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Last update - 00:00 02/03/2008
Expats' kids in IDF: 'If I don't help defend my home then who will?'
By Yuval Azoulay
Tags: Defense Ministry, aliya, IDF 

Private Asaf Harris left Israel at the age of 2 and moved with his parents to Michigan, in the United States. On visits to relatives in Israel he would see soldiers standing at hitchhiking posts, and made up his mind to emulate them.

Now he is part of an encouraging trend presented by the Defense Ministry: The number of children of expatriate Israelis who return to Israel to serve in the Israel Defense Forces is rising constantly. Moreover, 70 percent of these young people choose to remain in Israel after their discharge, and 30 percent of their parents return in their children's wake.

Defense Ministry data also show that 90 percent of second generation expatriates who volunteer for IDF service seek to join combat units, and that the latest pilot's course includes a man and a woman who immigrated from the U.S.
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Harris recently completed Paratrooper Brigade boot camp and is headed for advanced training with the brigade's Battalion 890.

"Despite growing up in the U.S. I always felt that my real home is here, in Israel, and if I don't help defend my home then who will," he asks.

Despite his parents

Harris's parents were fiercely opposed to his moving to Israel "Life is quiet there; they don't have the crazy news we get here in Israel," so he went to college, where he majored in economics.

"Once I graduated, I was already 21 and I presented my parents with a fait accompli," he said.

Today he lives on Kibbutz Maoz Haim, along with several of his comrades from the brigade who moved to Israel as part of a Scouts Movement program.

"Their preparation for service in the IDF starts while still overseas, as part of activity intensified in recent years by the Jewish Agency, the Immigrant Absorption Ministry, the Kibbutz Movement and the Scouts. Afterward they come to Israel and study Hebrew at an ulpan, and every soldier is adopted by a kibbutz family for the duration of service," says Udi Dror, aide to the head of the Defense Ministry's recruitment department.

American-born Tomer Regev, a soldier with Battalion 202 of the Paratroopers, says he always wanted to serve in the IDF.

He heard about the Israeli army from his father and other relatives who reminisced at family events.

Regev says his parents, who live in Los Angeles, are pleased with his decision.

