The First Druze "Lone Soldier" Reaches Israel

It doesn't hurt that he's hot...

This is Pvt. Fadi Abad Ahallik. He's a Brazilian Druze, who recently made aliyah to serve in the IDF as his father and grandfather did, making him the first Druze 'lone soldier'.

Over at the IDFblog, there's a profile up: 

Fadi was born in Hurfeish, Israel, but during fifth grade, he and his family moved to Brazil. Being raised in Brazil, he was not obligated to serve. However, just a few months shy of his 18th birthday–the IDF conscription age–Fadi decided to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps by making Aliyah to Israel and volunteering to serve. “I didn’t want to be different, and I wanted to do my part for the country,” he explains.

Fadi’s grandfather, Col. (res.) Sayid Abad Allhallik, is a reservist in the IDF and takes care of Fadi in his parents’ absence. He was the first commander of the all-Druze Herev Battalion, the same battalion Fadi joined, and was the first person from a Druze family to achieve such a position. Sayid had an illustrious military career and he even met the former chief of staff, Ehud Barak. Upon his grandson’s arrival, Sayid contacted Fadi’s future battalion commanders to inform them and assigned Fadi a personal translator to help with the Hebrew.

Fadi is progressing rapidly in Hebrew, as well as in his weapons training. “At first, the weapon seemed dangerous to me, but after you learn to use it you realize that’s not the case,” he says. Fadi also met a fellow Brazilian during his training: “Speaking Portuguese in the middle of the desert was a very special experience for me.”

When he reached his base, Fadi received an international phone card in order to keep in touch with loved ones in Brazil. He also keeps in touch with friends through social media sites. To the girl he dated before he left, he promised: “I’ll visit again in a year, since I deserve a flight home, just like any other lone soldier.”

This young man inherits a great legacy of Druze soldiers in the IDF. Kol ha'kavod, Fadi.

"You must give back to the country you live off" Second Lieutenant Hisham Abu Varia, highest ranking Muslim soldier in the IDF

Hisham Abu Varia, 26, is one of 14 children. At the age of 10 he was already doing manual work, from fruit picking to construction work. After high school he worked for two years installing roofs. He gave his earnings to his parents who paid for his brother's medicine studies in Russia. He is now the highest ranking Muslim Arab in the IDF.
Since childhood, Hisham has wanted to be a soldier, inspired by one of his older brothers – one of the few Arab-Israelis to complete three years of service. "He was a role model to me and many others because of his integrity and conviction to do what he thought was right. A brave man not influenced by other people's opinions."
"The army is the entry pass into the Israeli society," Hisham explains. "The Arab sector thinks it's second rate here, but to get privileges one has to give and not just receive. The state protects its citizens even if they don’t serve – my parents live off income support. You must contribute to the country you live off. What other country would have an Arab Knesset member, who is being paid by the state, promoting the interests of the Islamic movement and screwing the promotion of the sector it is supposed to represent?"
Hisham continued "The Arab sector is like a herd. It doesn't think by itself and is affected by various radical movements. Most youngsters don't have anything to do with themselves. They run around the streets, wasting their time and that's only if they finished school. Service in the army is educating, it gives you structure, order – that's what young people are missing here."
Hisham's goal "To reach the highest rank I can," he answers without hesitation, "and the get my masters in anthropology. It’s because of the service. In the army everyone is equal, but there is no other place that gathers such different people with such different cultural backgrounds who still manage to live together. That's what interests me the most."

Read more here