Two Israeli Soldiers' Ordeal: From Battlefields to Bourbon Street

Can you imagine surviving intense battles at home only to face terror abroad? That's what happened to two Israeli soldiers in their mid-20s. After facing Hamas and Hezbollah, they traveled to the US for a break. Little did they know, their holiday would take a dark turn. On New Year's Day, they were severely injured in a terror attack on Bourbon Street, New Orleans. An Israeli consul revealed this tragic twist of fate. The soldiers were in critical condition, with one needing multiple life-saving surgeries. The other, initially intubated, was stabilized after a few days. They were hit by a pickup truck driven by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an ISIS supporter. These soldiers had served over a year in the Israel Defense Forces reserves. Their trip to the US was meant to be a relaxing escape. Instead, they found themselves victims of terror again, this time far from home.

The families of the soldiers rushed to be by their sides. The local Jewish community, about 12, 000 strong, provided support. The father of one critically injured soldier expressed hope for a swift recovery. Consul Elad Shoshan found the irony bitter. He noted how violence can travel from one place to another. The attack in New Orleans echoed the chant, "Globalize the intifada, " heard in New York City on the same day. Shoshan felt both countries were fighting the same enemy. He warned that unless this ideology was completely eradicated, more attacks would follow. He compared it to fighting a fire, emphasizing the need to fully extinguish it to prevent reoccurrence.

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