He has not decided whether to stay in Israel after the army or return to L.A. to realize a new dream: playing professional football.
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  1.   Did they serve in Iraq? 05:41  |  Candida 02/03/08
  2.   traitors 05:57  |  wibism 02/03/08
  3.   Serving in the IDF 06:33  |  Rene 02/03/08
  4.   #1 there is no compuslory draft in USA, so how r they traitors? 08:17  |  Sally Forth 02/03/08
  5.   Welcome Home boys & girls we are proud of you! 08:18  |  Sally Forth 02/03/08
  6.   wibism 08:19  |  Mr. Smith 02/03/08
  7.   I applaud those who serve the Jewish cause 08:30  |  US CITIZEN 02/03/08
  8.   #1 08:48  |  returning child 02/03/08
  9.   # They kids are loyal to their homeland and not America 08:49  |  Miriam 02/03/08
  10.   may Hashem protect them and the entire IDF 08:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/03/08
  11.   An example to the Harideem 08:52  |  SJ 02/03/08
  12.   fighting the same enemy 08:57  |  Jeffrey 02/03/08
  13.   #1, hypocritical wbism 09:07  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/03/08
  14.   Response to #6. 09:19  |  Bartley Kulp 02/03/08
  15.   Hey, Count Me In Too 09:31  |  Nephtaly 02/03/08
  16.   #6 The Haredi Nachal unit is a top notch combat unit 09:39  |  Miriam 02/03/08
  17.   In most countries one automatically looses citizenship 10:02  |  Kris 02/03/08
  18.   wibism 10:18  |  george 02/03/08
  19.   Strip them of US citizenship 11:03  |  Dimitry 02/03/08
  20.   As long as the ones from Canada don`t come back... 11:04  |  anti-racist 02/03/08
  21.   Racist psychopats joining IDF terror and murder campaigns 11:06  |  anti-racist 02/03/08
  22.   cipora #5 (weird name) 11:09  |  raw truth 02/03/08
  23.   Kol haKavod! 11:11  |  don 02/03/08
  24.   #5 Cipora- Amen and Amen . 11:11  |  Bill 02/03/08
  25.   I understand them. In the the US killing people is illegal 11:21  |  Andreas 02/03/08
  26.   I loved this story 11:23  |  Nechama 02/03/08
  27.   the fate of a scorpion encircled by fire 11:25  |  Rabbi Ishmael 02/03/08
  28.   WIBISM they are not killing Americans.Unlike US Jihadist traitors 11:35  |  PETER SM 02/03/08
  29.   you`re coming back to live on stolen land kiddos! 11:50  |  lakshmi 02/03/08
  30.   5.Cipora Jk,I`m pretty sure that your hashem won`t like land 11:51  |  lakshmi 02/03/08
  31.   "ANTI RACIST" do you people decide the law in Canada now? 11:55  |  PETER SM 02/03/08
  32.   Is Hamas recognized by US as terrorist organization? 12:04  |  Dimitry. 02/03/08
  33.   Nephtaly should have gone half way "home". 12:16  |  Aaron Aarons 02/03/08
  34.   Dislike extreme Zionism, but Jews can live whenever they want 13:03  |  Dimitry 02/03/08
  35.   WELL.............IN FACT, IT`S ALWAYS BEEN 13:35  |  Robert 02/03/08
  36.   Serving in the army in Israel 14:27  |  Yackov 02/03/08
  37.   for lack of Tzabarim who will... 14:47  |  R. Azoulay 02/03/08
  38.   # 22 : I applaud your loyalty to Israel, but why 15:32  |  Sara 02/03/08
  39.   Kol HaKavod! Welcome home 15:35  |  Safta M 02/03/08
  40.   More "Dim" than "itry" 16:01  |  ZISD 02/03/08
  41.   To #24 in European Occupied Berkeley 16:07  |  Steve G 02/03/08
  42.   THEN SUCH YOUNGSTERS A LEGITIMATE TARGET ABROAD 16:39  |  JACKAL 02/03/08
  43.   it`s not only expats` kids. a new abraham lincoln brigade too. 17:22  |  frenz 02/03/08
  44.   Jew haters on Jewish sites 17:36  |  Irina 02/03/08
  45.   awe inspiring 17:57  |  A. Gentile 02/03/08
  46.   Taliban 18:04  |  Alex 02/03/08
  47.   to my friend #46 alex 18:32  |  ljf-canada 02/03/08
  48.   #8 Bless you child 18:32  |  MaryRose 02/03/08
  49.   Divided loyalties? 18:37  |  MaryRose 02/03/08
  50.   Aaron , Misinformed and Illiterate 18:38  |  Nephtaly 02/03/08
  51.   Frenz- Correct 18:45  |  Nephtaly 02/03/08
  52.   8 returning child,one day,soon I hope,you will realise that your 19:00  |  lakshmi 02/03/08
  53.   Kol Hakavod 19:46  |  Alan 02/03/08
