- India
- International
THE panel discussion, ‘Defending Against Formidable Odds: The Golan Heights, 1973’, held on the concluding day of the Military Literature Festival 2019, lauded the spirit of nationalism of the Israelis. The dedication and commitment of Israeli people for their country, said the speakers, have helped them to counter the attacks from the Arab countries. Even in war, they repaired and refurbished tanks rapidly to fight against the superior armour of the enemy.
Major General Yosi Ben-Hannan from Israel, shared his experience of war with an audio-video presentation. While initiating the discussion, Moderator Lt General KJ Singh said that young Israelis were keen to join the army to serve their nation and they do not even hesitate to sacrifice their life for their motherland. He added that they are one of the best examples to follow if one wants to work for the safeguard of one’s country.
Maj Gen Yoshi Ben-Hannan, while narrating about his days in the war, said that he had only 10 tanks in the beginning, but when they started performing well by hitting enemy tanks, they were joined by tanks from other battalions too. He said that with their 10 tanks, they had targeted more than 90 tanks of the enemy.
Lt General IS Singha, lauding the spirit of Israeli youth, said that every year 60,000 boys and 60,000 girls qualify for the army service, which is another inspiring aspect for a nation like India. He added that it was not religion which unites them, but it is their language which infuses a spirit of nationalism in them.
While talking about the situation of war, Lt Gen IS Singha said that it required a 10-day advance notice for an army to be prepared for the war, however, Israel had only got a notice of a few hours due to the failure of the intelligence agencies. He added that an intelligence officer should never be over-confident, as the result of a war depends a lot on his inputs.