival from the moment of its birth in 1948 until this very day. It is under constant siege, and without constant vigilance (and the mercy of God), it would be eliminated from the map. Tell me another nation in the world that needs every young person, male and female, to serve in the military for two to three years immediately after high school. Or one that requires all men until the age of 40 to serve in the reserves—meaning, to go back into the military if needed. (The only exceptions to these rules are ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are exempt from military service.)

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I write these words from Israel, where I have been since Sunday, June 9. Everywhere you turn is the reality of war. Getting off the plane, an airport employee named Yehudah, a young man who was born in South Africa and immigrated to Israel six years ago, met me. A reservist, he recently served in Gaza for more than 190 days and will soon be deployed again.

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When I asked him how he felt about going back into a war zone, he didn’t have many comments. He has no choice about this, and it’s for the good of the nation. These are the realities of war. After I spoke Monday night at a gathering of believers, I met another young man, dressed casually but carrying his rifle on his back. He has been deployed in the northern border in Lebanon, where Israeli troops are at war with Hezbollah and will soon be returning. But as a soldier, he cannot go anywhere without his gun.

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