Obituary: Israeli soldier Meir Har-Tzion

Article: Meir Har-Tzion passed way this weekend. He was one of Israel's most fearless soldiers. He wrote books, studied by Israeli soldiers, about always completing your mission no matter what, how to fight alone at night, retaliation, never abandoning a fellow soldier, and loving the Land of Israel. As a soldier, he is legendary for his bravery. He was raised on a kibbutz and loved to hike. In the 1950s, he went out to hike into Syria with his sister, Shoshana. They were kidnapped by Bedouin and jailed in Syria for weeks. Also in the 1950s, he hiked by himself into Jordan to visit the ancient city of Petra. In 1954, his sister Shoshana and a friend were killed while hiking in the Judean desert. Har-Tzion left the army, set out with some friends and weapons, snuck into Jordan, caught 5 men from the tribe that had killed his sister, and killed 4 of the men, leaving the 5th alive to tell the story. He was jailed upon his return from Israel and suspended from the army. Later on, he was shot in the throat during a cross-border raid and saved by emergency field surgery. He fought in several of Israel's wars and died in old age, as one of Israel's most courageous warriors.

Discussion:

• What do you think of his actions as a soldier? 
• Which of the stories do you find most shocking? Why?