Growing up I was not a very big boy at all. I was not very tall either. I was actually pretty skinny and wasn’t all buff with muscles. This worried me as my army service approached. I believe it had less to do with who I saw around me, as most of the other guys weren’t very big either despite the training we went through to prepare for our army service. Those who were big and buff and who were considered the ones who will be given the opportunity to serve in special combat elite units and who will have no problem making it through their army service, weren’t that many. We all knew it would be tough in the army physically and mentally, and knowing our size did not help.
I reckon, the images of US soldiers and marines, as we have seen them on TV and in the movies, instilled in us the understanding that indeed size does matter. On screen, soldiers and Marines are always big, pumped, and badasses. And here I was, a skinny little guy, eighteen years old, about to enlist in the Israeli army, and I did not resemble them at the least. I joined a combat infantry unit and served for three years. I am here to give testimony – size is not everything, though it could come in handy at times. Much has been written about motivation and mental status to overcome hardship, and after all I accomplished as a small soldier, I totally get it. Yet, the notion that size matters is very strong in western society. Many times abilities are judged based on their appearance, and often we take a variety of measures in order to appear larger than life, in whatever sector we find important.
A couple years back during a visit to the United States I had an opportunity to visit friends in Virginia Beach. I was invited there to talk about Israel and to teach in a couple private schools throughout Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Richmond. My domestic flight left BWI on an early Sunday morning, southbound towards Norfolk airport. It was a morning flight and the skies were clear. The flight was not at a very high altitude and looking out the window I could see magnificent rivers running through the country and into the Atlantic Ocean. I have never been to this part of the United States before and knew little about the area and the community that lives there. My knowledge regarding the area’s army and naval bases was limited. Yet, I looked forward to seeing my friends and further understanding the Jewish community and the community at large.
After the short service of drinks and refreshments, the flight attendant declared that we were preparing for landing, and everyone must sit down and fasten their seatbelts. As we began to descend, I could see the Atlantic ocean from out of my window and the outline of the urban cities along its shores drawing inland. What really drew my attention was the shipyards, and the ships that were docked in them. It was not the civilian ships that caught my attention, but the naval ships. Below, in a line, American naval aircraft carriers were docked, a site I have never seen before, except for in the movies of course. I remember looking at their size and thinking to myself, “Oh my gosh, they are enormous!” Enormous, I was thinking gigantic. Knowing Israel keeps the numbers of its troops and its forces secret, in addition to being an infantry soldier and not serving in the Israeli navy, I still came to the conclusion that an educated guess would very much bring me to assume that the entire Israeli naval force could fit on just one of these ships. That is the moment you realize that maybe, just maybe, size does matter.
No matter what angle you take, the State of Israel is small. Some would say tiny. With a land mass of 8,367 sq mi, just a bit bigger than the State of New Jersey. Just for the sake of comparison, if we had to, the State of Israel would fit into the United States more than 460 times, and another 480 times into Canada. For a good laugh, one could say that we compensate for our size by calling our tiny lake Kinneret – the Sea of Galilee. The population of the State of Israel in 2022 is just shy of 9.5 million. Again, in comparison the United States is about to reach the 335 million mark, making its population 35 times more than Israel. Once you understand size, you can begin to consider and understand challenges. For example, the size of Israel’s domestic market. With such a small market it is not always easy to find companies willing to compete, thus product prices in Israel are in comparison high. On the other hand, the price of modern, cutting edge products are not profitable in such a small economy, hence Israeli companies plan and execute in the global market from day one. Taking Israel’s size into account the global impact it has is a true wonder, and in its time frame, 75 years, it is a miracle.
If we go back to the security and military angle, Israel is very small compared to its challenges. First, the country itself is small with very long land borders with neighboring countries, some hostile. Between the borders and the civilian population, there is almost no gap, leaving at times no strategic depth for the military to do its job. Even though there is compulsory conscription, and many years of reserve duty, in absolute numbers, we are small compared to our surroundings. And yet we prevail. One might ask how this is possible, and many conclusions could be drawn. But one thing is certain – size is not everything. Not only is Israel small but its military confrontations for the past seventy-five years have all been close to home, or one would say in its backyard. And as such, its military logistic trail, as hard as it is during the war, is short.
Now, what about those aircraft carriers? They are big. Not because everything in America is big, something every outsider can’t ignore. It is not only because of the size of the US military forces that absolute numbers might be higher than the total number of Israeli citizens. There is no doubt that it also has to do with the fact that the United States, as a global superpower fighting to defend democratic values, fights its battles a long way from home. It has been years since the US defended its backyard borders. Unfortunately, the horrific attack on 9/11 that struck on US soil, reviled that modern terrorism tactics exceeded all borders. And yet, the US war launched on terrorism following the attack took place a long way from home. Not only were many troops involved, but it was also halfway around the world. And that my friends require a serious logistic trail. The US aircraft carriers, floating military bases, are humongous. And as a global superpower carrying out missions all over the world- size does matter.
When I consider the physical size of Israel, the size of its population, and its economics it is clear – Israel punches above its weight.
