Slice of Life: Jewish Determination

Meet Izzy Ezagui, a decorated squad commander in the Israel Defense Forces

By Shaindel Marcus

Izzy Ezagui, a decorated squad commander in the Israel Defense Forces, is the only soldier in the world who lost an arm in combat and returned to the battlefield. His story serves as an inspirational lesson to all of us. While he continues to serve in an elite unit in the reserves, Izzy delivers inspirational talks across the United States and internationally. The Algemeiner Journal included Izzy as one of 100 people positively influencing Jewish life.

Izzy relates: I grew up in Miami, and for my bar mitzvah, our family went to Israel, where I had the chance to see the land and meet Israeli soldiers. During that trip, we narrowly avoided the infamous Sbarro bombing in Jerusalem. We had just passed that intersection shortly beforehand.

I was sitting huddled with my family in the hotel room and watching the footage, and that was the first time that it dawned on me that I would want to participate in not allowing that to happen again.

When I was eighteen, I went back to Israel and met soldiers my age, essentially my peers, who were doing something very different than I was at that age.

That sense of purpose pushed me to follow through, and less than a year later, I joined the military. The idea of protecting the Jewish people was a compelling enough reason to take that leap.

Upon completing approximately nine and a half months of training during his service, his unit was granted a final weekend leave before being deployed as combat soldiers. During that particular weekend, conflict erupted on the Gaza border, prompting Ezagui's unit to be deployed to participate in what is known today as Operation Cast Lead.

"Our unit led a mission over the Gaza border to retrieve the body of a fallen comrade." That's when a direct mortar hit, resulting in the traumatic loss of his left and dominant arm.

Ezagui relates the sights and sounds of being rushed to the hospital on a gurney—the adrenaline rush, the surgery, and eventually waking up seeing his parents.

This would be the end for most, but for Izzy Ezagui this was only the beginning. After six months in the hospital, Ezagui decided to trade-in heavy painkillers for phantom pain for his old rifle. Ezagui knew he must go back to the IDF. He says, "The first thing I said when I woke up was that I intended to continue my role with combat."

When his parents heard that he wanted to return, they reacted differently. His father was furious. He asked how he could wish to return to where this happened to him. On the other hand, his mother supported him in returning to battle and doing what he felt was right.

Ezagui saw one bottom line from both reactions. They both had faith in his ability and believed he could return to the battlefield. He believed in himself because his parents believed in him. He took that strength and trained like never before. With determination, he passed all the required tests for the IDF, including shooting, reloading guns, throwing grenades, unjamming firearms, charging hills, climbing ropes, and doing pushups. He returned to his position as a sharpshooter and became the only one-handed soldier to return to duty after a traumatic injury.

Ezagui originally joined the IDF ideologically to protect the Jewish people, his people. However, the second time was different. He returned to the army because he knew that if something like this happened to him, it was for a reason, and he had to find it.

He realized that if he went back, he would be able to inspire other soldiers and show that anything is possible if you are committed. In another sense, he felt that going back would undo the damage of what had happened. If he could do what he did before and after his injury, it's almost as if it had not happened.

Ezagui says, "As soon as I was back in combat, there were full days that I forgot I had an injury. It was just me again, and I was whole."

This mindset helps him in civilian life as well since he does not see himself as disabled, nor do those around him.

Today, Ezagui is back again, fighting for his people. He has been part of the war effort in Gaza, fighting with absolute determination to restore the safety and security to the people and land of Israel.

As frightened as he was to return, Ezagui claims he did not need much push. He says, "None of us have the luxury of sitting this out. Our enemies won't allow us."