While working I’ve had the TV on for background noise. One of the programs I’ve had on, and occasionally actually paid attention to, is “Age of Tanks” on Netflix. This is a new documentary series on, as may be obvious, the tank. It appears to be a French series, but it’s in English (interviews with lots of folks… English, French, Russian, German, American, Israeli so far). It’s actually pretty interesting.
The third episode includes, among others, the Yom Kippur War, which featured Egyptian and Syrian tanks invading Israel on a holiday when they knew that most of Israel – including the military – would be off the job. The documentary interviewed an Israeli tanker who fought that day, who said this (translated into English):
“We fought with our backs to Auschwitz.”
That’s… that’s a hell of a way to put it. And it sums up Israels defense – and need for defense – succinctly.