From Gaza Beach to Bondi Beach

My name is Dr Tuvia Book. I am the oldest combat medic currently serving in Gaza, where I have spent most of the past 10 months with my combat medical extraction unit, Palmar Asaf. To say that coming from the nightmare of war to the peaceful shores of Sydney and Melbourne was a culture shock is an understatement.

Many of my presentations in Australia focused on the work of my particular IDF unit, and the very special men and women who serve in it. It is a reserve medical unit composed of doctors, paramedics, combat medics and combat troops. Our mission is to provide rapid medical response, stabilisation and evacuation for our soldiers.

Tuvia in Gaza. Photo (c) T. Book, 2024

Everyone has come here voluntarily from all over Israel and indeed, all over the globe. They come from all levels of society, religious, and political beliefs. Once we put on the IDF uniform we are here for one purpose, and one purpose alone: to defend our homeland from the scourge of Hamas. We are all focused on what we have in common, and not what divides us. United by one desire to destroy the evil forces who sowed terror and death upon Israel on the Black Saturday of October 7.

My presentations “Down Under” in addition to focusing on the technical side of how we manage to evacuate wounded soldiers from the field and have them in a hospital in less than an hour due to the speed, efficiency, professionalism and technology deployed, also focused on the daily life of our unit, including my unit’s evacuation of Fauda star Idan Amedi.

Amedi was unresponsive and not breathing when we started our desperate, and thankfully ultimately successful attempts of resuscitation and evacuation. From our daily routine of constant call up, treatment (sometimes under hostile fire) and evacuation, both in ambulances and the helicopters of the 669 unit, whilst constantly moving around with 35kg of combat and medical gear, including ceramic plates and Kevlar helmets, to chilling on Bondi Beach is a study in contrasts.

Tuvia at Bondi Beach. Photo (c) T. Book, 2024

In two weeks of non-stop Israel advocacy and education here in the antipodes I have had the honour to speak at almost every Jewish day school, at numerous synagogues, and parlour meetings in both Melbourne and Sydney.

Unless you have been in a war zone, it is hard to describe the experience. Our unit is based on the border with Gaza, and we await orders to enter the territory and treat and extract wounded soldiers. The contrast between the adrenaline, noise, dust, chaos, exposure to danger in Gaza to the tranquillity of St Kilda and Bondi beaches, the natural beauty, and the laid-back lifestyle in Australia couldn’t be more complete.

There is a very strong bond between the Jewish community in Australia and the Jewish state, I feel it on my frequent visits here. Australian day schools invest heavily, both financially and time-wise, in Zionist education, and the results are laudable. Most send their year 10 students to Israel to experience the Zionist dream in the Jewish homeland firsthand. All have dedicated staff members on both the formal and informal levels.

I  presented in Melbourne at the Zionist Federation of Australia educators’ conference, Mount Scopus, Yavneh and King David schools, in addition to DaMinyan, Mizrachi and Toorak (MHC) synagogues. In Sydney I presented at Moriah, Emanuel, Masada and Kesser Torah schools, in addition to Mizrachi, Central, Kehilat Masada, Adass, Tzemach Tzedek and Chabad synagogues. The warmth, hospitality, generosity, support and Zionist passion of this very special community has been overwhelming.

Tuvia presenting at the Central Synagogue in Sydney. Photo (c) T. Book, 2024

I was privileged to be in Australia to witness one of the most incredible displays of Jewish unity and togetherness I have ever seen. During the current “Swords of Iron” war in Israel the Jewish world has been united in thought and deed out of concern for our Jewish homeland once again being forced into a “war without choice”. It was a unity centred on worry and anguish, as well as pride and thankfulness for the IDF.

One of the prime goals of my presentations was to inform the Australian audiences what is happening beyond the “doom and gloom” headlines of the mainstream media. I wanted to share with them “through a soldier’s eyes” the unified spirit of a nation that refuses, despite the Hamas wave of evil and global epidemic of antisemitism, to be cowed into submission.

I wanted to thank them for their financial generosity, and in proving true the adage that we are indeed “Am echad b’lev echad” (One nation with one heart).

I wanted to remind them that there is light in the darkness.