Transcript [00:00] Hello all Israel News viewers. I'm Muran [00:02] and I'm here with my new friends that [00:04] are going to introduce themselves in one [00:05] second. Um the way that I actually know [00:08] you guys is through the world of the [00:10] internet which is a great great tool. Um [00:12] and today we're talking about reserveist [00:15] and about soldiers and about everything [00:16] that they've given for this country and [00:18] what they experience after they come out [00:20] of the army. So please my new friends [00:22] introduce yourself to the audience. [00:24] >> So I'm Schlommo Isac. I was in the [00:26] paratroopers and uh did about 300 days [00:30] of milim and recently started this uh [00:33] organization with my brother. [00:34] >> Hi, I'm Ali Isac. I'm 26 in Brigade. I [00:39] was also a reserveist and started this [00:42] organization beneath the uniform to uh [00:44] share the voices of uh reserveists out [00:46] there. Let the world know a little bit [00:47] of the truth. [00:49] >> Right. So tell us uh just a little bit [00:50] about this organization. And it's [00:52] basically an Instagram page as of now, [00:54] as of the day of filming this. And the [00:57] moment that I saw this through a mutual [00:59] friend, I thought, "Wow, this is so so [01:01] so important." You guys at All Israel [01:03] News know how much we care and we [01:05] support uh our soldiers that give [01:08] everything for this country. So tell us [01:10] uh how this developed and how where you [01:12] got the idea from. [01:14] >> So uh it's actually interesting. Uh [01:16] originally I was very uh against or not [01:20] against but I just I found it very [01:22] difficult to go to therapy and uh face [01:25] my trauma directly. Uh and for a long [01:28] time I was in den that I didn't have [01:29] trauma and I struggled with it a lot but [01:32] I just and I would see uh you could say [01:34] like uh you could see the results of it [01:37] where I would get angry faster or [01:39] certain things but um yeah I was talking [01:43] to my brother and he was telling me he's [01:45] very pro therapy. So he was telling me [01:47] you have to go to therapy you know this [01:49] this is a it's like it really helps and [01:51] everyone's traumatized and stuff like [01:53] that. Uh and after like a lot of [01:55] arguments, he finally convinced me to [01:56] just start writing. So I started writing [01:57] a little bit about myself, about what I [01:59] was feeling inside about uh different [02:01] feelings I had. And um and then I showed [02:04] him it and he was he was like, "Wow, [02:06] this is super powerful." And aside from [02:08] just showing your emotions, like I think [02:10] this this has a lot of value. And the [02:12] more people I showed it to, the more [02:13] reactions I would get like that. So the [02:15] first two posts got 20,000 views and 500 [02:18] likes and were like and people were [02:20] messaging me, you know, from all over [02:22] the world, Jews, non-Jews. One of our [02:24] main goals and one of the things that I [02:26] really wanted to push that I realized [02:27] was effective is showing that first off [02:29] the IDF is actually human beings and not [02:31] just like any human beings. Human beings [02:33] are the real morals. You know that they [02:35] care about right and wrong. They care [02:36] about good and evil and they're here. [02:38] They're fighting for that. So tell me [02:39] about your experience in the army and [02:41] how you carry your experiences in [02:43] civilian life and how it affects you. [02:45] >> Sure. So um [02:48] October 7th uh found me working as an [02:50] office manager and of course you know we [02:54] we go to do our duty to protect our [02:55] people. Um however you know people want [02:58] to portray it. That's what happened is [02:59] we came to protect and over the war I [03:03] got engaged. I got married. I have a [03:06] daughter and each time, you know, 2 [03:09] months after marriage, I was back on um [03:12] I was back on base and 2 weeks after my [03:15] baby was born, I was back on base. You [03:18] can't understand the worth of something [03:19] until you understand the cost of it. [03:21] When you understand that I'm paying the [03:23] first 3 months of my daughter's life, [03:26] after I went back, I missed. And that [03:28] hurts. But it's worth it. That pain is [03:31] worth it because of what I've gained [03:32] from it. the the amount of people I [03:34] protected and the lives I saved. [03:37] >> So, you've list you've missed a lot of [03:39] um moments that are very very precious. [03:41] How did that actually affect your wife? [03:44] >> My wife is uh honestly one of the [03:46] strongest women I ever met. she took on [03:48] herself to raise our child for the first [03:50] 3 months and sleeplessness nights and [03:53] just you speak on the phone and she's [03:55] not, you know, just uh as as easy was as [03:58] it would be to cry on the phone for 2 [04:00] hours to me every night, she understood [04:02] that it would make it harder for me to [04:04] do what needed to be done. So, she kept [04:05] a really strong face up and honestly the [04:08] hero of my story. I had a kid 3 months [04:11] before uh October 7th and just and I [04:14] have an older daughter who she was about [04:16] two when when October 7th happened. And [04:19] the difference in my relationship [04:20] between her and and him is just it's [04:23] like heaven and earth just so different. [04:25] And it took me so long to even even now [04:27] like it was so long to just rebuild it [04:29] and show him that I'm your father. You [04:30] know, I missed like 300 days out of two [04:33] years of his life. the first two years [04:34] of his life and he would look at me like [04:36] I'm an uncle like who are you because [04:39] kamas they're they're these people that [04:42] this is their job they they want to go [04:44] to war and they're waiting for and if [04:45] you listen to how they talk you know [04:46] they talk about the looking forward to [04:48] going to to going to war and to taking [04:50] over Jerusalem and all these things and [04:52] when you speak to Israelis like they [04:54] don't want to do this so nobody wants to [04:55] go back to millowim it's like you know [04:57] time after time again we're just forced [05:00] into situations and I mean now I have [05:02] another millime and it's like I'm torn [05:04] cuz I just started rebuilding my [05:05] business and I just started like I just [05:07] built momentum. I'm starting to get [05:09] leads and now it's like but my country [05:11] needs me. So I feel like we're in this [05:13] you know like I it's a consistent thing [05:15] that every you know four months it's you [05:17] got to go back and then and another [05:18] time. Uh let's talk a little bit about [05:21] um you know soldiers that are not you [05:22] guys who obviously saw a need that was [05:25] very very important um to sort of bring [05:28] together the community of soldiers that [05:29] might feel like you but don't have a [05:31] place to sort of voice that out. Tell me [05:34] a little bit about the stories but the [05:35] type of stories that we can see that you [05:37] guys portray. [05:38] >> One of my friends Joshua Boon he just [05:41] passed away and uh I was just recently [05:44] with him in Gaza. It was uh it was kind [05:46] of uh surprising to see him there. Um [05:49] because he wasn't part of my unit and he [05:51] just joined in. He just wouldn't stop. [05:53] He keeps going back every time. He just [05:55] he told me like I don't even when I have [05:57] the chances to take vacation from the [05:58] army. I don't want it. Like I want to [06:00] keep coming back cuz I need to protect [06:01] my people. right now they're having like [06:03] a whole uh situation where they're [06:04] trying to make some noise and they are [06:06] making some noise rightfully so that he [06:08] wants a proper burial and it's like you [06:11] know it's it's like a whole process to [06:14] get through and I think it's just [06:15] missing the point the man dedicated his [06:18] life to protecting the country there [06:20] should be no questions it's not like [06:21] something that needs to go through a [06:22] process or [06:23] >> right and just just for clarity sake you [06:25] know for soldiers like Joshua Boon and [06:27] and other soldiers that they the manner [06:30] of their passing wasn't necessarily [06:31] inact active duty. Um there are sort of [06:34] bureaucracies and policies in place that [06:35] don't allow them to be buried. Let's [06:37] just say at Mount Teler, which is where [06:39] uh soldiers are buried and so the [06:42] families feel very offended by that. And [06:44] that's one of the struggles, you know, [06:46] one of the struggles that uh reserveists [06:48] or soldiers that pass their families [06:50] have to deal with. [06:51] >> Like another thing that a couple [06:52] soldiers now told me about the therapy, [06:54] like the post trauma, they're just [06:56] they're not dealing with it. They're [06:57] they're dealing with all these round [06:58] like you see the people making the [07:00] decisions are not actually going through [07:01] it. There's someone sitting at a desk. [07:02] One of the things um I can give an [07:05] example. They give 1500 charcoal for for [07:07] therapy sessions for soldiers. But the [07:10] the thing is if you think about like who [07:12] thought that up like who thought that [07:14] after like a soldier who went to war for [07:17] a year like he's obviously everyone [07:19] knows that there's post trauma. So how [07:21] are we going to deal with it? We're [07:22] going to give him 1500 sharks like two [07:23] sessions. I don't know. In my opinion, [07:25] they have to do 10 years. For the next [07:27] 10 years, if I want therapy, I should be [07:28] able to get it for free on the [07:29] government, not through some, you know, [07:31] third party good organization of of [07:33] people who wanted to be, you know, good [07:34] Samaritans and donate like I shouldn't [07:37] have to go that way. But just to add in [07:39] one other point, which is that um when [07:41] you go for 3 months to war and then you [07:44] come back, the army gives you about a [07:46] week before you're back to work, meaning [07:50] a week of pay off. And that's just the [07:52] the amount of uh I think pressure that [07:56] causes on soldiers even before you [07:57] finish. I started thinking about it a [07:59] month before I finish my duty and come [08:02] back home. How am I going to go back to [08:03] work a week after getting home? you [08:05] know, you've been fighting and your [08:07] friends have been injured or, you know, [08:09] Khalila killed and you've done things [08:12] and you know, you're out there and, you [08:13] know, you haven't seen your family in [08:15] time and you come home one week back to [08:18] uh back to work is uh and a lot of [08:21] internal pressure on a soldier and all. [08:23] >> So, the a question that a lot of people [08:25] would ask is why go back? Why do you go [08:28] back? And uh honestly exactly this is [08:32] why I've said before that you can't [08:33] understand the worth till you understand [08:34] the cost. And uh all of that is just [08:38] worth it. Meaning at the end of the day, [08:40] we are the the last line. When October [08:43] 7th happened, you know, if Kazbala came [08:46] from the north, when Kamas came from the [08:47] south and just steamroll through the [08:49] country, who's going to be there without [08:50] the Munics, the reserveists, you know, [08:53] >> you know, I was reading yesterday uh [08:55] about King David and about that at some [08:57] point he decided not to go to war, [08:59] right? It's in Samuel. And a lot of [09:01] times I think like King David is judged [09:03] in the scriptures because he decided to [09:05] not go to war when it was the time where [09:07] kings should have gone to war. But I [09:09] think people don't understand the [09:10] fatigue that he went through after [09:12] decades and decades of fighting. What's [09:15] the way in which you guys feel the most [09:16] misunderstood? Um you know going back to [09:19] reserves every time. [09:21] >> I don't think we really have a choice. [09:22] It's like either go back or die. It's [09:24] it's such a hard uh situation to explain [09:27] because I think the emotional and [09:28] physical difference between how you are [09:31] you're fighting and there really is a [09:33] massive war going on also at home also [09:36] when you get back home in an emotional [09:38] war where it's like trying to deal with [09:39] yourself trying to deal with the other [09:41] people around you like how do you keep [09:43] coming back and keep saying bye and keep [09:44] coming back and keep saying bye and I [09:47] think um I'm kind of moving into now [09:49] what I think the difference is from the [09:51] government how they see us and now is [09:53] that you know they try to be nice uh try [09:56] to like work things out so take take a [09:59] day off here and it's like the day off [10:00] would even hurt me more. I'd have to [10:02] come back, rebuild my relationship and [10:04] then you know say goodbye to my kids [10:05] again, say goodbye to the wife and it [10:06] would it was really like honestly [10:08] heartbreaking and you know soldiers do [10:10] cry and I I I've shed tears on it. Uh [10:13] and lastly, I think the outside world [10:15] and even Israeli sometimes the idea of [10:19] you know modern society of war and how [10:22] uh you know actionfilled and exciting [10:24] and you know I don't know it it feels a [10:27] little bit um exaggerated and doesn't do [10:30] justice to what you actually go through. [10:32] So I feel like um when I talk with [10:35] Americans or other people and even the [10:37] stories I say it's like they have this [10:39] this different vision of what war is um [10:43] and I think that it's important just [10:45] like war is so not fun. It's just it's [10:47] not fun. It's not enjoyable. There's [10:48] there's very little benefits and it's so [10:50] important to remember like why do we [10:52] keep fighting like I said for our lives. [10:53] This is the Israeli Defense Force. Like [10:55] it's literally defense but we don't go [10:57] to war, you know? Like it's not like [10:58] should we go to war with them or not. [11:00] It's like do we have to go to war? Okay, [11:02] we have to like if we don't they're [11:03] going to just you know attack us later. [11:05] So that's that's my opinion on it. Yeah. [11:08] >> So this is uh gonna sound sort of [11:10] counterintuitive and uh I'm not going to [11:12] phrase this right. So um there there [11:15] aren't many joys in this but there is [11:18] meaning. So help me or help us as an [11:21] audience and pinpoint as to what the [11:23] meaning actually is for you to defend [11:26] your country and defend your family [11:27] because that is what keeps you guys [11:28] going and that's I think what you're [11:30] trying to do also through these stories [11:32] of the soldiers. Correct. [11:34] >> Correct. So I think religion is a big [11:36] part and one of the important integral [11:39] parts of religion for us is the idea of [11:41] unity [11:43] and I could tell you also from tragedy [11:45] there was built a lot of unity like [11:47] after October 7th it was horrible but it [11:49] connected all of you know the entire [11:51] country together. Everyone was coming [11:53] together, working together, you know, [11:54] all these organizations doing charity [11:56] and kindness and trying to help and and [11:59] I think the amount of kindness I saw [12:01] throughout the war just it I got this [12:04] passion like this burning passion to see [12:06] our country succeed. For me, it really [12:08] is never again is now. But uh what [12:11] happened in in Bondley Beach in Sydney, [12:15] it did not happen to a bunch of his on a [12:17] beach. It happened to a bunch of Jews [12:19] lighting candles, you know, and the the [12:21] man who the terrorists who killed them [12:23] beforehand, he said this is against [12:26] Israel. It's an anti-ionist act of [12:28] rebelling. And that's the truth of the [12:30] matter is people will kill Jews and [12:32] they'll say whatever they want about it. [12:33] And uh this is history. This is the [12:36] world turning against the Jews again. [12:39] And uh if we don't stand now, if we if [12:41] we concede over and over again, it'll [12:43] just be the destruction. It'll be the [12:44] end. [12:46] So tell me about some of the inspiring [12:48] stories uh that you've heard from other [12:50] soldiers. [12:53] >> Do you I'll tell you about the inspiring [12:55] stories that happened to me. I think me [12:57] and both have many. Um I remember early [13:00] in the war I was stationed uh up north [13:03] on a mountain range. I don't want to say [13:04] exactly where, but we were getting [13:06] shelled on a pretty daily basis. Uh we [13:09] had a little trench shovels about this [13:11] big and gen you know the first day they [13:14] told us uh you know dig a foxhole in [13:16] case of shellings and we were like okay [13:17] sure. We took a little six inches down [13:20] for sure. We never done that before and [13:22] uh we went CD but um and we uh you know [13:26] the shells were falling 10 15 feet from [13:28] us and after that we got really serious. [13:32] We dug up very serious foxholes and I [13:35] remember one time we were getting [13:36] shelled and they were you know they were [13:37] falling right next to us right left big [13:40] booms the ground was shaking and then uh [13:43] you know we started hearing a scream [13:44] from the foxhole next to us uh where the [13:47] doctor was and the doctor got hit in the [13:49] thigh um thank god not by direct uh [13:52] shell but uh by shrapnel [13:55] and my friend just got up and the middle [13:58] of the shelling as they're fallen and he [14:00] starts running over he's got a [14:02] tourniquet in his hand and uh you [14:03] normally went after him which I was the [14:06] first one but he was definitely in front [14:07] of me and we doved into the foxhole [14:09] while shells are falling and you know [14:12] just you're running across ground also [14:14] with them falling and yeah the [14:16] tourniquet on him he thank God was fully [14:18] fine after he got evaced and came back [14:21] to us a couple months later but uh you [14:23] know it's it's it's just the [14:26] understanding that we're all here for [14:28] each other it's not about my life it's [14:29] about our lives and if he needs me, I'm [14:32] there. It doesn't matter what's coming [14:34] at me. [14:35] >> We were in Tokarm uh and wanted like a [14:39] really dangerous uh Arab neighborhood [14:41] that consistently we went in there [14:43] dozens of times and there were less [14:45] times that we came out of there without [14:47] weapons from from terrorists or without [14:49] terrorists or without bombs than we went [14:52] in. And there was almost no time we [14:54] didn't go in that we went in and we [14:56] didn't have a bomb go off next to us or [14:57] something like that. They were like, [14:58] "This is a terrace hot bed that there [15:00] was always pros." So, uh, we always do [15:02] gear checks before we go into any [15:05] mission. And um, we have our metal [15:08] plating that's inside a vest. And the [15:10] way it sits in is that there's not too [15:12] much room to adjust it. Like you can [15:13] adjust a very little bit, but it's [15:14] inside a Velcro. It kind of just sits [15:16] there and [15:18] um, you can't really adjust it. And for [15:20] some reason my commander he says before [15:22] this mission like this time I want [15:24] everyone to go over make sure the the [15:25] the kamika the metal plating is sitting [15:28] high enough up. And then uh so one guy [15:31] uh we'll just call him David. He decides [15:34] he wants it a little bit higher. So he [15:35] takes uh he likes looking around. [15:37] There's