In a recent discovery when doing some research , it occurred to me the date Israel became independent (14 May 1948 )and the date the IDF was formed. May 31st, 1948.With a mere two week spacing these vital events apart, this is a vital indicator that Israel can simply not live without the IDF.Before the IDF came into action , there were different groups that defended Israel , and when they later on combined, they became the IDF. The Palmach was the team of an elite crew who – by themselves formed, and recruited within their own group, and they decided who would do which roles of army type work.Each individual brought their own strengths to the team, whether it was first aid, or weaponry. Another important factor to take on board here is that women were allowed to participate, and not just participate, they were a huge role in the success of it.When visiting the Palmach Museum recently in Tel Aviv , one of the featured roles was a young woman names Ofrah. Her role in the story was essentially to point out to the audience – look how much a young female can bring into the army – and also trying to show that everyone can be shaped into a strong soldier if its done properly. On the other hand, her role was a more personal story, constantly they connected her to a male character who later on became her fiance and husband.
Following all of this, the audience and the characters then have to deal with Ofrah’s death , as she is killed off near to the end of the story.
Ofrah’s character deals with a multitude of issues during the 90 minutes that the show goes on for, but essentially what the Palmach museum wants us to pick up on is her struggle for holding a personal life and trying to succeed in the army too. She left behind a man with a broken heart , and her friends too were completely devastated. It is the same in the modern world with the IDF, as families across Israel deal with this all the time, and every year a new batch of young Israeli’s join the IDF and participate in their responsibilities of two years of their lives in the army. It is something that is going to have to continue provided that there is an Israel, there will always be an IDF.
http://www.milestonesisrael.com/
