Mitchell Bard, who lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, said he has been having sleepless nights lately after his 26-year-old son, an Israeli army reservist, was called up to serve.
On Tuesday, Israel’s military expanded its mobilization of reservists to 360,000 as it ramped up its retaliation for surprise attacks by Hamas militants.
“The first response was to feel pride and respect that he was prepared to make this kind of sacrifice,” Bard said.
However, Bard said he “almost simultaneously” had a “sense of fear and terror that he was going to put himself in harm’s way.”
Bard asked that his son not be identified by name by WTOP.
“It’s not so easy to sleep when you don’t know exactly what’s happening to your child and what sort of danger he may be in,” Bard said.
His son has lived in Israel for the past five years.
When Bard’s son first mentioned to his family a couple years ago that he was going to join the army, it was “a shock and a little bit concerning,” Bard said.
Now, there is more uncertainty than ever.
“We’ve asked him to let us know he’s OK, and he calls us when he’s able to,” Bard said.
Bard’s son is what’s known as a “lone soldier,” meaning he is from America and does not have family in Israel.
“The fortunate thing is that the Israeli people are incredibly welcoming and supportive of lone soldiers,” Bard said.
The war has already claimed at least 1,800 lives and shows no signs of abating.
It began after Hamas militants stormed into Israel Saturday during a major Jewish holiday, killing people and abducting others. In response, Israeli warplanes have hammered the Gaza Strip, destroying buildings and sending Palestinian residents scrambling to find safety.
“There are going to be horrible casualties on both sides,” Bard said. “My hope is that all of the Israeli children of the many thousands of Israeli parents abroad come home safely.”
Bard is a foreign-policy analyst who lectures frequently on U.S.-Middle East policy.
He is the director of the Jewish Virtual Library, a comprehensive online encyclopedia of Jewish history and culture.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
