Page 43 - HaMizrachi Yom HaAtzmaut AUS 2021

Mordechai, his wife and two children If they raised their heads, the snipers
had fulfilled their lifelong dream and would shoot. Yet they couldn’t stay
made aliyah only five years earlier there without ammunition.
from Algeria. Upon arriving in Israel, “Get behind me,” Yaakov told his men.
24-year-old Mordechai enlisted in the Alone Against the Enemy Yaakov covered for his fellow soldiers
army, where he served for three months as one by one they rolled back into a
before being assigned to the reserves. June 9th, 1967. ditch behind him.
On the third day of the Six-Day War, The fifth day of the Six-Day War. The Yaakov was left alone, with no one to
Mordechai was making the rounds Syrians were firing from the Golan. cover for him.
between Gaza and Beer Sheva, supply- Yaakov Girschfeld, a rookie squad com-
ing soldiers with critical equipment. On mander, was given the order to advance. Crawling sideways, he quickly rolled
one of his rides, he saw the truck ahead The mission: conquer the Syrian out- into another ditch.
of him driving straight ahead instead of post Tel Faher, a strategic point in the A ditch he and his team had not cleared
turning at the junction as it should have. Golan, from where the IDF would of enemy soldiers.

Mordechai honked his horn but it was conquer the rest of the Heights. The And there, looking into his eyeballs, was
too late… plan: loop around the outpost and take a Syrian soldier.
it from behind.
The truck had driven over a mine. Yaakov shot first, beating his foe by a
Without thinking twice, Mordechai As soon as they began their mission, millisecond. Grabbing his enemy’s gun,
jumped out of his own truck and ran things did not go as planned. Yaakov Yaakov dashed through the ditch until
to rescue the soldiers trapped in the and his men were met with Syrian fire, he reached his comrades. He helped
blazing vehicle. He dragged the driv- and soon the path was blocked by an them evacuate the wounded before
er’s escort 10 meters to safety, then abandoned Israeli tank. returning to fight until Tel Faher was
returned for the driver. His arms were “Take it by foot, Yaakov!” under Israeli control.
burning and he realized the enemy was
now shooting at him. The soldiers planted explosives to
demolish the fence, then bravely
Mordechai could save himself and take jumped into the ditches, shooting at
cover, or continue to try and free the enemy soldiers. The team had managed
driver, whose legs to clear 200 meters of ditch when they
were still stuck under the gas pedal. “I came upon what seemed like an empty
knew I couldn’t leave him there,” said building. Ordered to clear the building
Mordechai. and take it by force, the soldiers began
to climb out of the ditches... straight
Pulling with all his might, under heavy
fire, Mordechai freed the driver and into Syrian fire.
dragged him to safety, minutes before Yaakov and his comrades dived back
the truck exploded. down and returned fire, but they were
soon running low on ammunition.
After the war, Mordechai Attia received
a decoration for his bravery. They were trapped.

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