Israeli soldiers who volunteered for the war against Hamas condemned the prime minister’s son for staying in the United States and “abandoning” his country.
Hundreds of Israelis have returned home after the army mobilized more than 300,000 reservists to fight in the largest mobilization in the country’s history.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair, moved to Florida earlier this year and remains there. At age 32, he is eligible for reserve service, which ends at age 40.
“Yair is enjoying his life in Miami Beach while I’m on the front line,” one soldier, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told The Times.
A volunteer on Israel’s northern front, which has come under increasing daily shelling from Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, believes the family’s absence is fueling mistrust and anger in the ranks.
He said: “We leave our jobs, our families, our children to protect our families at home and the country, not the people who are responsible for this situation. Our brothers, our fathers, our sons, all go to the front line, but Yair is not here yet. This does not help build confidence in the country’s leadership.”
Although never a combat soldier, Yair avoided conscription and worked in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman unit.
Yair moved to the United States following controversy surrounding his social media activities. He sparked a public outcry after he called the hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrating against the government’s judicial reforms “terrorists” and accused the United States of funding the unrest.
Not all Israelis who return home to serve head to the front lines. Along with the approximately 360,000 reservists who are conscripts, many are volunteers with the IDF or non-governmental organizations in the country.
Yair has now dedicated his Instagram page to raising awareness for NGOs working to support the victims of the war and the 120,000 or more displaced Israelis who had to move from the north and south after the war broke out.
“I came back from the States, where I have a job, a life, a family,” said another volunteer, who also wished to remain anonymous and is preparing to be sent to Israel’s southern front against Hamas. “There is no way I can stay there and abandon my country, my people at this critical moment. Where is the prime minister’s son? Why is he not in Israel?”
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2023-10-24 04:13:00
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