Under The Stretcher

Book excerpt: "The shots kept coming and we couldn't pin down the source. We had our weapons drawn, but we could not shoot blindly into the area we just came, other Israeli soldiers were still in the area, and god forbid we hit them. Rather than return fire, we stayed pinned down while the head of our unit called in another tank. The tank rolled in and let out a smokescreen. As I crawled behind the tank, I could hear pop pop as the sniper's bullets bounced off it." 'Under the Stretcher' takes you into the 2014 Operation Protective Edge" the latest of the Gaza-Israeli conflicts, through the eyes of Max Levin, an American-born Israeli soldier who immigrated in 2012 to join the Israeli army. This book takes you step by step on his journey as he immigrates to Israel, learns Hebrew, goes through many grueling try-outs to finally make it into one of Israel's special forces units - Palchan Tzanhanim. He then was immediately thrust into this war where he found himself fighting for his new known friends and family, only a 10 min jog behind him. To then going through the aftermath of the war, the mourning of lost ones, and the continuation of having to completely change one's mentality from a soldier at war to a soldier at peace, trying to keep all parties safe and sound while in the dangerous West Bank. For those of you who want to learn more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this book will give you personal stories from an American raised boy, with American values who served in the modern Israeli army. If you want a detailed account of a recent army experience from a soldier who made it into an elite unit, this book can act as a road map to be able to find one's self in a similar situation. If you want to learn what life is like as an Israeli soldier today, this book will inform you of what it is really like. If you want to learn more about Israel's latest war, this book gives a detailed description of what it was like being at the front lines, and many times behind enemy lines, taking part in vital operations during the war. Anyone interested in learning more about Israel, the Israel - Palestinian conflict, Gaza, 2014 Operation Protective Edge, Lone Soldiers, The Israeli Army, War, Special Forces. What readers are saying: "A gripping account of American Jewish youth's service in an elite unit of the Israeli paratroopers. A must read for young people who are considering serving as a Lone Soldier in the IDF or making aliya to Israel." Michael Oren-Former Ambassador to the United States of America