Beyond Borders

The mother of all surprises paid me a visit the other day. A friend of mine that I knew in college, who had emigrated to Israel called me up on the phone. I wonder where from he got my number. Not that I am so high profile that everybody knows me or something. But I was too humble to even think that this friend of mine would remember if I were alive.

He had join the special forces of the Israeli Army and had taken part in various operations in the not so distant past. We spoke like the soldiers we were and shared many tiny bits of information.

I learned that Benjamin Netanyahu, it is not some friend I am talking about but the erstwhile PM of Israel, is the brother of the officer and the lone casualty in the famous Raid on Entebbe. And we shared some more gossip as to how we both got nearly beaten up black and blue in some place and more walking down memory's lane sort of thing.

He tells me that the Hezbollah and the Hamas is thickly involved with the Iranian army and that from some slain foes in operation he personally found "dog tags" of the Iranian soldiers. Apart from the classified info that he shared with me speaking to me in our mother tongue lest he was pulled up by the Mossad we chatted on and on.

Friends they may not remain in your vicinity but sure do remain in our thoughts. At times like the one I face now, Iam glad that friends do remember us in their thoughts..

I pray he doesnt become one of the bodybags that return home from a sojourn into the West Bank or Gaza Strip..