Mount Vernon native heads to Israel to fight with IDF against Hamas
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. -- A Westchester County man is joining the fight in Israel.
He spoke with CBS New York just minutes after he landed in Tel Aviv on Monday about the importance of fighting this battle.
"How are you feeling?" Emily Herzfeld asked.
"I'm on base, I'm waiting to sign on gear and a gun and then I'll join my comrades," Yonatan Herzfeld said.
Emily and Yonatan are worlds away from each other.
"Keep your head straight. You're on a mission. Deep breaths. Meditation. You can't be upset when you go in. You can be upset after," said Emily.
READ MORE: Protesters on both sides of Israel-Gaza conflict face off again in New York City
It was a pep talk that might seem unimaginable for a mother and son, as the 24-year-old checked in for his assignment with the IDF in Israel.
"I am heartbroken, devastated. I am furious," Yonatan said. "I have personal friends who have already died and their families, they have been murdered by Hamas in their homes."
READ MORE: Despite danger, Queens woman living in Tel Aviv vows to stay and help Jews new to the city
After moving to Israel in 2020 and serving in the IDF as a paratrooper, the Mount Vernon native was visiting his family in New York when he heard about the unprovoked attacks and inexplainable acts from the Gaza-led government of Hamas inside Israel. He explains it was his calling to go back when his reserve battalion was drafted.
"I said bye to my family and I don't know if I will ever see them again," said Yonatan. "War is not a death sentence. But I am not guaranteed to make it out alive. And that is reality I need to deal with right now."
READ MORE: Live Updates: Israel and Hamas at war after Palestinian militants launch deadly attacks from Gaza
When asked what it's like when your family member knows he is going into a zone where he can't really for see the future, Will Herzfeld, Yonatan's dad, said, "To have faith... it's in God's hands now, and I can only hope God's will is that same as ours."
Yonatan's family said his love for Israel began at an early age.
"He always fought for the underdog. He always fought for the causes he believed," his father said.
Yonatan is joining the tens of thousands of reservists traveling to fight as battles with Hamas militants continue.
"I will do everything in our power, in my power, to defend our nation and our people and bring justice to our victims and reclaim what is ours," said Yonatan.
You can email Shosh with Bronx story ideas by CLICKING HERE.
