In the past two years, a new breed of celebrities has emerged in Israel and the US – those who have taken it upon themselves to explain Israel to the world since October 7, and are doing the job excellently. Austin is among the most prominent of them. Though she's only 24, she has already become a household name as a leading advocate for Israel against the flood of hatred, filth, and antisemitism.

This week, Austin and Hassan Yousef sat together, alongside a row of leading Hebrew-speaking comedians, in a kind of post-war after-party – trying to understand together where we're going from here, and whether the end of fighting requires fresh thinking about everything related to advocacy.

The non-Jewish guy from college

Austin was born in New York and raised in Brooklyn and Long Island, daughter of an Israeli family of Iraqi origin that settled in the US. She attended the modern Orthodox North Shore Hebrew Academy for high school, and later studied communications at a private university. At age 16, she went with her class on a Holocaust trip to Poland, an experience that, by her account, greatly strengthened her Jewish identity.

When we met her this week on the top floor of the Sheraton Hotel in Tel Aviv, Austin was busy, as always, updating her millions of followers on various social media platforms about her interview with Israel Hayom. During her very brief visit to Israel, she managed to film a sketch for "Eretz Nehederet" playing herself as a new immigrant, upload a considerable amount of photos and videos to social media (she travels with a dedicated videographer), eat a kosher hamburger, meet family and friends, and also meet us for an interview.

When you were a child, did you ever think that at age 24 you'd be dealing with advocacy for the State of Israel, confronting such amounts of hatred, and mainly experiencing antisemitism in your life?

"Never. I grew up in a home where they made it clear to me very quickly that we are Jews and that we love Israel, because we have family and friends there. We celebrated all the holidays, I ate only kosher, I studied at a religious school, and walked around with my Star of David necklace.

"Antisemitism? Once, in college, a guy started with me, and I told him we couldn't date because I'm Jewish and he's Christian. He didn't understand what I meant, and when we met a year later, he called me 'kike.' I was shocked, smiled at him, and said, 'That's really not funny.' He said to me, 'You were condescending to me, you said you're above me because you're Jewish and you're better than me. You think you're better than everyone.' And suddenly I understood what he was referring to and why he was actually attacking me. For me, when I told him we couldn't date, it wasn't from a place of superiority, but because of the way I was raised and educated. But then I understood how he interpreted it.

"What I took from that incident is that I, as a Jew, have double responsibility, and I represent something bigger than just myself. I can't talk like that to people, because they won't understand what I mean, and it could create damage and hurt others. But until that incident, I had never felt antisemitism. I knew we were Jews, and every summer vacation we would come for a two-month visit to Israel, which for me meant lots of schnitzel and beach paddles."

Then on October 7, the bubble burst.

"I didn't understand what was happening. At first, when I watched television, I still accepted the narrative of the various channels and thought Israel was to blame for something. Then I understood what was happening and realized this was a battle for home, because what they told us on television wasn't what every person understood immediately – they murdered and kidnapped people here, how can you justify such a thing?!

"It seemed logical to me, like any normal person, to post something for the hostages, because it was the right thing to do. Not just as a Jew, but in general. But we quickly understood that wasn't the situation. At first, they still supported us, but the discourse in the US changed very quickly. I started getting responses on social media that I'm a 'Zionist pig,' that I support an apartheid state.

"First of all, I grew up thinking that Zionism isn't a stream in Judaism, but that Israel is the Jewish state, and I'd never heard the word 'apartheid' in my life, certainly not in the context of Israel. So I understood something was happening, and the need to explain what was happening just burned in me."

Did you pay a price for showing support for Israel?

"I have 3 million followers on Instagram and another half million followers on TikTok, and they stayed with me, because they were my asset from before. But then the phone calls started coming about cancellations from companies I worked with.

"For example, I had a contract with Puma, and I was at a stage in my career where everything was taking off – and here, in one moment, everything collapsed and disappeared. In a sense, that very day when everything disappeared from me was the beginning of the two best years I've had in my career in terms of exposure and followers, and the worst I've had in my life as a Jewish girl. The two are intertwined.

"I'll give another example: I was a judge in the Miss Universe pageant. The beauty queen who represented Israel spoke to me about what was happening, and I heard in her voice that she was worried. I asked the contest managers to say something that would note what happened in Israel, to express some kind of solidarity on social media, which is the minimal thing they could do.

"They explained to me that everyone needs to feel comfortable in the contest and that it's forbidden to harm the security of the contestants, so they wouldn't raise the issue and wouldn't say anything. So I told them, 'Yes, but the Israeli contestant doesn't feel secure.' It was clear this was over between us, but I really didn't care."

Host of football events

Her meteoric rise must be understood: After completing her communications studies, Austin had already launched a popular independent interview show featuring NBA stars from her Instagram page at the age of 21. The idea had come to her during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The beautiful and audacious girl, who possessed a keen understanding of basketball, immediately attracted the attention of decision-makers on various channels. Later, she began broadcasting an interview show called "The Emily Austin Show," and all the big league stars came to her to be interviewed. She worked for Sports Illustrated, hosting football events, and appeared regularly on MTV, as well as hosting a popular basketball podcast. She also wrote for Newsweek magazine and frequently appeared as a panelist on the conservative Fox News Channel.

In the past two years, after she began expressing her opinions and worldview, Austin connected to her roots in a way she had never thought about - as an Israel advocate. She serves as a communications consultant to the Israeli delegation at the UN; changes the minds of NBA stars who call to ask her questions about the situation; became one of the leading supporters of President Trump, who thanked her for her efforts; and now she's part of the support campaign for independent candidate Andrew Cuomo in next week's New York City mayoral elections, which are stirring the Jewish world – yes, the fateful elections where the anti-Israeli Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani is leading.

Curses on mobile alongside support

This week, as she walked around the Carmel Market, Tel Avivians surrounded her with love, and even gave her yarmulkes with the portrait of the US president, so she could pass them to Trump the next time she meets him.

Now that the war in Gaza has ended, or at least been halted, how do you think your advocacy battles will look? It seems we're at the threshold of a new struggle.

"I want to throw the word 'advocacy' out of the discourse. It's over, I'm sick of it, I'm not willing to hear about it anymore. We don't need to explain anything else – the war is over. What do I need to explain, the existence of the State of Israel? If they ask me something related to Israel's existence, I'll simply answer: Just because. We're done explaining to the world that we have been a state since 1948."

How can you say such a thing when even you yourself continue to pay a price every day for your support of Israel?

"You mean every minute, not every day. Look what's happening to me on my phone, in the messages I'm getting right now."

Austin pulls out her mobile phone and shows her inbox. On one side, curses and racial and antisemitic slurs. On the other hand, support from Jews and non-Jews. Exactly half and half.

"This has been like this for two years. Those who want to talk, I talk with them and explain to them. There's a lot of ignorance in the US, and those who want to listen – I'll usually convince them to support Israel. This happened to me with basketball stars and coaches as well. When they tell me 'Israel is a racist state,' I show them photos and data of blacks or Arabs who work and live in Israel, and then they just shut up. Some actually continue to attack, and then I understand it's something basic from them against Jews, and not really related to October 7."

How secure do you feel in the US today?

"Look, as long as Donald Trump is in power, I know I can walk around with my Star of David without any problem anywhere, and even if people think what they think, they won't say anything. As long as the Republicans are in power, we can be calm, and even when Vice President JD Vance replaces Trump in the future, the situation will be the same. But what will happen after that? What future do we Jews have in the US?

"There are nights when, before I fall asleep, I think where we would be now as Jews, where the Israelis would be, if Kamala Harris had been elected president and not Trump. It's terrifying to think that she or someone like her would be president of the US. We Republicans believe in law, believe in our police and in state institutions, but with the Democrats, everything happened in reverse, especially in my generation, Gen Z."

