James always knew he wanted to be a soldier, but it wasn’t until the Gaza attack last summer (2014) that he packed his bags and realized where he was supposed to fight.

“I know this sounds cliche but when I look down at my uniform, I am proud to be an Israeli. I truly believe in what we are fighting for. When we go into Gaza, before bombing anywhere, we call all the homes, leave pamphlets everywhere, because the intention is to create stability — never to harm civilians. The world doesn’t see Israel that way, they don’t see the full picture.” – James

Hamas increased rocket attacks on Israel, and by 7 July had fired 100 rockets from Gaza at Israeli territory; at the same time, the Israeli Air Force had bombed several sites in Gaza. Early on 8 July, the IAF bombed 50 targets in the Gaza Strip.

These bombs are collected and stored at a local police station close to the Gaza border. There are thousands.

One of the biggest concerns that James had was of a misconstrued perception that the globe has toward the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. While both sides have faults, Israel is extremely cautious and gracious with neighbors that taunt them.

Wall between Israel and Gaza written “Pathway to Peace.” There will be a day when the sun shines brighter than any source of darkness.

Stay informed, remain optimistic, listen more than you speak, love people along the way.