LIPSON: Taking The Fight To Hamas — One Can Of Tuna At A Time 

In George Patton’s famous address to the U.S. Third Army, he told his troops that when their grandchildren asked them what they did in World War II, they wouldn’t have to say they “shoveled sh*t in Louisiana.”

When my grandkids ask me what I did to help Israel in the great war against Hamas, I know just what I’ll say. That’s because, thanks to the efforts of Sar-El — The National Project for Volunteers for Israel — I and thousands more like me have been given the privilege of volunteering in support of the Israel Defense Forces.

Since Hamas’ depraved and cowardly attack on Israeli civilians, undisguised antisemitism is on the march in cities and universities across the world. This disturbing trend is well reported, and it must be condemned unequivocally.

Less well reported is the broad international support Israel receives through Sar-El, a nonprofit service organization affiliated with the IDF. Instead of marching in the streets, Sar-El volunteers have been marching to IDF bases to contribute to Israel’s defense. It’s a global effort: since its founding in 1983, the group has attracted recruits from more than 60 countries.

Sar-El provides non-combatant logistics for the IDF, mostly packing meals, medical kits, and ceramic vests for the troops. Armies march on their stomachs, and Sar-El feeds about 20,000 troops a day. This frees up reservists to do the really important work — taking the fight to Hamas.

Service with Sar-El runs in the family. My father volunteered during the 1991 Gulf War, as Iraq goaded Israel with missile attacks. When Israel began its war against the Hamas terrorists, I knew my turn had come.

During my three weeks as a volunteer, I worked with 270 people — rich and poor, young and old — from 15 countries. And it’s not just diaspora Jews who serve. About one-third of the volunteers in my group were not Jewish.

The work is mundane but extraordinarily rewarding. I wish everyone had the opportunity to mingle with IDF soldiers like I did. I’ve never run across a more selfless, diverse, and dedicated group of people. Their resolve is inspiring, and they know exactly why they are fighting.

Wrong-headed progressives spouting off about Israeli “settler colonialism” and “white supremacy” should spend some time with these fearless young men and women. They come from all over, and they are of every hue. They fight as Israelis in defense of the Jewish homeland.

The need for volunteers is great, and Israel has no better friend than America. To raise Sar-El’s U.S. profile, I and others just launched American Friends of Sar-El. In addition to aiding the group’s good work, we will provide educational opportunities and battle antisemitism on college campuses, social media, and mainstream media. Sadly, there is a great need for that too.

So when my grandkids ask me what I did during the war against Hamas, I’ll tell them with no little pride that I stood at a conveyor belt and wedged fig bars between cans of tuna for the IDF. It beats shoveling sh*t, and it supports a just cause.

I hope more Americans will join Sar-El in their noble and important efforts in defense of Israel.

Mr. Lipson is a partner in a Washington DC law firm and the President of American Friends of Sar El.