The future indeed doesn't look bright, certainly not in the US, and particularly not in New York, where you work and operate.

"At least one prominent thing we took off the table: there's no such thing as hating Israel and saying 'but I have no problem with Jews.' That's nonsense, we understood that. They hate us, like they always hate us. I saw this already in Operation Protective Edge in 2014, when they explained to me they have no problem with me but with Israel's policy, and I still thought then that maybe there was something in what they were saying.

"In high school, I was on a trip to the extermination camps in Poland, and that was a life-changing experience for me. But it was portrayed as something from the distant past, something less relevant to my current life, as an American Jew. I felt that such things couldn't happen today, and that they were mainly related to my basic identity, rather than an existential threat to me.

"Now we're talking about a different reality. When you tell me that in your travels abroad, you change your name to another name in the travel booking app, aren't we in 1930s Berlin? That's it, we're giving up to them? We went back to being ashamed of being Jews? No way! And if we pay a price for it, then we pay. But we won't let them win."

The sketch about Yad Vashem

As mentioned, this week Austin filmed for "Eretz Nehederet," alongside Omer Zion playing Donald Trump, in a sketch showing what will happen if Mamdani, the Muslim candidate likely to win the Big Apple mayoral election, actually wins – and she'll be forced to immigrate to the Holy Land. Additionally, she's expected to appear in a new film project produced by Yoav Gross, which will focus on the Mossad's pager operation that dismantled Hezbollah a year ago. She is also expected to continue participating in important ceremonies and conferences throughout the US.

In the world we live in, and certainly in American culture, the battle for young people is waged through social media. Austin, together with many others, stands at the forefront of the struggle, even though it sometimes seems that in the flood of ignorance and lack of knowledge in American society, we're talking about a battle that will never really end. At least it led her to film for Israel's leading satire show.

Did you know "Eretz Nehederet"? Did you dream that life would lead you to participate in it?

"Since I was a child, I dreamed of participating in 'Eretz Nehederet.' My parents watched it regularly, and when I didn't understand the jokes in Hebrew, they made sure to explain them to me. Every week we would sit and watch together.

"There was one sketch I kept returning to, about Project Taglit. You see American teenagers visiting Yad Vashem, and they don't understand what Yad Vashem is – yet they sing and dance. My parents would tell me, 'Look, you'll be like them,' and laugh. I always explained to everyone around me that 'Eretz Nehederet' is Israel's 'Saturday Night Live,' but since most of the time I was the only Jew and Israeli in the environment, they didn't understand what I wanted from them.

"When Molly Segev called me and invited me to come film – I knew this was something I had to do, because I've been dreaming about it for years."

"Whoever doesn't vote – will regret it"

Let's return to seriousness for a moment: Mamdani's expected election should worry us, shouldn't it?

"Absolutely, it's very worrying. I'm working with many others, so he loses the election, but the polls show he's about to win. My generation believes that candidates who make promises without backing them up are the epitome of this. Free public transportation, freezing vegetable and fruit prices, fundamental change in police structure. New York could become Gotham City.

"I'm going crazy from one thing: how do only a million Jews in the largest Jewish city in the world come out to vote? Where are all the other millions? It's like they don't care. Only on the Democratic side are they excited about Mamdani's promises, and feel sorry for him when he tells how Muslims suffered from Islamophobia after the 9/11 attacks. You understand where we've reached? Ultimately, he's the victim in the story. But believe me, if he's elected, all the Jews who didn't vote will regret it very much. Some of them will find themselves very quickly on the plane to Israel, immigrating – and not for the right reasons."

And what about you? Are you thinking of immigrating to Israel? You eat kosher, didn't date a non-Jewish guy in college. Come on, you'll have schnitzel and beach paddles here for free.

"I'll tell you the truth: I'm American. Israel, for me, is the home of summer months, and of the best experiences I had in childhood, but I tremble with fear every time I'm here.

"I travel to places and check how far they are from the West Bank, how far they are from Gaza. Look how many enemies there are around, and if that's not enough, there are also sirens from Yemen.

"It's clear to me that I'll continue coming here even when I'm a mother, with my children. But I'm aware of the reality around me, of course. If the situation under Mamdani worsens – I won't wait like the Jews in Germany for them to come take me, I'll know to flee in time. This time, unlike the past, we have a state. In my dreams, I run for president of the US. If someone like Kamala Harris ran, there's no reason I shouldn't run."

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At this juncture, it is impossible to know when, if at all, a vote will occur. Nonetheless, it should be recalled that certain forces do not cast votes yet are actively working on Israel's behalf backstage. A notable instance of this is Sándor Csányi, the chairman of the Hungarian Football Federation and the UEFA treasurer.

President Donald Trump, holding the World Cup trophy, has been working behind the scenes to prevent Israel's expulsion from FIFA, the world's governing body, which has also faced calls to expel Israel. Even if UEFA expels it, it might not be applicable to the summer games, although Israel first has to qualify.

For Israel:

Germany – Hans-Joachim Watzke, the former CEO of Borussia Dortmund and the vice chairman of the German Football Association. If he could be presented to articulate Israel's position not only regarding soccer but also in the broader context – Israel's global standing would be significantly better. He is a genuine friend of Israeli football and the Jewish people. However, if the matter reaches a vote, he might choose to abstain to safeguard the interests of Germany, a major football power. What is certain is that he will not vote against Israel.

Czech Republic – Petr Fousek, who served until recently as the Czech Football Association president, continues to represent the country on the organization's executive committee. The Czech Republic is counted as one of Israel's closest allies, even following October 7 and the protracted war. Relations between the associations are solid, and he is anticipated to vote in Israel's favor.

Armenia – Relations between the two countries are cordial, and Armenia will likely oppose expelling Israel and even back Israel – primarily due to interests extending beyond the realm of soccer. Football Federation of Armenia President Armen Melikbekyan is the official representative, and all forecasts indicate that he will vote against expulsion.

Albania – This Muslim nation in Europe has been open about its support for Israel over the last two years. Here too, forces not directly connected to sports are involved, but behind the scenes, the Albanians are considered true friends of Israel and Israeli soccer. Armand Duka, the Albanian Football Association chairman, will serve as the representative in the vote, and it is difficult to imagine him abandoning Israel.

Georgia – Levan Kobiashvili, the chairman of the local Georgian Football Federation, is both a politician and a former football player. It can be cautiously suggested that he will not cast a vote against Israel. As is typical in these situations, circumstances can shift rapidly – but the prevailing assumption is that Georgia will support Israel should a vote take place.

Wavering countries:

Croatia – Ostensibly, the Croatians are not counted among Israel's greatest supporters. However, since these topics extend beyond sports, it is hard to ascertain how effective Israel's influence is, or how the political alliances involving Croatia will shape its decision. Croatian Football Federation President Marijan Kustić is the representative.

Slovenia – UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin is viewed as a personal friend of the Israel Football Association Chairman Shino Zoaretz. So why is he on the wavering list? Because he too is subjected to numerous pressures and interests, especially the immense Qatari influence being exerted upon UEFA members.

Denmark – Jesper Møller Christensen, the current chairman of the Danish Football Association, is expected to vote against Israel. Yet, among the Scandinavian nations – the Danes might surprisingly be one of the few in the region who will stand by Israel.

Switzerland – Claudius Schäfer, the CEO of the Swiss Super League, is expected to maintain a neutral stance, but there is a possibility that in the event of a formal vote, he will vote against Israel.

