A Druze IDF veteran reflects on Oct. 7—and fears for the future of his community

The CJN Daily with Ellin Bessner

Nohad Mansour, a 22-year-old combat veteran of the Israel Defense Forces, is keeping a close eye on developments back home in Israel—especially his native Druze village of Isfiya, overlooking Haifa. With the prospect of an imminent Iranian-led attack on Israel this week, the region, close to the Lebanese border, is a likely target for Hezbollah. His community is still grieving after a Hezbollah rocket exploded into a soccer field in the Druze city of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights ten days ago, killing 12 young people. But Mansour’s combat days are over for now. During his mandatory army service which ended in August 2023, the young paratrooper damaged his hearing while under fire patrolling in the West Bank. Although he insisted on returning to the field after Oct. 7—and spent time inside Gaza battling Hamas terrorists and searching for hostages—he’s now under doctor’s orders to recuperate from a diagnosis of PTSD. For the young veteran, that means an extended visit to Canada where his sister is doing her PhD, and where Mansour started telling his story to Canadian Jews. You’ll hear that story on today’s episode of The CJN Daily, including why he fought for Israel—and how he plans to continue the fight in the battlefield of public opinion.

What we talked about

• Nohad Mansour’s friend Netta Epstein, 21, was killed in K’far Aza on Oct. 7 when he jumped on top of a grenade thrown by Hamas into the safe room he shared with his girlfriend, in The CJN
• Read how K’far Aza resident Hagar Brodutch and her three children survived 51 days in Hamas captivity, in The CJN
• Meet the first Druze IDF Surgeon General, and hear how the leader of the Druze in Israel visited Toronto, in The CJN archives

Credits

• Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) [e-mail]
• Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
• Music: Dov Beck-Levine

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