Schwartz: All my friends are at war

Letter to the editor
It was the summer of 2018 and another freezing night on the Egyptian border. As the operational unit representing the sector, part of the 7th Armored Brigade, we were tasked with executing a nighttime patrol along the border. Our mission was to “deter and disrupt” Bedouin drug smugglers attempting to traffic their illegal goods over the border. A deadly game of cat and mouse.
Salman Habkeh, an Arab Israeli and Platoon Commander of our battalion, took his patrol down to the border fence. They were searching for signs of Bedouin activity. Suddenly, from about 500 meters away, on the Egyptian side of the fence, an Egyptian military outpost spotted Salman and his patrol down on the border and opened fire. Through the heavy darkness, the Egyptians thought that they were shooting at what looked like a small group of Bedouins nearing the border fence on foot. Stunned and confused, Salman’s patrol dove for cover into a sand dune nearby. AK-47 rifle rounds snapped over their heads and kicked dirt up around them. Without hesitating, Salman climbed the dune with his chest raised, rifle in the air, and shouted at the Egyptians in Arabic, “We’re IDF, not Bedouins, you idiots!” The shooting stopped. Salman and the Egyptian soldiers met at the fence and laughed about it after.
In the early morning of November 2, 2023, Salman fell in battle in the northern Gaza strip. As news of his death spread, we couldn’t believe the reports. On October 7, our battalion lost over 30 brothers, murdered and abducted. Now, with Salman’s death, we’ve been hurt again. Salman was a true Israeli hero and a special part of Am Yisrael. He was adored by everyone in our battalion and put his heart and soul into everything he did. He laughed with us, fought with us, and, when we lost a brother from the battalion on the Gaza border, hugged us at the funeral. And now, with his death, and half of my friends currently inside Gaza, the war has unfortunately become very personal.
Finding myself here in Florida, 6,500 miles away from the conflict, I looked in the mirror. What should I do? I decided to pack my bags for Israel and told my commanders I was flying over. At the same time, I began organizing donations from my local community to bring equipment for friends in Israel. But as interest in what I was doing quickly spread throughout Parkland, I realized I needed to think bigger. With my established network of IDF officers, commanders, and units on the ground, I knew what supplies were needed the most and how to get them directly to units on the ground. Thus, when the IDF launched Operation Iron Sword, I launched Iron Support.
I launched Iron Support in partnership with Chabad of Parkland’s 501c3 Non-Profit and The Chesed Fund. After personally seeing many fundraising campaigns that have tried to send equipment to Israel, only for their equipment to be rejected at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, I make sure that anything we send is already pre-approved by the IDF. Of course, donations to Iron Support are tax-deductible and directly help frontline units on the ground. As this project is not my “business,” there are no administrative fees. Every dollar goes to Israel.
In the month that has followed October 7th, Iron Support has touched many soldiers on the ground. From Butterfly iQ+ Handheld Ultrasound devices that help combat medics conduct rapid triage on the field of battle to Garmin Alpha 200 GPS devices and DJI Cameras that are, right now, being used by IDF special forces to search for the hostages underneath the Gaza Strip, Iron Support is providing critical medical and material aid to frontline units on the ground.
As I get the message out to more and more people, still, many more tell me they’re interested. On November 3, I spoke with Republican leaders at the Florida Freedom Summit in Orlando and briefed them on details of the October 7th Hamas terror attacks. We spoke at length about what is happening right now and how donating to Iron Support is directly helping the IDF find the kidnapped hostages and save lives.
As Iron Support continues to create awareness on public radio, at private fundraisers, and at events around the state, the resounding support from communities both Jewish and Christian, near and far, has been truly remarkable.
I could greatly use your support to share this mission with your friends and family and donate to the campaign! Every amount seriously helps my friends in the IDF. And when you donate, make sure to tick the box to receive emails. I send out a newsletter sharing what we accomplish each month. I want you to see how your donation makes a real difference in the lives of these soldiers.
With my bags still packed and resting neatly by my front door, I may still go back to Israel soon enough. But the unique mission of Iron Support is touching our IDF soldiers much more than I would ever be able to on the ground in Israel. To echo the words of IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, “The first page of this chapter was tragic, but the rest of this chapter will be written by us.” Am Yisrael Chai!
Alexander Schwartz
Alexander Schwartz is a former Sergeant in the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade and MBA Candidate at the University of Florida. He can be contacted at alexander@iron.support.
The opinions expressed by letter or opinion writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AlachuaChronicle.com. Letters may be submitted to info@alachuachronicle.com and are published at the discretion of the editor.
Fund Israel while America burns is a tone-deaf message. How about a foreign nation toss us some support for once!
America burns because of current policies, not because of funds. Supporting Israel is supporting the US but you’re too ignorant to see that. Go back and learn something.
If you are looking to donate money, perhaps look at keeping it here in Gainesville. There are plenty of youth programs to support, art initiatives to fund and neighbors in need. Or just give it to your kids to go on an adventure. Let the desert tribes fight each other over their dirt and quit asking Americas for support most can’t afford.
It’s sad how the U.N. betrayed Israel after they created it, as a reparation for the persecution of Jews before and after WW I. The pogroms and Holocaust, but also the fact Ottoman Turks and Arabs sided with Germany — and lost— in both WW I and WW II.
It’s simply because global politics chooses to side with Palestinians backed by powerful Muslim neighbors, who make up much of the global trade relations today, that we still see credence given to a two-time losing people. Israel has no oil and gas to offer, just a lesson and reminder of past losers. That’s why they’re hated, they remind others they’re descended from losers.
Believe in Jesus.
That’s the problem over there…anyone know the passage when all in Israel believes in Jesus? Whats supposed to happen??
4 more years of Biden?
This is odd.
Forming a ‘partnership’ with a 501c3 to aid Israel in addition to the $3.3-billion (2022) plus what Congress will allocate soon does sound oddly redundant and suspicious.
Israel and the IDF seem to be handling their responses to October 7 with tactical and material efficiency. The IDF doesn’t appear to be as in need than the Palestinian civilians.
Support for Israel and compassion for the displaced Palestinians is best done by governments and their officially designated private sector groups in times of war.
During a holiday season when every ‘charity’ runs its $19.99 a month scam to ‘make the world a better place,’ appeals to supporting IDF soldiers with ‘tax deductible’ donations just adds foul air to an already contentious perception of the IDF’s scaled responses to Hamas’ horrendous actions.
Marketing is as much about timing as it is about demographics and the letter’s appeal misses both.