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The initial report in Israel Hayom set off a flurry of activity, with numerous Israeli and international diplomats, football association leaders and sports officials, whose identities will remain undisclosed for years, working on behalf of the Israel Football Association. Their efforts ensured that Israel's expulsion is not currently on UEFA's agenda. American officials were also involved, pressing UEFA leaders not to upset the status quo.

Those who watched the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, organized by the French magazine France Football, saw Paris Saint-Germain owner Nasser al-Khelaifi deliver the longest speech ever by a club owner at the event. The gesture was one of several moves meant to calm Qatar, which already wields significant influence over European football.

Meanwhile, junior advisers on the UN Human Rights Committee on Tuesday called for Israel's removal from football and for it to be barred from UEFA and FIFA competitions. However, this body has no formal ties to football and its members cannot speak on behalf of the UN or the committee they serve in an advisory capacity.

So what comes next? Israeli football's main objective is to secure a place in the Nations League draw in March and participate in the tournament. At the moment, the chances look slim unless the political situation changes and Israel ends its war. Nevertheless, the threat of expulsion could resurface at any moment depending on UEFA's considerations. Israel may have won this battle, but the war over its place in international football is far from finished.

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Israel Hayom has learned that Qatar is exerting heavy pressure to bring the vote on Israel's expulsion to the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday. Over the past week, intense lobbying efforts have been underway to secure a majority in favor of expulsion.

At present, among the 20 voting members, a sweeping majority reportedly supports Israel's removal, with only two or three countries firmly opposed. The Israel Football Association is leaning on both sporting and diplomatic allies in a desperate bid to prevent the matter from reaching the agenda.

The immediate danger stems from voices within UEFA signaling that a vote on Israel's suspension is likely at Tuesday's meeting. Behind the scenes, Israeli officials are fighting to stop the issue from being tabled. However, Qatari pressure has intensified since Israel's failed strike in Doha, and Qatari officials are deploying all their influence to ensure Israel is expelled.

Israeli officials understand that if the matter does go to a vote, Israel's participation in European football will be over, at least for the foreseeable future. On Wednesday, the day after Rosh Hashanah, Maccabi Tel Aviv is scheduled to open its Europa League campaign away against PAOK Thessaloniki in Greece.

A senior official at the Israel Football Association told Israel Hayom: "We are working on this on every front. Shino Zoertz and Moran Meiri are working around the clock. The matter is being handled. No one at the association is asleep at the wheel."

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"We were surprised by the banner's language. It was blatant. Typically the messages focus on love and peace with subtle hints about change, not an explicit call to end war or taking a political stance, and here it delivered a sharp message," a senior Israel Football Association source said.

Sports officials discussed how organizers brought children from all conflict zones except Israel, with the two prominent children at the event being Palestinians who grew up under Hamas rule. Nobody bothered informing any Israeli official about what would unfold, reflecting Israel's weakness and positions over the past two years concerning public diplomacy efforts.

"You must remember that Israel fails in public diplomacy on issues far more important than soccer, so obviously in sports we are also failing. Who can handle public diplomacy against UEFA, [IFA chief] Moshe Zoares? That's several levels beyond his capabilities. The state needs to address this, because the association lacks the tools," the same source added.

Security nightmare

For organizations like BDS, sports represent a crucial weapon in the war against Israel, particularly the soccer sector. An entire department, funded and organized, dispatches letters weekly to sports bodies worldwide with one demand: Expel Israel from the international arena, like South Africa during the apartheid era or contemporary Russia. This has been occurring for years with escalating intensity, and it's not the sole organization involved. Against this, naturally, there is no response. The IFA lacks the human and financial resources to counter such an assault.

Given this reality, it's remarkable that Israeli teams and the national squad continue playing in Europe at all, avoiding expulsion. This occurs largely through the efforts of association chairman, Zoares. "You must remember that Israel represents not just a public relations problem, but also an economic and security problem. Playing against Israeli teams or hosting them creates massive security headaches, and enormous expenses. Why would teams or national squads want to inflict this on themselves? It's not as if anyone has surplus money," the source added, highlighting the scarcity of training matches for the national team and international engagements for Israeli players.

Now circumstances are changing rapidly and for the worse. Everyone recognizes – in the Foreign Ministry, Public Diplomacy Ministry and IFA alike – that a Gaza operation means initiating the expulsion process for clubs from UEFA and Israel from FIFA. They will place us on "leave" for one or two years, during which soccer will be ostracized and suffer devastating economic damage. The IFA fears events will unfold swiftly, without a grace period or waiting for a ceasefire.

Without an anthem, without Star of David

It's crucial to note that rapid Israeli soccer expulsion would, naturally, create problems in other sports as well. While the Olympic Committee, for instance, doesn't expel athletes, as Russia wasn't expelled and its athletes compete under another flag, there's a possibility that judoka Shani Hershko will lead the judo team to Los Angeles under the Olympic Committee flag. We won't hear the Israeli anthem, and we won't see a Star of David unless the athletes wear one.

EuroLeague in crisis too?

The other immediate concern is EuroLeague basketball. Games won't occur in Israel this year either, but now this appears like a minor problem. The Gaza operation, with the anticipated images from there, could cause clubs, primarily the Spanish ones dominating European basketball, to refuse playing against Israeli teams even on Bulgarian or Serbian territory.

Basketball veteran and Maccabi Tel Aviv Chairman Shimon Mizrahi is already quite elderly, basketball executive Ofer Yanai isn't truly recognized in European basketball, and the struggle for Israeli basketball's European survival appears extremely challenging. The national team will also experience this impact in the European Championship at the end of the month.

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Entering the Israeli Air Force's Hatzor Base, one might think nothing has changed in recent years. But as you proceed into the heart of the base, it becomes clear that what was will never be the same again.

The base is busier than ever, and encounters with younger and older soldiers alike testify that we are in the midst of war. This young generation, whom we promised would know no more wars, has been busy protecting the homeland for 15 months now, just like that.

A decade ago, I was here for an Independence Day story, trying out the simulator that pilots use to maintain operational readiness in case they need to respond quickly. Since then, our world has been turned upside down, and suddenly, alongside training and long hours in the simulator, it seems our pilots are logging the same hours in the real thing, in the skies of the Middle East.

Along with the change in spirit, the base will soon see a material change as well. A new facility being built these days will allow for more simulator work and diversify pilots' training, enabling them to work in larger formations and accommodate more aircrew members. Its construction will be completed in the coming years, and likely all those children who were promised there would be no more wars by the time they grew up will be using this simulator, further widening the gap between the blue and white Air Force and air forces across much of the Western world, certainly in the Middle East.

At the entrance to MTC (Mission Training Center), its commander, Major T, awaits us. A kippah on his head, a smile on his face, and above all, much patience for a reporter who's about to climb into an F-15 simulator for the second time in his life and, as usual, embarrass himself. From T's words, who participated in the strike on Iran, one can understand that with each such strike, they improve in the simulator as well, as it allows them to better understand the topography of each location, including places no one imagined we would be (Sanaa, for example).

This is exactly the discussion that will accompany us during our visit to MTC: How much can the simulator, especially in the AI era, simulate that real feeling of war that we've been in for 15 months with no end in sight. "Look, there are many advantages to the simulator, and over the years it really keeps improving," T explains.

"I'll clarify – in fact, in the simulator you can reach extreme situations that the chance of them happening in real training or combat is very small, but you can turn the simulator into one that constantly puts you in these extreme situations. Indeed, it happened more than once in the past year that soldiers returned from distant and near operations and the first thing they said was 'wow, it's just like in the simulator,' or alternatively presented us with things related to improving the simulator."