  54.   ex pat children in I.D.F. 20:30  |  dan vered 02/03/08
  55.   JACKAL YOUR BROTHERS TARGET EVERYBODY ABROAD WORLDWIDE 20:59  |  PETER SM 02/03/08
  56.   regards, nephtaly, and thank you. 21:17  |  frenz 02/03/08
  57.   PETER SM, who are the "you people" that you speak of? 21:56  |  anti-racist 02/03/08
  58.   #1 Of Course You Are An Anti-Semite! 23:04  |  DAVID KAPLAN 02/03/08
  59.   #2 wibism 23:10  |  DAVID KAPLAN 02/03/08
  60.   Kol Ha`Kavod 23:17  |  DAVID KAPLAN 02/03/08
  61.   PETER SM, who are the "you people" you speak of? 00:03  |  anti-racist 03/03/08
  62.   DAVID KAPLAN your anti-semite excuse makes you a racist 00:15  |  anti-racist 03/03/08
  63.   to # 1, # 2 and other islamofascists 00:17  |  Morris 03/03/08
  64.   He`s probably 00:26  |  Paul 03/03/08
  65.   Aaron 00:28  |  Chicano 03/03/08
  66.   America goes to war! 00:30  |  Paul 03/03/08
  67.   Survival of state of palestine 03:12  |  US CITIZEN 03/03/08
  68.   Traitors 05:04  |  Patriot 03/03/08
  69.   question about IDF 06:01  |  Robert S 03/03/08
  70.   question about IDF 06:01  |  Robert S 03/03/08
  71.   Great Story 06:18  |  Tod Zuckerman 03/03/08
  72.   These guys are no heros 06:26  |  Mark Green 03/03/08
  73.   Pathetic 06:36  |  Denise 03/03/08
  74.   United We Stand 06:58  |  Scott 03/03/08
  75.   Either American or Jew. Can`t be BOTH. 07:39  |  American 03/03/08
  76.   Fodder for the guns 08:25  |  Cynic #2 03/03/08
  77.   The 30% Americans that return should be sent to Iraq 10:02  |  Tupac 03/03/08
  78.   13 Chipora: The 30% who return are traitors 10:06  |  Tupac 03/03/08
  79.   Scott: What are you doing hiding in Toronto and not in Iraq? 10:16  |  Tupac 03/03/08
  80.   So if Isreali Arabs to decided to do the same he would be a what 10:21  |  Tupac 03/03/08
  81.   Foreign nationals serving in the US military, too 10:26  |  Amy 03/03/08
  82.   not now but there may be a compulsory draft 11:16  |  mehmet 03/03/08
  83.   not now but there may be a compulsory draft 11:16  |  mehmet 03/03/08
  84.   KOL HAKAVOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 13:39  |  KOL HAKAVOD!!!!!!!!! 03/03/08
  85.   diferences btwn US and Israel 14:01  |  Nate 03/03/08
  86.   Scott, back up your words and go and fight a war if you dare 14:07  |  anti-racist 03/03/08
  87.   SCOTT, make sure you join your terrorist buds in the IDF 14:12  |  anti-racist 03/03/08
  88.   Born to bear arms 14:22  |  Observor 03/03/08
  89.   Why I support HAMAS 14:27  |  Observor 03/03/08
  90.   CANADA 15:24  |  marty z 03/03/08
  91.   ARABIC 15:31  |  MARTY Z 03/03/08
  92.   Zionisem is not Jewdesim 17:17  |  d 03/03/08
  93.   Either they Murder for America or Israel 17:43  |  Dawood 03/03/08
  94.   @19 dimitry, russkaia griaznaia svinía!!!!! 17:50  |  vladimir 03/03/08
  95.   @25, andreas, gnusnaia zhertva oborta iz pizdiuiska. 17:52  |  vladimir 03/03/08
  96.   MEHMET-be good to know 18:07  |  io 03/03/08
  97.   idiot Tupac 18:39  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/03/08
  98.   #87 Helicopters and tanks 18:52  |  MaryRose 03/03/08
  99.   Dimitry #19 19:00  |  Jane 03/03/08
  100.   Kol ha Kavod 19:07  |  Daniel 03/03/08
  101.   These people need therapy. 19:39  |  Deborah 03/03/08
  102.   It is nobody`s job to kill 19:49  |  Nam 03/03/08
  103.   Observer 20:00  |  io 03/03/08
  104.   Gaza/West Bank slaughter 21:15  |  Deborah Kreis 03/03/08
  105.   Americans have right to be angry 21:45  |  Ben Kasus 03/03/08
  106.   Expats 22:31  |  Neal 03/03/08
  107.   one misguided youth`s opinions 23:27  |  American Israeli 03/03/08
  108.   to Robert S 23:54  |  miko 03/03/08
  109.   dual citizenship and the military 00:03  |  miko 04/03/08
  110.   Join a Green Group 02:30  |  Jake 04/03/08
  111.   ....... 02:00  |  Ma 29/03/09
  112.   I would agree more with Nephtaly, answer to #33 02:46  |  Ma 29/03/09
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