Reuel was 15 years old when he witnessed a car bombing at Armin Hanatziv. The response of soldiers at the scene inspired him to enlist in the IDF's Kfir Brigade. We asked him why he chose Kfir specifically.
"I saw things that children should not see, but I also saw what a trained soldier can do," he answered. As someone who was a few tens of meters away from the attack, he says that he, like the soldiers around him, was not initially sure what was going on. Shots and shouts clarified the matter in a hurry. The whole scene inspired him to enlist.
“I saw terrorism within walking distance of my house, and I decided that I was going to help put a stop to it,” he explains. Reuel decided to go to the Kfir Brigade because of its specific location in Judea and Samaria, hoping to be nearer to the fight against terror than other units would allow.
In advance of enlistment, he had conversations with commanders and soldiers alike, hearing about the atmosphere and operations in Kfir. "Both are important for a successful soldier,” Reuel says. “If your family goes mostly with Golani, I advise you to change.”
Reuel understands that some people would rather stay farther away from terrorism, having seen it so close, but believes that he has the chance to do something better. “I would feel wasted if I just ran away,” he concludes.