Squadron Commander Lieutenant Colonel A, who participated in a strike in Yemen, joins the conversation as we begin walking toward the simulator: "Besides the clear advantages of training, beyond what the simulator can provide 24 hours a day, first we must remember the financial costs as well. In the end, there's savings of hundreds of millions for the army of course, especially in the period we're in now. You can't train at any moment and in any situation, but in the simulator it's possible."

"October 7 wasn't in the simulator"

I ask A how much the simulator really simulates what's been happening here in the past year, because after all, good as it may be, no one could have predicted the October 7 tragedy. "First of all, true, October 7 was something that didn't appear in any simulator," he says. "I think all of us, like the entire army, understood and learned from what happened there, and since then the situation has completely changed, and from what happened there we're all trying to learn. Another thing, physiologically the simulator can't simulate of course the feeling of encountering G-force – that's something you can only experience when you're in the air. Perhaps in the future these are the dramatic changes that will be in the simulator, in my opinion, if they manage to incorporate them, that physical experience."

When I get on the simulator, the commanders won't let me "fly" in other countries' territory, and I have to take off from Israel and stay within the country's boundaries. They'll make sure foreign aircraft "infiltrate here" and attack me, although after what happened here in the past year, what enemy aircraft can still attack me? In the simulator there are no Gazans on donkeys wearing flip-flops, but still I'm "attacked by foreign forces," and as usual finish the simulator at a level that A defines as "barely flight school material." I don't know, I feel I was excellent, especially in the turns I took and the exercises I did, but T explains to me that I took a turn like a "transport plane and not a fighter jet."

I explain to him that like parking in Tel Aviv, I entered carefully not to hit the car in front and behind. They almost laugh. Fortunately, I finish the matter without vertigo, and I also managed to drop fragments over the sea and not hit civilian population. You can continue sleeping peacefully, there are those watching over you.

Another thing that isn't in the simulator, or at least wasn't shown to me, is the drone threat. The different sizes, different confrontations that the Air Force faces since Hezbollah and the Houthis entered the battle, force the entire security system in all its shades to respond quickly.

"We know how to bring the data to Elbit, and during the war we learned how quickly they know how to write code that will deal with the threat of drones in different sizes," explains T. "This allows the entire system, including the simulator, to deal with things differently and more efficiently, and of course together with the data that pilots bring from the field we know how to improve during the war."

Following progress

With AI entering our world, the question arises where this field is going regarding the battlefield, especially when we're talking about simulators. When we meet female soldiers who can recite by heart the entire structure of the aircraft and its capabilities, we ask where this knowledge will go as technology develops: "That's the question," says T, "I assume we don't know how to answer that yet."

A, for his part, strongly argues that "there is and will be no substitute for human experience, with all due respect to the simulator, when you're in the sky physically, bodily, mentally – everything looks different. True, the simulator prepares you for extreme situations, and then even in mentally difficult situations when you're in the air you know how to react calmly, because you trained in the simulator, but there are still events that occur in the battlefield and the simulator doesn't simulate them, for example if God forbid you need to make a decision related to ejecting from the aircraft, in the end in the simulator it's not like the real thing, because when you're there alone the decisions made are different."

I don't know if this public relations tour was meant to strengthen the confidence we all have in the excellent people who shake our houses every evening ("Really sorry we're rushing to the target," A laughs at me), or to restore our lost faith in everything related to the state and army in the past year. Either way, cynicism aside, in Hatzor you meet the best men and women this country has to offer.

Even if it seems that sometimes the fondness for action and battles is what drives people here, and in the aircraft they feel disconnected somewhere in the clouds, which doesn't exist, of course, when you're deep on the scorched earth in Gaza. Still, at the end of the day, when the skies began to rumble again, the feeling is that there's someone to rely on. And that's not little in the situation this country is in right now.

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A few hours before the second game of the basketball league finals last season, a helicopter landed on the roof of Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital, carrying soldiers wounded in the intense fighting in Gaza.

Dr. Gil Rachevsky, from the Orthopedics Division, who also serves as a physician for Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team, entered the operating room. "I told myself I might make it to the second half since there were a few hours until the game," he recalls. "In the end, we came out of the operating room, and I saw that the game had just started because of all the chaos. And I think to myself:  People have lost it, it's unbelievable. We, who just treated casualties suffering from burns, young soldiers who fought in battle, see people in the arena throwing flare torches at each other, and think about those images of burns and the damage that can be caused."

Dr. Guy Morag is the senior physician of Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball and also the senior figure in the department. He brought Gil on board 14 years ago, and since then they've been through quite a bit together, especially on sports fields and treating victims of electric scooters and bicycles on Tel Aviv's sidewalks.

No one, of course, prepared them for October 7. That day turned them into one of a kind in their field: the only sports doctors in the world who treat both soldiers from the battlefield and athletes, often on the same day. "There's no precedent for this in other parts of the world," Morag smiles. "We're probably the first to combine these things. In the morning, we treat young soldiers, and in the evening, we go to the basketball court. I'm sure our colleagues look at us from the side and can't understand what's happening."

Q: Let's go back to October 7 for a moment. The EuroLeague had just begun, another season ahead. 

Guy: "Yes, we had a game against Partizan Belgrade two days before. On Saturday afternoon, we were already here, and we started to understand and see things we hadn't seen before, like all Israelis, I guess."

Gil: "Beyond the medical aspect, which was obviously something we hadn't experienced before, within a few days, messages and calls of encouragement started coming in. Ioannis (Sfairopoulos, Maccabi's former coach) sent a message, former players inquired. And our players here understood that something was happening and started asking questions, and basketball suddenly seemed so far away for everyone."

Q: What were the reactions of your colleagues?

Guy: "Very quickly, we received offers of help from all the EuroLeague doctors – well, except for the Turks with whom we're not in contact, and relations had not been good even before – they immediately reached out to us and asked what they could do. And when we started playing in Belgrade, the local doctors were always there for us in whatever we needed."

Gil: "At first, we couldn't fly because doctors couldn't leave the country due to the situation, so we relied a lot on their help. Often, we had to see what was happening to a player, check his condition, without actually touching him. When we went back abroad with the team, the feeling was very strange suddenly, this change of atmosphere, when you know what's happening in the country and here we're busy with basketball. But it's something everyone felt, even the foreign players who don't belong here, certainly not emotionally, experienced the same thing."

Dr. Rachevsky and Dr. Morag never thought their expertise in sports orthopedics would help them in this bizarre escapism, where sports treatment would serve as an intermission during wartime. Until, of course, the Wade Baldwin affair came along.

Maccabi's undisputed star of the past season was injured in the playoff games in his hamstring. The injury took them to a specialist in Split, איקמ back to the country to continue treating battle casualties, back to Belgrade for the team's games, while constantly being asked about the star's condition, and meanwhile, helicopters with the wounded kept landing on the hospital roof. We knew more about the wounded soldiers than about Baldwin's condition, as Shimon Mizrahi [the Maccabi Tel Aviv chairman] still knows how to prevent leaks related to the club's security.

Gil: "We're not allowed to talk about it," he laughs, "anything but that. There were situations where we're in the operating room, or meeting patients, and then they ask us about Baldwin. You understand the importance of sports when people in difficult moments talk to you about sports."

Guy: "I really felt that people, while I'm treating them and they're going through what they're going through, are trying to extract information from me. They ask me what the situation is and if he'll return to play and when. People were constantly preoccupied with this."

Q: With the return to routine, we also returned to the old sights of sports – you talked about coming out of the operating room and seeing fans fighting, it's crazy.

Guy: "After October 7, there was a feeling that something had changed, people behaved differently. By the way, even when we returned to the sports fields, you felt there was a very big change. But when we got to the end-of-season games, it was clear that everything had returned to how it was. The fans returned to their behavior from before. True, not everyone, but we've returned to routine in this matter, unfortunately, after there was a feeling for a moment that there had been a correction."

