WATCH: Combat boots arrived! But they need so much more!
As I look at the beautiful, rolling hills of Scotland, filled with sheep and cattle, it’s hard to believe that I was in the desert a few days ago at an Israeli army base. We went there to deliver 30 pairs of shoes, but I had no idea that they were going to roll out the red carpet for us and show us their operation.
Because of your generosity, many doors have opened in Israel to help soldiers and survivors. This was not merely their way of saying thank you but saying, we still need help! It is on this base that they practice Close-Quarters Combat (CQC), hostage rescue missions, and so much more. They have a fake helicopter in the sky from which they can simulate missions. One of the highlights was a new drone course that they created so they can be the eyes of the IDF before they actually get to where they’re going.
Drones Save Lives
I’ll give you an example. On October 7, an army base was taken over by Hamas. Several soldiers were killed, and others were holding out. The unit from this base showed up in the late morning. They had to be extremely careful not to shoot their own soldiers inside while finding the terrorists.
There’s an incredible picture that I can’t show you of an IDF soldier on one side of the wall, and on the other side of the wall is a terrorist coming out of a bomb shelter. He's waiting there just to kill the soldier. Fortunately, the drone saw him first, and the drone operator was able to warn the soldier. The terrorist was neutralized.
What is amazing about this is that there was no drone unit before. A couple of geeks on this army base just started experimenting with drones. As they saw the potential, the army had no budget in the midst of the post-October 7 war, so through outside donations, they have built a drone unit that is now saving lives both in Gaza and on the northern border with Lebanon, where we are fighting terrorists from Hezbollah.
He Showed Me His Bullet Wound
Our host was a young, handsome IDF soldier named Yoni. On October 7, he was called to Kibbutz Beri to evacuate the survivors. Some of them were in burning houses; others were simply in shock. They were told that there were no terrorists left in the kibbutz. With his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Eli Ginsburg, in front of him, they went to rescue survivors. Suddenly, terrorists jumped out from their hiding place and opened fire. Lieutenant Colonel Ginsburg was killed, and Yoni was shot in the leg.
Other IDF soldiers neutralized the remaining terrorists. They lost five soldiers that day in both the aforementioned army base where they use the drone and at Kibbutz Beri. One of those who was killed was my neighbor from when I first moved to Israel 21 years ago. At the time, he was just a little goofy kid. But he grew up to be a mighty soldier serving in the elite forces. My daughter was very close friends with his sister. Roi Negri, of blessed memory, was killed that day—a young man just starting his life.
When I get back from Scotland in July, I’m going to sit down with Yoni, and we’re going to do an interview. You will be impacted by his story. In the meantime, I want to share with you some of the things that they are doing. In the reserves, he is the COO of the Lotar Organization, made up of veterans from Israel’s counterterrorism units. They exist to support special forces and veterans of these elite units. They provide for:
Bereaved Families: We provide support by accompanying the families of the fallen.
Wounded Soldiers: Our programs include treatment and ongoing support for wounded soldiers.
Post-Trauma Support: Professional support for post-trauma recovery.
Combat Equipment: Collecting and purchasing necessary combat equipment to ensure safety and efficiency.
Messiah’s Mandate is going to donate at least 100,000 shekels—probably more. These young men and women have given everything to the nation of Israel, and some of them have given everything to their families. We want to stand with them and their families.
Please consider making a special gift today so we can bless IDF veterans and their families and continue to help in so many other ways—like providing the 30 pairs of combat boots that I mentioned at the beginning of this letter. We’re getting ready to order a bunch more for another unit. Thank you for standing with Israel in her most difficult hour.
