IN 1945, our unit was stationed in an olive grove next to the town of Haifa.

We were engaged as a peaceful "buffer" between the warring factions and part of our duty was a dawn patrol on the railway line which ran alongside the coast.

One night, our men were called upon to quell a break-out from a camp occupied by European refugees. We found a peaceful solution and order was restored.

Experience indicates that a disciplined unit will always ensure stability in a troubled country. The present situation in Israel is like a volcano where an eruption is both unpredictable and inevitable.

The sadness is that this beautiful, historic and religious land is being ravaged by people lusting for power.

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(8th Army).