Gil: "We go through what we go through here in the mornings or long nights, and then we arrive at the game and hear curses like 'may you have a Holocaust,' 'terrorist,' and you can't believe it. You think it's not logical that everything has returned to what it was before."

Q: In the room next to us sits Assaf Bibas, who is the medical director of Hapoel Tel Aviv – maybe the fans need to remember what's important.

Gil: "We work with Assaf together even before October 7, consulting and talking even when we're only dealing with sports in our distant routine days. And certainly after that Saturday."

Guy: "We miss dealing only with sports orthopedics, where the emotional effort is completely different. There's something else emotionally when you see a young man struggling to return to his routine, to stand on his feet again. With all due respect to an athlete for whom this is his job, here a person is fighting just to be able to walk."

Q: And if I still ask you for a comparison between treating a soldier and treating an athlete?

Gil: "As far as I'm concerned, I've seen young soldiers here in the last nine months doing amazing things. We wanted them to return to walking, to manage an independent lifestyle, and they tell us they want to return to the field, to their friends, to fight. Despite the situation, they radiate optimism, that they won't settle for just walking again."

Guy: "In that sense, it was really like seeing athletes who do everything to return to play after an injury. And then to improve the range of motion, and another small improvement. Like an athlete who doesn't want to stop improving, who's willing to make more and more effort to be stronger. It's a determination we've encountered here with our soldiers more than once."

Q: Sports medicine in general has obviously improved over the years, what's our situation in the country regarding this matter?

Guy: "We're progressing a lot and there are very good doctors here, but it's understandable that you can't compare it to the world's top. We studied abroad and saw the professional environment that sports teams have: the number of doctors, the support staff they have. This is obviously not something we have in the country."

Gil: "Look at Israeli basketball, for example. Apart from the three big ones, who invest at an international level in the support staff and understand the importance of a large medical team, in the rest of the teams it's not like that, and it's a shame. A good medical team in the era we live in in world sports, with the large number of games, with the money paid to stars, is worth a lot of money to teams in all respects, because the envelope takes care of everything: from nutrition, through the meaning of flights and how they and what they do to the body, and of course rehabilitation. I very much hope that this will change in the coming years and all Israeli sports will rise a level in this matter."

The post From battlefield to basketball court: The dual life of Israeli sports doctors appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

In a groundbreaking move for Israeli soccer, Boaz Toshav has been appointed as the financial manager for the soccer division of the Marinakis Group, marking a significant milestone in Israeli sports management on the international stage.

Toshav, who previously served as the owners' representative at Hapoel Tel Aviv before the club's transfer to David Mintzberg and his investment group, took on this new role several months ago. His appointment places him at the helm of financial operations for a portfolio of prestigious European clubs.

The Marinakis Group, led by Greek shipping and media tycoon Evangelos Marinakis, owns an impressive array of soccer clubs. These include Olympiacos, the Greek powerhouse and recent UEFA Conference League champions; Nottingham Forest, competing in the English Premier League; and Rio Ave, a Portuguese club whose acquisition was finalized in May.

The Marinakis Group, led by Greek shipping and media tycoon Evangelos Marinakis, owns an impressive array of soccer clubs. These include Olympiacos, the Greek powerhouse and recent UEFA Conference League champions; Nottingham Forest, competing in the English Premier League; and Rio Ave, a Portuguese club whose acquisition was finalized last month.

As part of the structural changes following the transition from a non-profit to a company, Toshav has also assumed the roles of president and chairman. This multifaceted position underscores the trust placed in Toshav's leadership and financial acumen.

Over the past few months, Toshav has been deeply involved with the Marinakis Group's operations. His work has spanned across significant events, including Olympiacos' matches against Maccabi Tel Aviv and their triumph in the Conference League. His responsibilities now require him to navigate between England, Greece, and Portugal, reflecting the global nature of modern management.

This appointment elevates Toshav to one of the highest-ranking Israelis in Premier League circles. At Rio Ave, where he serves as chairman of the board, the club has already made waves in the transfer market, signing Karem Zoabi from Hapoel Jerusalem for 900,000 euros.

Nottingham Forest, one of the clubs under the Marinakis Group umbrella, boasts a storied history, having won the European Cup twice (in 1979 and 1980). Despite recent challenges, it remains a prestigious club and one of only six English teams to have clinched Europe's most coveted title.

The significance of Toshav's appointment extends beyond the realm of sports. At a time when Israel faces challenges in European sports arenas, the elevation of an Israeli to such a pivotal position has the potential to reshape perceptions of Israel across Europe.

This development not only represents a personal achievement for Toshav but also stands as a testament to the growing influence of Israeli sports management expertise on the global stage. It opens new avenues for collaboration and understanding in the international soccer community.

The post Israeli executive ascends to key Premier League role appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

It has been difficult for the sports world in Israel to remain untouched by the tragedy of Oct. 7. Every game, stadium, and broadcast has inevitably served as a solemn memorial for those who, mere moments ago, were fans in the stands but are now gone forever. Celebrations are muted, as the realm of sports refuses to be contained, bleeding into the solemnity of remembrance.

Last week, as Hapoel Jerusalem celebrated winning the Israeli State Cup in basketball, the players invited 18-year-old Ofir Engel, released by Hamas in November after being taken hostage on Oct. 7, to join them in lifting the trophy. The entire match was dedicated to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who remains a hostage of Hamas, with thousands of Hapoel's red-clad fans donning shirts bearing his image.

"In the context of life itself since Oct. 7, sports is meaningless. But it's only when you encounter the fans, families, and people across the country that you suddenly understand sports' profound power and importance. And that is why it must continue," says Matan Adelson, at 25 the youngest owner of a professional sports team in Israel.

Adelson, speaking publicly for the first time since announcing his purchase of Hapoel Jerusalem a year ago, aspires to reshape both Israeli and European basketball through the club, which he aims to build into an empire.

The scion of the Adelson family has kept an extremely low profile over the past year, with little in the public record about the youngest son of Dr. Miriam Adelson and the late Sheldon Adelson (full disclose: Dr. Adelson is the publisher of Israel Hayom). Occasionally, he asserted his presence in the sports arena through displays of assertiveness, such as Twitter battles with sporting rivals.

Now, Adelson openly discusses the turbulent year since acquiring the team, candidly acknowledging missteps while sharing that he managed to shed 66 pounds over two years. A Stanford graduate, he expresses grave concerns over rising campus antisemitism. Above all, Adelson is driven to prove Hapoel Jerusalem is not a fleeting fancy but a profound investment by revealing his vision for the team's future.

Parental guidance

Adelson, born in 1999 in Los Angeles, spent the majority of his formative years in Las Vegas, two years younger than his brother Adam, a successful race car driver in the US, and two decades younger than his elder sisters, Sivan and Yasmin. From infancy, he was immersed in the family's business and philanthropic environment, describing the Jewish community of the West Coast as "a bubble: everyone around me was Jewish. We knew that there were others in the world, but our immediate surroundings were entirely Jewish, and it was paramount to my mom that we were raised with Israeli values. Consequently, I was in the Israeli Scouts, and she conversed with me in Hebrew –  and, of course, we visited Israel frequently."

At a young age, Adelson professes, he developed a profound affinity for basketball. "During my childhood, family friends kindled my love for the Los Angeles Lakers, and one day I approached my father, declaring my aspiration to become the owner of the Lakers when I grew up. He elucidated that the Lakers are already an established brand, and with or without me, they will consistently maintain their elite status. Therefore, it would be more prudent for me to acquire a less well-off brand and elevate it to the pinnacle – in that process, I would also gain invaluable knowledge."

