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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMajor General Yair Golan:
Link to tweet
If you don't live in Israel or consume Israeli media, you don't know who Yair Golan is. He is a 61-year-old retired Major General in the Israel army and a former parliament MP. Spend a minute to read this story.
Yesterday, when IDF and the police were in complete chaos, Golan put on his old uniform, took his weapon, and drove into the war zone multiple times to rescue civilians under fire. He rescued two young adults hiding under a bush after 260 of their friends were murdered at an outdoor party. He answered a call from a journalist that his son was hiding under fire and simply said, "Give me his location, and I will bring him back home." An hour later, the son called his father from Golan's car.
Golan collected a small crew and went in and out of the war zone, rescuing dozens of people while exchanging fire with Hamas terrorists. He is 61, he could have stayed home, but he chose to risk his life for people he does not know.
Golan is one of the strongest voices from the Israeli left and was constantly attacked by the right wing in Israel. But when the time came, he was first fighting the barbaric attack. The same brain wiring that supports peace, is often the same wiring that drives people to do the right thing.
A true hero.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yair_Golan
DFW
(56,972 posts)In hairy situations in the Balkan War, he used to order his jeep stopped and scale down the side of a ravine to see if he could save car accident victims. He was commander of NATO for a while. He was and is a true Democrat, definitely one of us. He even briefly ran for president in 2004, but was overshadowed by Howard.
COL Mustard
(7,033 posts)I know this story. An old acquaintance of mine was with him then. Years later, I talked to him briefly about a technical subject. My 3-star wasn't in the office when the phone rang, and as it happened I knew a lot about the subject so I got to brief him. Interesting times.
DFW
(56,972 posts)He's originally from Arkansas, but was recently living in northern Virginia, not too far from my brother.
A Rhodes Scholar, he is one towering intellect, in contrast to his small stature. The only time I ever won a disagreement with him was just after Cheney-Bush invaded Iraq. Wes was sure they would try to invade Iran next, and I said I didn't think so. He asked what made me so sure, and I said that the Republicans were essentially cowards. They didn't like to invade places they were fairly sure would shoot back. I pointed out Panama (Bush) and Grenada (Reagan) as the sort of place Republicans liked to attack. I said Iraq was a massive miscalculation, and reminded Wes of what Rumsfeld said at the onset of the 2003 invasion: "maybe six days, maybe six weeks, certainly not six months." Oops. Like I said, not a change of heart, just a miscalculation. They really didn't think Iraq would shoot back, and they knew that Iran would. That is the only time I can remember when I was right and Wes was wrong. Of course, he also knew fifty times more about just about everything than I did, so he had a head start.
COL Mustard
(7,033 posts)His daughter now works in my office. Small world!
Lovie777
(15,442 posts)the farthest thing from his mind was not left nor right but only one Israel. Yes indeed he is a hero, and apparently age ain't nothing but a number.
Irish_Dem
(60,703 posts)MarineCombatEngineer
(14,544 posts)Semper Fi Major General Golan.
mitch96
(14,814 posts)burrowowl
(18,070 posts)RAB910
(3,957 posts)hueymahl
(2,678 posts)A true hero.
Joinfortmill
(16,778 posts)Israeli
(4,319 posts)or he was .
My party since its conception .
He is one of the leaders of our protest movement .
see : https://www.timesofisrael.com/former-mk-calls-on-anti-government-protesters-to-use-nonviolent-illegal-acts/
getagrip_already
(17,611 posts)Where were the defense forces?
Where were the police?
Where were the reservists?
Who was leading? Who was coordinating? Who was on the ground?
Martin68
(24,805 posts)family when attacked. I have friends in the war zone. I have no doubt that they first made sure their children were safe in their basement bomb shelter, and then they put on their gear, picked up rifles, and prepared to defend their home. They are liberals, and hate Netanyahu, but their first duty is to their family (since they've already done their military service and are too old to be called up from the reserves).
carpetbagger
(4,953 posts)Crazy times, all of it, not just this month.
Cha
(306,125 posts)Hekate
(95,573 posts)Cha
(306,125 posts)halobeam
(4,889 posts)WarGamer
(15,917 posts)Maybe in a few years... when appropriate.
moonshinegnomie
(2,928 posts)i used to work with them
complete jackasses but some of the toughest people ive ever met. You really dont want to piss them off. and they are pissed to high heaven right now.
orangecrush
(22,260 posts)A true hero.
senseandsensibility
(20,467 posts)CNN should interview him or do a story about him.
alimbalt
(19 posts)...outlet than CNN, surely?
senseandsensibility
(20,467 posts)but I was just thinking of how to reach a wider audience.