Golani 13

 

Dr. Yossi (aka Joe) Ribak

Dates, nuts, and figs tastefully arranged in small ceramic dishes on a coffee table filled the air with a sweet aroma. It was a welcome greeting at Rachel and Yossi’s Tel Aviv apartment when I arrived, bone weary after a long day of travel adventures. Still, I was intent on recounting the minute by minute details to my cousins. But soon another visitor presented, Yossi’s good friend Gabi. He came into the small flat presenting a little rough around the edges - dark hair tousled, several days of stubble, and in fatigues which clearly had been worn for several days in a row. Feeling completely at home however, he dropped his dusty rucksack,  plopped down and proceeded to melt into a comfortable chair. His stint of reserve duty was over.

Yossi and Gabi were in the same IDF* unit during their compulsory service. Both were part of the Golani Brigade then re-upped rising up the ranks to become career officers. Golani is like Green Berets, Army Rangers, and Navy SEALS all wrapped up together. The brigade is an elite combat unit and typically the cadre selected for sensitive, high level missions. Little did I know at the time that Gabi would one day be appointed IDF Chief of General Staff and later, Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

And to  think, I knew him when.  

General Gabi Askenazi

photo courtesy IDF

That evening would be the only time Gabi’s path and mine ever cross again. I would hear no more personal accounts of his escapades, but I would always recall our meeting whenever he appeared in news broadcasts about events in Israel during his service days. 

No more Gabi stories, but over the years Yossi, a medical officer, shared many of his career exploits with me. They were no less the ‘on the edge of your seat’ ilk like Gabi’s, albeit from a medical officer’s command post. If written down, I knew they would be page turners.

To my delight, turns out Yossi did write them down. His intent was to create a memoir for his kids. I deemed several of his mission accounts to be movie material and thought Spielberg could do a lot with the stories. Here’s one from a slice of history I remember well …….

1981

The year was 1981. Two years prior, a tectonic shift had rattled the firmament of the Middle East. The area was now on the cusp of a new era ending what seemed like a future of repeated wars. The possibilities were endless. The precipitant for change was Egyptian President Anwar Sadat doing unimaginable, flying to his arch enemy’s camp to address the Israeli Knesset (Parliament). That outreach culminated with a peace treaty signed on the White House lawn by President Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin under the watchful eyes of President Jimmy Carter. Then tragedy struck. In October while reviewing a ceremonial march of his troops, a cabal of soldiers broke rank and assassinated President Sadat in a hail of bullets. The dream of cascading regional peace treaties shattered and now PM Begin was on a flight to Cairo to attend Sadat’s funeral.   

El Al

Back to Yossi - During his time as commander of the Aeromedical Institute, he was tasked with accompanying Israel’s leaders on flights abroad. Begin’s flight to Cairo was no exception. The Prime Minister’s personal cardiologist was also on board, but on the day of the funeral, fearing the potential for riots, that doc requested Yossi to join him. This was an unexpected last minute ask so Yossi lacked all the proper security badges. No problem, he was smuggled in while covered over on an SUV floor in Begin’s entourage. The convoy managed to pass through various checkpoints before reaching the PM’s quarters. At the funeral he walked next to Mr. Begin rubbing shoulders with many of the assembled heads of state, including former presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter. As the procession climbed the steps of the burial mausoleum with Yossi part of the protective unit around the PM, he found himself face-to-face with Jehan Sadat, the noble widow of the assassinated leader. He shook her hand. With the ceremonies concluded, the Israeli contingent flew back to Tel Aviv. This episode was just one in the life of Yossi’s term as chief medial officer for the air corps. Like Gabi, Yossi was no slouch during his career service. At different times he also served as chief medial officer of the army and navy.  

And to think, not only did I know him when, but we continue to stay connected. He is family.

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*IDF is also known as Tzahal - Army in Defense of Israel 

Epilogue: As you might expect, during the current brutal campaign in Gaza, the Golani Brigade was mobilized to enter Gaza City and engage with the terrorists. This street-to-street, house-to-house urban fighting is the most difficult and dangerous. Gabi and Yossi’s specific unit, Golani 13, paid a heavy, painful price when two commanders and seven other soldiers were killed during an ambush while trying to rescue hostages. 

As of this posting, dozens of hostages remain and it’s not clear how many are still alive. 

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