Fighting on the Front Lines of Freedom

January 15, 2025

by: Zoë McHenry, BFP Writer

Everyone seems to have an opinion on why the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wages war. In the midst of International Criminal Court arrest warrants, ceasefires and UN resolutions, it’s easy to forget that at the heart of this complex conflict are the Israelis who serve as soldiers. These men and women, often depicted in the media through the lens of politics and military strategy, have their own personal stories, lives they’ve left behind, struggles and dreams. To truly understand what the IDF fights for, we must listen to their voices, the voices of those who fight not for power or dominance, but for survival, security and the hope for peace.

Below are the words of IDF soldiers, each reminding us of the true motivations of those who don the uniform. Hear the voice of the soldiers of Israel. Hear what they fight for.

“We believe that courage, loyalty and diversity, unified by the common goal of defense are essential to our mission…Our soldiers invest their time, withstand challenges, and often risk their lives to protect the State of Israel from its enemies and ensure the safety of the people they love. We are the Israel Defense Forces. Defense is our mission—security is our goal.”

—IDF mission statement

“Israel is fighting on the front lines on behalf of the free world. If Israel is not allowed to win this war, Europe will be facing the same atrocities as we did on October 7.”

—Col. (ret.) Grisha Yakubovich, former head of the Civilian Department of COGAT, the unit responsible for implementing Israel’s civilian policy and security coordination in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria.

“We are fighting for our families and homeland, knowing that no one else is coming to defend us. After the Holocaust we swore never again will we become victims as sheep to the slaughter by our enemies. We are the defenders that stand guard of our people and God’s land.”

—Sgt. Maj. (res.) Doron Keidar

“I never imagined I would have to write something like this in my life…I was told we’ll be entering Gaza tomorrow, and there’s a chance we won’t be back…We have no other country, and now it is my turn to defend it and fight the battle of all the civilians, soldiers, babies, elderly and women who were helpless in the face of Hamas’s brutality.”

—Staff Sgt. A., 20, who fell in Gaza, wrote this letter before going into battle

“I believe Israel fights for many reasons. First and foremost, it fights to protect every person living in it, citizen or not, as well as ensure the protection of the Jewish homeland as a safe haven for all Jews around the world. Israel also fights to protect and keep alive the only democracy in the Middle East. Inadvertently, Israel is also fighting a greater battle: a war on global terror against the Iranian regime and the threats it brings to Israel, to the Middle East and to the world as a whole.”

—Pvt. Shlomo Jaffe, 21, IDF soldier in the Psagot program, an elite IDF academic reserve program

“We enter Gaza with the mission to destroy the terrorist centers, disable their network, stop their infiltrations, take out their elaborate tunnel infrastructure and stop their ability to continue carrying out attacks on settlements in southern Israel…None of us wanted war, but when Israel was under attack, we were proud to be able to defend the country we love.”

—Sgt. Jonathan, 24, in a letter written to his family in the US before he fell in battle. He is one of hundreds of Jewish young men and women from around the world who volunteer to serve in the IDF. They are known as lone soldiers.

“I feel the burden to fight for Israel’s future and protect it from what I perceive is the greatest threat to the future of Zionism and to the right of a Jewish and democratic state to exist in the land—this conflict and the negative effects that it creates for Israel (deligitimization, lack of security, internal division and more). Fighting for the country includes fighting its enemies and protecting its security, but no less important is the battle for a peaceful future that will bring real security to future generations.”

—Jason Silverman, 33, IDF combat reservist and director of Research and Policy at an Israeli peace organization called Economic Cooperation Foundation

“If you are reading this, the worst has probably happened…I consider it a great privilege to continue our ancestors’ path in the Land of Israel: to fight for this land. It’s said, ‘Whoever saves a single life in Israel, it is as if he saved an entire world.’ So I went to save and protect all the people of Israel and this land, which I love so much.”

—Sgt. Nava Yair Assulin, 21, in a letter entitled ‘The Day After Me,’ written before he fell in battle

“We just want to live in our tiny speck of a country with the confidence that our families can grow up without the immediate threat of a terrorist stabbing us on the bus, rockets falling on our kids’ schools or our loved ones getting kidnapped, murdered or raped. We didn’t start this war, but we’ve been forced to fight until those who have killed us or who have publicly called for our nation’s utter destruction are put at bay. We just want to live.”

—  Capt. Leah, 33

“We are writing the most significant moments in the history of our nation and the entire world...Look at your loved ones in their eyes and remind them that everything we go through in this life is worth it and we have something to live for.”

—Rabbi Elkana Vizel, who fell in battle, in a letter to his wife and four children

“We will not stop fighting until the moment our mission is completed. We have suffered heavy losses, but the spirit of the commanders and fighters is high, with the understanding that on our shoulders lies the task of ensuring our children a safe and peaceful country to grow up in.”

—Col. Elad Tzuri, 43

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