Q: Now that you manage a substantial business yourself, what advice from your parents has aided you in leading the team?

"My late father consistently emphasized that a thriving business hinges on the individuals you assemble and surround yourself with. He underscored the importance of selecting individuals with superior intellect, thereby providing a valuable resource for consultation. However, after assembling a capable team, it is equally crucial to take the necessary measures to retain them. My father always maintained that if they demonstrate loyalty to you, you have an obligation to reciprocate that loyalty."

Adelson chose to illustrate his point with an anecdote from the coronavirus period.

VIP Passenger in the car today. Buckle Up! pic.twitter.com/ksk3elc98r

— Matan Adelson (@MatanAdelson) May 18, 2024

"The tourism industry worldwide experienced a catastrophic collapse, and numerous individuals in Las Vegas resorted to laying off their employees. However, my father did not terminate a single worker or reduce anyone's salary. This was one of the most significant lessons I learned from him. He said that our family possesses resources that others do not, and therefore, we are responsible for caring for them, particularly if they work so hard."

Adelson revealed that he first truly encountered antisemitism while studying Economics at Stanford. 

"It's not that I was unaware of the existence of antisemites in the world, as that was evident to me, but there I confronted it directly. It manifested in waves. During my first year, there was a significant presence of antisemitism, and one could discern the profound impact of BDS [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement] and their efforts on the younger generation, as well as the ignorance pervasive among young Americans."

In the second year, he recounted, the hostility subsided, "but I had a very close friend in college, one of whose friends was Palestinian. I witnessed how she inundated her with blatantly false information. So if you inquire about the current situation on campuses in the US – I'm truly not surprised, as we foresaw this development.

"The protesters on campuses, of course, attempt to justify their actions as anti-Zionist rather than antisemitic. However, anyone with a modicum of sense recognizes that there is no distinction; it's merely their ignorance that leads them to perceive it that way."

After completing his studies, Adelson joined investment firms, although, if he could "turn back time, I would have pursued computer science. Upon finishing my degree, I questioned what my profession was and what the university had equipped me with for the rest of my life. Truthfully, I cannot provide a satisfactory answer. I do not feel that Stanford gave me the necessary tools to embark on a professional career."

"The Euroleague? It's another milestone on the journey."

We convened in the offices of Hapoel Jerusalem in Givat Ram, Jerusalem. Adelson's ambitions soar high, and the team's trophy case is becoming increasingly crowded. Adelson was accompanied by a documentary film crew, which may potentially result in another sports documentary in the genre currently inundating streaming platforms.

As mentioned, this was his first major interview, and he appeared apprehensive yet understanding, as someone from a family for whom the spotlight is not unfamiliar, that this is part of the game.

Q: How would you summarize your first year at Hapoel Jerusalem?

"It has been a year of ups and downs, with both positive and challenging moments. I am still learning about the sport here and discovering many areas that need improvement. Next week, the final part of the season begins with the playoff games, and we are yet to know the exact day or time of our matches. This lack of organization perplexes me; it's difficult to foster a strong sports culture or a competitive basketball league without proper scheduling."

Q: This is a characteristic of Israeli sports and particularly Israeli basketball.

"This is an issue that needs addressing. There are basketball arenas in the Premier League that are not up to standard, and the league's marketing efforts are insufficient. There is also a lack of private team ownership, with too many teams being controlled by mayors. When a mayor changes, a team can suddenly be disbanded. This is not a sustainable way to achieve long-term success.

"I acknowledge that there is criticism of me as well, and I make mistakes. However, the key is to learn from them and implement changes that will benefit all of Israeli basketball."

Q: Some issues can't be fixed, such as Maccabi Tel Aviv's long-standing dominance in basketball.

"I am aware of the history and the fact that the [Recanati family,] owners of Maccabi Tel Aviv also own Israel's main sports channel, which I find peculiar. Ofer Yannay, [owner of the Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball team,] claims that Maccabi Tel Aviv's advantage was gained through unkosher means. While I do not know whether this is true, it is clear that Maccabi Tel Aviv resists competition." 

"There wasn't a specific moment; it was a process. We were approached by every major basketball league in the world with offers. We even received an offer from a prominent soccer club in the Premier League. But I asked myself – what connection do I have to London? What connection do I have to football? What bond do I have with that country?

Q: Maccabi's management has also prevented Hapoel Jerusalem from entering the Euroleague, the premier basketball league in Europe, for years.

"I have met with the Federman and Recanati families, [who co-own Maccabi Tel Aviv,] but not with Shimon Mizrahi, [their chairman.] I explained the significance of having two Israeli teams in the Euroleague, not only for the sport but also for Israel. It would even benefit Maccabi's interests. They disagreed and opposed our position. However, I'm not looking for Maccabi's permission. Ultimately, I will do what is right for Hapoel Jerusalem. Their opposition only strengthens my resolve."

"For me, the Euroleague represents another significant milestone in our journey. If this league does not want us, they will miss out on the potential and power of Hapoel Jerusalem, and another league will benefit from our participation. Professionally, we made a strategic error last year by staying in FIBA's basketball league, [the Euroleague's competitor,] but financially, it was beneficial. We saved a substantial amount by not hosting games in Israel and having fewer matches. As I said, I have made mistakes and will continue to do so as we progress."

Q: One of Maccabi Tel Aviv's long-standing strategies in basketball has been their ability to acquire the best players from rival teams. There are rumors that you are considering their coach, Oded Kattash, for next year.

"Oded Kattash is just one of our options. I have not yet had a meeting with him. We have many prominent names on our list, both for the coaching position and for players. Acquiring Maccabi Tel Aviv's players or coaches would not only strengthen us but also weaken our rivals, offering a dual advantage.

"Maccabi is unaccustomed to competition for players and coaches, but the landscape of Israeli basketball is evolving. Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv are making significant investments, and we will continue to do so in the coming summer. From what I understand, Maccabi's owners have not invested heavily in the club for quite some time. I can assure them that they face challenges ahead of the next season."

"We'll impact European basketball as well"

Many were surprised when Adelson decided to purchase an Israeli basketball team, considering the relatively small market it operates in. Another branch of the family chose to acquire the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, a team currently competing in the Western Conference Finals and harboring championship aspirations under its new ownership.

Q: With all the options available to you, why choose an Israeli basketball team? Do you recall the moment you decided on this?

"There wasn't a specific moment; it was a process. We were approached by every major basketball league in the world with offers. We even received an offer from a prominent soccer club in the Premier League. But I asked myself – what connection do I have to London? What connection do I have to football? What bond do I have with that country?

"I wouldn't have bought an NBA team; I have no national sentiment for that. As an Israeli and a Jew, I'm pleased that my family [sister Sivan and brother-in-law Patrick Dumont] bought a team in the NBA, but for me, buying a sports team was a Zionist act."

"I wouldn't have bought an NBA team; I have no national sentiment for that. As an Israeli and a Jew, I'm pleased that my family [sister Sivan and brother-in-law Patrick Dumont] bought a team in the NBA, but for me, buying a sports team was a Zionist act."

Q: Do you consult with the family in Dallas? After all, there is a significant difference between the Pais Arena (where Hapoel Jerusalem plays) in Jerusalem and the standards of the NBA.

"There is no cooperation between us, and there won't be. Perhaps in the future, we can organize an exhibition game between Hapoel Jerusalem and Dallas, but for now, our connection is limited to attending some of their games. Of course, if we have questions or need ideas, it's reassuring to know we have someone in the family to consult with, as they are part of one of the best, most experienced, and largest clubs in the world.

"But I don't want Hapoel Jerusalem fans to have unrealistic expectations: our focus is on becoming the best team in Israel and then making an impact in European basketball. If we can occasionally play against American teams, why not?"

