Israeli sergeant speaks to realities of combat

Sunday night, Sergeant Benjamin Anthony of the Israel Defense Forces came to Hillel to share his personal experiences from the front lines of combat with Penn students.

The event, which was hosted by the Penn Israel Coalition, aimed to give insight into Israel’s most recent conflicts and military campaigns.

Anthony is the founder of Our Soldiers Speak, an organization that holds seminars and information sessions about the Israel Defense Forces. Anthony has lectured at over 120 college campuses in the United States, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Anthony noted that these soldiers, unlike what many would think, are not immune to fear. When he had to camouflage one of his soldier’s faces with paint, for example, he could tell instantly that his comrade was frightened.

“He was breathing heavily,” Anthony recalled, “and the reason I knew this was because I felt it on my fingertips, on the skin above his upper lip as I painted his face.”

As Anthony recounted his stories, he offered a glimpse into the human side of warfare that is not portrayed by today’s media. Through recounting his first-hand experience, Anthony said he aimed to dispel myths about Israeli soldiers, especially since they are “constantly being vilified by the media.”

IDF soldiers never took any pleasure from killing, Anthony said. Instead, they were only trying to defend Israel from the “rockets that were lobbed across our border into innocence.”

Anthony told students how soldiers penned tear-smudged letters and how “each and every one concludes with the same sentiment. It’s a plea for peace.”

In spite of the media’s harsh view of the IDF, Anthony urged students to stand up for the cause, encouraging them to take the time to read the headlines and even write a response to send in. “You have to hold the line of truth because it’s being eroded swiftly,” he said.

“I am not here to brainwash anyone,” Anthony explained. “I’m here to ask you to consider our narrative, our truth.”

For College freshman Becca Goldstein, Anthony’s message hit close to home.

“I thought he was one of the most powerful speakers on the topic that I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard quite a few speakers,” she said.

College senior Seth Bluestein, former Penn Israel Coalition president and one of the event’s organizers, also thought the event was a success.

“I think it’s great to hear actual stories from someone who experienced the event, not just headlines from people who weren’t there,” Bluestein said.

“You can tell from the way he spoke that the Israeli soldiers aren’t the brutes the media make them out to be.”

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