Feuerstein, 20, is one of 11 soldiers currently serving in the IDF in Connecticut, and one of some 1,000 total US soldiers who serve under the Israeli flag, defending Israel – and expanding public perception of the conflict with Palestine and neighboring Israel’s Arabs for a national audience in the United States

His service in the IDF, along with the dozens of pro-Palestinian activists from Connecticut and elsewhere who regularly travel to the Middle East, show just how global the conflict has become in recent years.

For Feuerstein, joining the Israeli army for a two-year enlistment was part of a family tradition. His father, Joseph, from Great Britain, served in the Israeli special forces and aboard an Israeli submarine when he was younger. Ella Feuerstein, who grew up in Stamford, was born in Israel and has been a frequent visitor there.

She returned to southern Connecticut for three weeks this summer to visit her family.

“I grew up with his stories, his pride and his passion for Israel. It was definitely something very present in my development, ”she said.

She set her sights on an IDF combat unit, a branch of the Israel Defense Forces: “My heart has always been on the IDF, I feel like I have a lot of connections and passion for it. that.

Feuerstein decided to live in Israel after graduating from the Hebrew Bi-Cultural Academy of Connecticut in Stamford – “do alyahAs the tradition is called in Hebrew – and embarked on military preparation. Her understanding of Hebrew was virtually non-existent, so she embarked on language studies and military training at the same time, a daunting task, she recalls. While soldiers who are not proficient in Hebrew can serve in support and logistics units, fluency in the language is required for combat units, which Feuerstein sought. The language component, she said, “was really, really difficult – it drained you mentally”.

Thanks to her persistence, she passed the language test and was assigned to a post in the military police, working at checkpoints in East Jerusalem. The training involved a combination of skills, she recalls.

“We learn to know if the IDs are fake, how to defend ourselves, a lot of krav maga (Israeli martial arts), we learn a lot about our weapons, we can disassemble our weapons, put them back together, clean, we know every room. We also learned a lot about human behavior – what is suspicious and what not. Learn about different cultures, ”said the Stamford native. “Lots and lots of shooting practice, simulations, learning to always be on your feet. And morals and ethics.

She was subsequently promoted to the position of squad leader in her unit.

A typical day for Feuerstein, who often works in the mornings, begins at 3 a.m. and involves interactions with motorists and Palestinian civilians traveling to Jerusalem who need permits from the military authorities to travel. The issue of checkpoints is a source of great controversy and hostility for Palestinians, while Israeli authorities insist that they are a necessary measure to ensure the safety of Israeli civilians.

“It’s important,” she said. “I see the difference I’m making, which most people can’t. There are “takes” every day. We stop guns, we stop drugs, we stop (unauthorized) people, we stop smuggling, and it happens every day. I always feel like I can literally see the difference I’m making, which makes me feel like it’s an accomplishment.

The shift is eight hours, but can go up to 12 hours on occasion and, she notes, is “terribly hot.”

It took a mental adjustment to make it work, she said, “Very stressful, very intense, you need the right frame of mind. I really proved to myself that I can do this job. Every soldier has to be mentally strong, ”she said.

In Israel, volunteers from abroad are known as “lone soldiers” because they have no immediate family or support in the country. A nonprofit, Friends of the IDF, helps support lone soldiers in Lower Connecticut and Westchester County, NY, serving in the IDF with travel services, communications, gift packages and social events.

According to information provided by the IDF, there are currently xx Connecticut volunteers: five from Stamford, three from New Haven, one from Farmington, one from Westport and one from Woodbridge.

In many ways, Americans serving in foreign armed forces are a very old story, as is the support network that helps them in foreign conflicts. Feuerstein is among the last of a long line of soldiers wearing the uniform of another nation.

The first American killed in World War I, Edward Mandel Stone, a Harvard-trained lawyer, was a volunteer in the service of the French Foreign Legion fighting the Germans in northern France. During the Spanish Civil War, hundreds of Americans joined loyalist forces in this conflict in the late 1930s, forming the Lincoln Brigade and garnering American support for the anti-fascist cause through appearances and conferences in the United States. . During World War II, dozens of American airmen served with the British Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain before the United States entered the war in late 1941, also giving the British an opportunity for connections public campaigns to gain US support against the Nazi regime.

In recent years, a number of prominent policy makers and opinion leaders have also served in the IDF. Jeffrey Goldberg, a foreign affairs reporter who is now editor-in-chief of Atlantic magazine, was an Israeli soldier and prison guard who wrote about his experiences in the Israeli military keeping detainees in the largest camp in prisoners of Israel. Rahm Emmanuel, former mayor of Chicago and chief of staff to President Barack Obama, served as a civilian volunteer for the IDF in 1991, performing maintenance duties on military vehicles.

U.S. IDF soldiers frequently give lectures to college and high school students across the United States, as well as presentations at synagogues in Connecticut and elsewhere to promote close ties to Israel. Four IDF soldiers met at a synagogue in Greenwich in 2017.

While some Americans have served in foreign armies, they have also taken part in the cause of activism abroad.

The Americans have been very active in their opposition to the Israeli military occupation and in the defense of the Palestinian cause during demonstrations and clashes in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The IDF and its civilian government have a massive public relations operation, notes West Hartford pro-Palestinian and peace activist John Fussell. Support for Israel ranges from lobbying Congress to popular campaigns such as supporters of lone soldiers, he said.

“It’s part of the campaign, the Hasbara (public relations) campaign as it’s called. It’s an attempt to influence policy, ”he said.

Fussell, a lawyer from West Hartford, has led group visits to Palestine, with the aim of giving lawmakers perspective and forging ties with Palestinians in an effort to make peace, he said.

“These are attempts to educate Americans about the Palestinians and the struggle Palestinians are engaged in for freedom, justice, equality,” said Fussell, vice president of a Tree of Life social justice organization. , based in Old Lyme. “There is an ongoing educational effort, but the resources available to us compared to the resources available to the Israel Lobby are quite different. “

Feuerstein, whose parents are divorced, divides his time between Stamford and Weston, where his parents live.

Her father, Joseph Feuerstein, said he was impressed with her accomplishments – “She has grown immeasurably.”

“I am very proud that my daughter is in the Israeli army. She is rendering a very significant service. She tries to ensure the safety of civilians in Jerusalem, by trying to stop the terrorist attacks. It doesn’t get more serious than that, ”he said. “I’m sure it’s hard work, and she has compassion and understanding. Everyone has the right to be treated fairly and decently. Whether they are Jews or Arabs, everything should be done with respect, and I am happy that she does too.

Ella Feuerstein is looking to enroll in college and pursue a career in medicine or life sciences, she said, but believes her experiences in the IDF have been an education in themselves.

“I wanted something intense so I walked out of there with pride and a story to tell,” she said, “to look back and think,” I’ve been there and I can do it all. . “”