Female Arab Soldier: "I Came to Serve My Country and My Home."
| Mona Liza | My name is Mona Liza. I’m an Arab Christian from Haifa, and a fighter in the IDF |
| I joined the IDF because I am an inseparable part of Israel. I came to serve my country and my home. My job as a commander in the IDF is to prevent terrorist attacks, smuggling operations, and illegal entry into the country. | |
| I think if I prevent drugs from entering the country, I not only protect the Jewish people but the Arabs as well. I defend every small child in the State of Israel from exposure to drugs. | |
| If I could roll back the clock to three years ago, I would choose the same unit, but I’d strive to accomplish a lot more. | |
| All my life, I learned in a Jewish school. At age 17, everybody received their draft notice and I did not. I said to my mother: “Mom, I want to enlist.” I had heard that a lot of Bedouins join the army, and serve the country even if they don’t have to. So I thought that maybe the IDF would accept me too. So I tried. I went to the draft center, and one of the commanders that was there was Druze (an Arabic speaking community). He helped me a lot during the process and really motivated me. | |
| Mona Liza’s Mother | When my daughter came to me and said, “Mom, I want to enlist in the army and serve our country,” I was very surprised. I did not know how to express my joy because it was so mature of her. It was a big surprise and created a lot of joy for the whole family. I advise all young Arab boys and girls to enlist in our army, for our land and country. This is our country and our home. Here we live and here we will die. The roots of our fathers and children are here. To all the young people out there, I say: the army is a university. It’s not just an army but a place to learn and be a part of a new family. |
| Mona Liza | I keep the country of Israel safe not just for the Jews but for the Arabs, too. I would sacrifice my life for the good of the State of Israel and all its citizens. |
