French Jewish writer, public philosopher, and documentary filmmaker Bernard-Henri Lévy’s latest book Israel Alone (currently available in French) affirms the solitariness of an Israel virtually alone on the world stage. Lévy (known in France as BHL) was among the first to come to Israel on October 8 – the day after the massacre in the South – where he spent time visiting the devastated kibbutzim and their survivors, as well as the site of the Supernova festival massacre.
Lévy says: “The Jews are alone – decidedly, dramatically alone more than they have ever been…” This is his take on today’s anti-Israel reality pervading the world.
A lone soldier’s experiences
To be alone is something that Sam Sank experienced when he chose to come to Israel from the United Kingdom as a lone soldier – one who chooses to leave his/her family, home, and country, in order to join the IDF.
An only child, who grew up within a committed Zionist family, Sank attended Jewish schools and was active in a Zionist youth movement. However, he told the Magazine, these connections were not the prime reason for his decision to come here. “The catalyst for my coming to Israel was a feeling, deep inside, a connection with the Land of Israel and the Jewish people that prompted me to make aliyah in 2009 at the age of 18, volunteering for the IDF’s Paratroopers Unit.”
Eight months later, in July 2010, Sank was exceedingly moved when his parents surprised him by arriving at the Beret Ceremony marking the completion of his Paratroopers Unit’s basic training. His father, who was already experiencing poor health, passed away soon after in 2012.
Coming face to face with his parents – his father in a wheelchair – proved to be an exceedingly passionate encounter for all three. A video, which the Magazine viewed online, demonstrates the pride his parents felt in their son’s achievement, with emotions spilling over on all sides.
Sank was called to action on Oct. 7. His unit entered Kfar Aza – a kibbutz on the border with Gaza – on October 9. In an interview with the UK’s Sun newspaper, Sank said, “Our role was to go into the kibbutz to secure it and kill any terrorists that we found… We saw bodies of an entire family in a car – the family was trying to escape but were shot dead. We saw other bodies that were just left lying around – the gruesome smell of bodies was strong, with the crows circling overhead waiting to pounce on the dead.”
On December 3, Sank’s unit entered Gaza. He spent almost two months in Khan Yunis, with just a few short breaks. He described his experience as extremely challenging.
I MET Sank four weeks ago when he addressed a meeting organized by Israel, Britain and the Commonwealth Association (IBCA), where he shared his army experiences as a lone soldier.
“There was definitely an aspect of being on autopilot during my time inside Gaza,” he said. “I lived in tough conditions, saw a friend killed, and found myself in near-death situations far too frequently. I never felt afraid; the adrenalin and surrealism of where I was overrode most of my emotions. There is no doubt that the training – during my years of mandatory army service, as well as my reserve duty – enabled me to deal with the situation in which I found myself.”
However, that which surprised me – and many who had come to hear his story – was not his recounting of his time in Gaza but rather his sharing of what happened following his release from the army, after having served four months as a reservist.
“I was in New York with my fiancée in the weeks following my release, where we attended a comedy stand-up show hosted by the Jewish community,” he related. “Gathered outside the venue were pro-Palestinian demonstrators who harassed us as we were entering and leaving. On the way out, they followed us down the street, shouting hateful obscenities, without any knowledge of who we were – just attendees at this comedy show. The police tried to escort us in the opposite direction for our safety, but I refused and we continued walking down the street.
“The demonstrators followed us for a while, continuing to call us “Nazis,” “baby killers,” “genociders” and more before turning their attention to the next group of people who were leaving the event,” Sank said. “I found this incident quite traumatic, more so than anything I had experienced in Gaza.”
Yes, it was surprising to hear these words from this brave young warrior who actively participated in what can only be described as the most perturbing war this country has fought since its rebirth in 1948 – the year that BHL was born. To learn of his personal experience from Oct. 7 until his release touched his audience greatly. And yet….what disturbed him most was the antisemitism he encountered in New York.
THE FEELINGS expressed by Sank emphasize Lévy’s sentiments, with which I commenced this article. That the barbaric massacre of Israelis and others on Oct. 7 resulted in the further isolation of Israel rather than the world’s horror at what took place, together with an unprecedented rise of antisemitism, is logically beyond belief but tragically factual.
BHL presents a frightening assessment of the future for Jews, both in Israel and the Diaspora. Many of us are of an age where our concern lies primarily with what the future holds for our grandchildren, both here and there. These anxieties are accentuated as we view the daily increase in vile campaigns against Jews taking place, most disturbingly on university campuses worldwide, for it is from universities that emerge the leaders of tomorrow.
BHL’s book, available shortly in English as Israel Alone, suggests that the Jewish state faces unprecedented isolation. We who live here continue to hope that the United States, irrespective of who is elected president in November, will recognize that while Israel and the Jews are today’s prime target for hate, America is not far behind.
In the meantime, we take warm comfort in the fact that there are 7,000 lone soldiers currently serving in the IDF. Approximately 60% are young men and women who come from abroad for that idealistic reason. As long as Israel has the likes of Sam Sank – who remains available to be recalled for active duty – we are never alone.
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