Q: Since you took the position, the imagination of every basketball fan in Israel has been thrilled, and everyone is eager to see which superstars will join Hapoel Jerusalem.

"When we arrived, the previous owner, Eyal Chomsky, said we had a great coach [Aleksandar Džikić, who left Israel due to the war] and ensuring that everything fits his system. Even if I had brought Steph Curry here, he wouldn't have played if he didn't fit into the coach's system. I agree that not every player is suitable for Hapoel Jerusalem, and even if LeBron James played for us, it might not work.

"But our intention for next year, and in general, is to bring in big names. We understand this will require a significant financial investment. However, it will ensure that our arena is filled with enthusiastic fans."

Adelson expressed a deep connection to the passion and energy of European basketball fans compared to the more subdued and politically correct atmosphere of American fans.

"My girlfriend and I sometimes attend NBA games, and she finds them boring. You can't compare the Hapoel Jerusalem crowd and European fans in general to those in the US. Imagine an arena in Jerusalem full of fans who never stop singing and cheering. It's the fans who make you want to stay, and you don't find fans like that in the US."

Q: What do the players think of Jerusalem?

"Every player who comes here needs to understand that they are going to live in Jerusalem and grasp the significance of representing a team that plays in this city, with all that it entails."

When Adelson walked around the Mahane Yehuda market, where he also posed for photographs for this article, it was clear that he was already well-known. Moshe Lion, the mayor, also took the time to meet with the owner after the victory. Adelson admitted that one of his biggest challenges is related to the broader challenges facing Jerusalem.

"It's no secret that many young Jerusalemites who support the team eventually leave the city, and their connection to the team changes. They don't attend all our home games, and we are constantly brainstorming how to keep them engaged, buying season tickets, and supporting us even when they no longer live in the city. From a marketing perspective, this is an issue that hasn't been addressed in the past.

"And I'll tell you something else – we currently have die-hard fans who never stop cheering, even when we're losing. I know that when we win, more people come, but I want to avoid having a 'concert crowd' that only shows up for the victories. Instead, I want a crowd that won't stop cheering, like our dedicated core of fans who jump and cheer behind the basket every game."

"And I'll tell you something else – today we have diehard fans who don't stop cheering even when we're losing. I know that more fans show up when there are wins, but I want it to not be a concert crowd like some of the teams have, who only join for the wins, but rather a crowd that won't stop cheering – like that large core that jumps regularly behind the basket."

You're certainly familiar with the ownership history of Hapoel Jerusalem. Arcadi Gaydamak, Guma Aguiar, Uri Alon. They all tried and eventually left. "I can't say how many years I'll stay in Jerusalem – because it's not interesting. My goals right now are that I won't need to work 25 hours a day around the team. I have no time to do anything else, and I already want to know that even if I'm in the US, things here are running as they should. We're not there yet. If someone thinks the question of whether Jerusalem will make the Euroleague or not will affect my decision to stay here – they are very mistaken.

"I have many goals for Hapoel Jerusalem, especially regarding the club's social impact. The Euroleague is just one of those goals. I'm calm because it's clear to me that if the Euroleague is built on the money of Dubai and the Gulf states, the league won't last long."

Q; Do you hope for Maccabi Tel Aviv's success in the Euroleague?

"After the tough past year, when all the Israeli teams played outside of Israel and we suffered such hatred, the success of the Israeli teams abroad is important. When Maccabi Tel Aviv plays in Europe I'm for them, when Hapoel Tel Aviv plays in Europe I'm for them. They represent Israel, and in the situation we live in today, that's very important. First and foremost we are Jews and Zionists.

"They receive important values"

To be an owner of a sports team in Israel in such a difficult year of war is no easy task. Adelson may not be publicly politically active, and you won't see him in that arena, but he clarifies that the war has sharpened many insights for him. "Many know my parents' political views," he says. "I don't want to turn this into a political interview, but my views are certainly similar to my parents'. If there's one thing that has become clearer to me this past year, it's the understanding of how important military service is.

To be an owner of a sports team in Israel in such a difficult year of war is no easy task. Adelson may not be publicly politically active, and you won't see him in that arena, but he clarifies that the war has sharpened many insights for him. "Many know my parents' political views," he says. "I don't want to turn this into a political interview, but my views are certainly similar to my parents'. If there's one thing that has become clearer to me this past year, it's the understanding of how important military service is.

"Let me tell you a story: When my sister's son (the sister is Yasmin Lukatz, the CEO and founder of ICON and the founder and president of Code for Israel) was about to enlist in the army, it took me some time to understand how right that choice was for him. Because the IDF not only defends the country or provides future skills if you're in a certain field, like Unit 8200 – the army gives young Israelis something that exists nowhere else in the world: It instills values, it makes young people more mature. If the US had mandatory military service, even for a year, we would see a dramatic change in the character of American youth. They would receive important values and become different people from what we see today on American university campuses.

"In that sense, the year that I've lived in Israel has completely changed my perspective. The way I look at the military and the meaning of military service is not the way I looked at it when I was just an American Jewish boy."

Q: Since you brought it up, do you feel more Israeli or American?

"I'll tell the truth: I understand Hebrew very well, but I prefer to speak English. Let them think I don't understand a word of Hebrew, it's good for business," he laughs. "I live on Rothschild in Tel Aviv, I have a team in Jerusalem, and of course – I have an Israeli girlfriend. But when I look at my future I know that at some point I'll live in the US. That's where I was born, where I grew up, and that's my background. It's clear to me that Israel will be a very significant part of my life, and it's not like I'll be able to spend a whole year of my life without being in Israel.

"You see how the entire country rallies for the captives and pitches in for one another; these are things that don't exist elsewhere in the world. I contributed my small part this year and hoped to make an impact, but many people around me did amazing things that anyone looking from the outside stood in awe of."

Q; So what did Israel actually do for you personally?

"If there's one thing I've improved at since being here – I definitely feel more brazen than I was when I arrived in Israel. It's something I've learned from Israelis, and it's actually nice, although I still have room for improvement in that too."

The post Hapoel Jerusalem owner Matan Adelson speaks about Zionism – and much more appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The war in Gaza brought with it countless stories of heroism. Split-second decisions altered entire lives, demarcating a clear divide between before and after. However, some decisions evaded the spotlight. While they will not be enshrined in battle narratives, they bear witness to our existence here, the conflicts we wage, and the character of our military and people, particularly the younger generation.  

In recent months, Israel Hayom has chronicled the experiences of lone soldiers associated with The Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael Levin. Our objective was to tell the stories of young individuals who chose to enlist in the army, sometimes against all odds. This final article in the series serves to encapsulate the resilience, camaraderie, and profound sense of purpose that defines the lone soldier experience.

At the foundation's welcoming Tel Aviv headquarters, we convened with five soldiers who perhaps best epitomize this group. Approximately half of all lone soldiers were born in Israel and must grapple with financial hardships. Others face linguistic barriers, coming from Yiddish-speaking ultra-Orthodox communities or having not completed 12 years of schooling.

Among those present was a former lone soldier lacking familial support. J. joined the foundation during his military service. Today, at age 23, he is a reserve soldier who was drafted for the Iron Swords War while residing in Jerusalem, with the foundation continuing to assist him.  

Another soldier, R., (female) 22, immigrated from the United States three years ago to serve in the army through the Mahal program, intended for Jewish youth from abroad who wish to volunteer for a short military service. 

Similarly, D., another soldier also relocated to Israel from New York seven years ago, prior to turning 18, with the intent of enlisting in the IDF. An emergency call-up summoned him from upstate New York – yet he did not hesitate to promptly return to the fighting.  

