Q and A with Joel Chasnoff
Michael Orbach: So what’s a nice Jewish boy like you doing in the Israeli Defense Force?
Joel Chasnoff: I grew up with a strong Jewish identity. Part of that identity was a strong love for Israel. It always bothered me that we American Jews prayed for Israel but left Israelis to defend it. I thought it only fair that I do my part, too. Also, I wanted to be that cool Israeli soldier I grew up admiring - hulking muscles, the rifle - who was so unlike the Jewish role models I grew up with in the States.
MO: What was the transition like from an Ivy League University to the IDF?
JC: It was a tough transition. Suddenly, I was no longer in charge of my life. I was told when to sleep, when to eat, and when to pee. This lack of control was tougher than anything I went through physically in the army.
MO: As one American Jewish guy to another: what’s the best way to pick up an Israeli chayala (a female Israeli soldier)?
JC: Don’t join the army. As a soldier, you’ll be too exhausted to try to pick up anyone.
MO: What was your relationship like to your fellow soldiers?
JC: We got along great and are friends to this day. At times, we fought like rabid dogs. But that’s expected, given that we were with one another 24/7. But overall, we have a bond unlike any other.
MO: Did you see Waltz with Bashir? Any resemblance to your experience?
JC: I saw the movie and thought it was incredible. I have many misgivings about my own mission in Lebanon. I discuss these in my book. Early on in my deployment to Lebanon, I realized that despite our firepower, the IDF was outmatched by Hezbollah, because they knew the terrain like the back of their hand. Plus, our hands were often tied: we’d be sent to a sector of the South Lebanon Security Zone to track down Hezbollah, but then we wouldn’t be allowed to fire on them because of some or other United Nations rule governing rules of engagement.
MO: Looking back, what would you say are your feelings about the entire experience?
JC: I have no regrets. My IDF service sealed my bond with Israel, which I will have forever. And I made friends for life.
MO: Would you do it again?
JC: Yes I would. Despite my feeling that I was sent to Lebanon unprepared, which I show at length in the book, I count my military service in Israel as one of the defining experiences of my life.