no way really to make it higher [15:38] because it doesn't go higher. Uh and he [15:40] found like a you know a cushion from a [15:42] bed. He cut it up put it underneath. It [15:44] went up like 2 inches higher, three [15:45] inches higher. And then uh and yeah and [15:48] and we went out on that mission and that [15:51] night there was like eight tires [15:52] shooting at us uh that they that came [15:54] under fire and there was like a [15:56] firefight going back and forth and we [15:58] get over the radio a call like retreat. [16:01] We're going to hit them from the air [16:02] like it says it's not worth it. Just [16:03] back up. So we all back up and on the [16:07] way back up there was a miscommunication [16:08] on the radio. Uh, and the negativeist, [16:11] who's the heavy machine gunner, uh, and [16:14] his guns like made to release dozens of [16:16] bullets in seconds. Uh, he was guarding [16:19] one of the street corners to make sure [16:21] that we could cross behind him. And he [16:23] suddenly sees like the barrel of a gun [16:25] coming out from one of the buildings on [16:26] the other side. So, he like he wasn't [16:29] sure about it. The guy stuckss out and [16:31] he pulls the trigger. And now this heavy [16:33] machine, which is supposed to release [16:34] dozens of bullets, releases one bullet [16:37] and then it gets jammed. So he starts uh [16:40] he starts uh you know like starts [16:43] dealing with the jam and um and then my [16:47] commander behind us. So he realized like [16:49] what happened? He's like no no no it's [16:50] our uh it's our unit. That bullet went [16:52] across the street went through my my [16:55] other commander's arm and into this [16:57] metal plate of Dvid and like you'll see [17:00] pictures but it it actually was like two [17:02] or three inches below the top of it. [17:04] Like literally stopped that. And uh [17:07] again the thing that really impressed me [17:09] besides for that like just open miracle [17:10] where you see that God's like divine [17:12] intervention really just protecting us. [17:14] Uh and lastly right after this happened [17:16] so the entire unit without like planning [17:19] or something like that they all just [17:21] everyone understood that the guy who [17:23] shot the bullet he could come out very [17:25] traumatized like he that was friendly [17:27] fire. He hit the commander's arm. He hit [17:29] the vest of the the his other friend uh [17:33] David and everyone just came up. like [17:36] when started taking responsibility like [17:37] no it's not your fault like if that was [17:39] a terrorist that would have been really [17:40] good you know like good shooting or [17:42] whatever and the commander like we [17:43] should have been clear about [17:44] communication you know like it's totally [17:46] not like everyone came just for like his [17:48] mental health just so that and it really [17:50] worked cuz the next day my commander he [17:52] had like he came back with a bandage on [17:54] his arm and the guy got shot in the [17:56] plate so he was a little bit more [17:57] bruised took him like a week he came [17:58] back and then the negative the heavy [18:00] machine gunner he stayed with us the [18:02] whole day he's still with us today so [18:03] like you see like and you hear these [18:06] types of stories like these things [18:07] really break people, you know, they they [18:08] caused tremendous amount of trauma like [18:10] you you shot one of us, you know, but he [18:12] didn't take it like that because we [18:13] didn't let him like we we were certain [18:15] that we were going to take [18:16] responsibility and this was a team thing [18:18] and it's not your fault at all and it [18:19] wasn't his fault, you know. He did a [18:20] good job. So, I think that, you know, [18:23] that's like connects it back. The unity [18:24] is really what's what's connecting all [18:26] of us and making us like we're we're a [18:29] crazy army. We're really like, you know, [18:30] we're just so powerful and it's that [18:32] unity that we care for one another and [18:34] we're we're willing to take risks and to [18:36] to, you know, just take that extra step [18:38] to really make sure the next one's okay. [18:40] >> Thank you guys so much for sharing your [18:42] stories and for helping us understand [18:45] you guys. Um, we believe that beneath [18:48] the uniform really does uh bring us into [18:52] uh sort of into the heart of the core of [18:54] what you guys do because when we watch [18:56] it on the screen, it's very hard to [18:58] relate, but when we actually meet the [18:59] people, which is what you guys are [19:00] helping us to do, it really changes [19:02] everything. So, thank you guys so much [19:04] for your time and for sharing from the [19:05] heart. And thank you guys so much for [19:07] watching. If you want more Israel [19:09] related content, go to [19:10] allisraelnews.com, hit the notification [19:12] bell, hit subscribe, and we'll see you [19:14] guys in the next one.