Another participant, H. 24, also lacks familial support. The foundation has been accompanying her for approximately two months since she was called up for reserve duty.

The youngest in the group, R. (male), moved to Israel alone from Siberia five years ago at merely 17 years old. He is expected to enlist soon.

Q: Describe the moment you decided that becoming a lone soldier was the right choice for you.

J. : "I stopped being religious 13. I resided with my family then. When I completed my studies, I enlisted. There were issues with my parents and family, but I continued living with them after enlistment. Later, during my service, when appointed a commander in combat engineering, I realized I needed to leave home. Initially, the army did not recognize me as a lone soldier, as the circumstances differ for Israelis. However, the foundation assisted me, enabling me to commence my new life. It was a natural decision for me, despite all the difficulties."

R (Male): "My brother came to Israel before me. I always aspired to immigrate and serve in the army, and my family anticipated this. Although Siberia is distant, I felt this was the army I wished to serve in. I attended a boarding school in the Jezreel Valley and subsequently joined a lone soldiers' apartment in preparation for the commencement of my service."

R (Female): "When I arrived alone from New York to serve in the army, people looked at me strangely. Precisely the same look they gave me upon realizing I was serving during wartime. However, I don't recall ever contemplating not serving in the Israeli army as an option, despite all the inherent challenges – especially now, when I return home for visits and observe how people perceive me."

D. : "From the moment I came to enlist, eight years ago, I disliked the term 'lone soldier.' It implies I am alone with no one to help me. So I told everyone that I'm an 'independent soldier.' Meaning – yes, by definition, I'm effectively alone all day, but not really. I'm quite self-reliant. I never felt truly alone."

H.: "I grew up in a moshav until age 12. I left with my father when my parents divorced, and I resided with him until 17. At that age, I also departed from my father's home, and then I was alone. I wandered briefly, and at 18, when I enlisted and was permitted to sleep at the soldiers' home, it saved my life. Upon joining the foundation, I understood I had a family who could comprehend my experiences."

Q: Describe what it's like being a lone soldier in two words. 

Shabbat meal, everyone answers. 

H.: "We're all defined as 'lone' soldiers' – but on Shabbat, we're never alone."  

D.: "When I say I'm a lone soldier, especially with an American accent, people immediately invite me to a Shabbat meal."

R.: "I haven't yet experienced it as a soldier, but at the pre-army program, for instance, there were 40 of us, and each week, someone else would insist I join them for a Shabbat meal."

Q: Let's talk about Oct. 7. Where were you that dark morning when the onslaught began? 

J.: "I was already called up for reserve duty on Oct. 7. There's considerable discussion about lone soldiers, but lone reservists exist as well. Even during my regular service, I understood the challenges within the army, but also vis-à-vis family, and since the war, I've been grappling alone with the Israeli bureaucracy, which truly did not anticipate having to contend with so many lone reservists."  

D.: "Yes, we genuinely lack official status. They called me up on emergency orders, I flew in from New York, arrived here, and was immediately thrust into combat. However, when on home leave – where is our actual home? It's not as though we have families here."

R.(Female): "I was supposed to be discharged midway through the war in January, but I signed on as a career soldier and am now scheduled for discharge in May. I recently returned from a special vacation, and people in the US inquired whether the situation is truly as depicted on social media, asking if our actions toward the Palestinians are accurate. Suddenly witnessing my life juxtaposed with theirs was quite strange. They cannot even fathom the experience of being inside Gaza and then leaving Gaza, not even the people closest to me."  

Q: On the battlefield, there is no difference, but when you leave Gaza or come back home you really feel it.

R (Male): "I haven't yet experienced the army, but for me, this war crystallized my sense of purpose. When I encounter friends who were with me at the pre-army program or in Gaza and returned, I converse with them and realize that I made the right decision to come here, and certainly to enlist in the army. Do you think I would have felt the same had I enlisted in the Russian army? Absolutely not."

D.: "We're deeply connected to what we're doing on a mental level, but our struggle is distinct, and the difficulties are different. When you leave Gaza, you're confronted with the challenges of the Israeli bureaucracy."  

H.: "Any difficulty I encounter – I accept it with love, whether in my personal life or the army. However, understandably, when I was at the base itself, it was far harder, as that also entailed being in one place for an extended period. Moreover, I was on a closed base. As a lone soldier, you understand that every difficulty inevitably precipitates another."

J.: "People who met me as a regular soldier, or who meet me now in the reserves, still do not comprehend what it means to be a lone soldier. They fail to understand why I'm not with my family. This is a predicament for all lone soldiers originating from Haredi families. Our struggle is solitary across all facets of life in the country, not just in the army but financially as well. Ultimately, like any lone soldier returning from Gaza, we lack a family to return to, merely individuals akin to us who constitute our family, or the lone soldier foundation that caters to our needs."

"Life here has meaning"

The youngsters did not seek to complain, not even momentarily. Their tone was not plaintive but brimming with pride – a pride that reminds one yet again how mistaken we were about this generation, whom we hastily labeled "TikTok kids" who are indifferent to everything.

There is no individualism here – but primarily a desire for shared destiny and the meaning that accompanies the choice to serve as lone soldiers. Meanwhile, perhaps despite their youth, the Israeli bureaucracy has yet to break them.

Q: I sense that even though the state authorities, as usual, do not quite appreciate the contribution of their people – you do not regret it for a moment.

D.: "It's a challenging and tiring experience. When we completed our service, all my friends took the first flight out of here because they said, 'Who will care for us now, how will we manage?' I chose to stay and fight, and I believe overall they regret that decision. Life here has meaning, and when you cope with the difficulties that exist here, you suddenly understand that you can handle all the other challenges in life. It's an experience that matures you and prepares you for life."

H.: "As a lone soldier, you have nothing to lose. I felt that way even during the COVID-19 pandemic – which in my view was akin to a war, as I was confined for many hours alone on base with nowhere to go – and now even more acutely. Ultimately, military service only advanced me in life."

J.: "In many respects, lone soldiers pay the price of the society they live in, even before they become soldiers at all. And if you're an Israeli lone soldier, it usually signifies that you come from some form of hardship or difficulty, even prior to the army. Especially if you come from a Haredi family or an economically disadvantaged background. And then there are the difficulties in the army and the reality there, and after the army, you return to your challenging reality a transformed individual and essentially commence a new life in the Israeli context."

Q: In conclusion, what is one tip you would give future lone soldiers, male and female, who will read this article? 

R. (Male): "Be courageous and ask for help. There are many individuals who wish to assist. People will truly meet you halfway and be there for you. Even if it seems like you're alone – it's never truly like that."

D.: "Don't be shy for a moment. You tell yourself, 'I won't ask for help' because it's a minor issue, but in the end, that small thing can change your life."

J.: "The foundation we're part of is a tremendous aid. Don't be shy to come and seek assistance from these organizations. The ultimate goal is, of course, to learn how to stand on your own two feet and cope with difficulties independently – but also to know that you have a resource here, for example, regarding rights you're not even aware of."

R.(Female): "When I arrive at the foundation's apartment in Jerusalem, for example, and we're all lone soldiers – then I'm reminded that there are people who understand me and speak my language because they've experienced things I've experienced too."

Leaving a mark

H.: "We must always recognize the positive aspects that come with enlisting in the IDF and the associated organizations and foundations. The lives of lone soldiers are inherently difficult, and the challenges will arise regardless. However, when we seek help from the army, the foundation, or friends – we not only feel that we received assistance but also that we have a family that will accompany us throughout our lives.

"And we must always remember this as well, for it is very important – that friends who are lone soldiers are friends for life and the entire journey. It's unsurprising to hear that lone soldiers, male and female, go on to marry and establish families together. At the end of the day, that's our community."

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