An IDF veteran and father of four living in the United States has re-enlisted and returned to Israel to join his daughters in the fight against Hamas.
Boaz Arbel, who served in the Israeli Air Force for 22 years, joined “FOX & Friends” on Friday from Tel Aviv after leaving his home in Massachusetts to serve alongside his children.
“It’s not an easy time for anyone, and I decided that I can’t just stay in the comfort of my home in the Boston area, but I have to do something to protect my family, to protect my nation, and specifically my four daughters who grew up in the Boston area and I volunteered to go and be a part of the IDF. So I’m here to do the right thing,” Arbel said.
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The veteran acknowledged it won’t be an “easy landing” into the service, but said he has an important role to play in the war effort.
“I was assigned to the Israeli Air Force headquarters in Tel Aviv to be a coordinator between the Air Force and the ground forces on the front lines to ensure, among other things, that no innocent person… is harmed, and that we simply give targets, they only attack the terrorists and their bases. So that’s something even an old guy like me could do. So I’m doing everything I can to help.”
The father exuded pride in his daughters’ service and commitment to their homeland.
“My wife and I, who worked for Friends of the IDF, grew up as very strong people, very strong young women who do what they believe in, do what is right…volunteering to give their fair share to the Jewish nation and the “Israeli nation. state and become part of something that is bigger than themselves. They always have time to go back to university and continue into adult life when the time is right and when peace is here.”
Smoke rises after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a house in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Saturday, October 7, 2023. The rockets were fired as Hamas announced a new operation against Israel. (AP)
Ilan Kedar, a Chicago resident and IDF reserve soldier, also returns to Israel to help in the fight.
“There’s nowhere else in the world I should be right now,” Kedar told “FOX & Friends First” on Friday.
“The will of the Jewish people cannot be denied… There are hundreds of people like me waiting to get on a plane to get to Israel, from all over the world.”
More than 1,300 Israelis were killed and thousands more injured when Hamas launched a surprise terrorist attack against the Jewish state on Saturday. According to Israeli authorities, up to 150 people are believed to have been taken captive by terrorists and held in Gaza.
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Israel has called up some 360,000 military reservists to respond to the terrorist campaign led by Hamas. Those forces have gathered on Israel’s border with Gaza ahead of a possible full-scale invasion to recover hostages and eliminate Hamas terrorists.
Fox News’ Greg Norman and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
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