Alan – August 16

— Joining a Jerusalem patrol by the Jordanian border.
— Patrol was well-armed along with dogs that understood Hebrew.
— Speaking to Arabs in “only language they understand: guns & bullets.”


An Israeli jeep patrol in the 1950’s.
The man sitting next to the driver looks very similar to Bob Jacobs!

Private
August 16, 1957 Friday afternoon
Dear Alan,

This letter is really private and is not to be shown to Dad or Mom. OK? Please.

Here goes. Wednesday night I went in a border patrol car near Jerusalem & Ramat Rachel & Ein Kerem. We were well armed and had huge dogs that only understand Hebrew with us. They could kill a person in a second. The border guard introduced me to the dog & then after I spoke Hebrew, we were friends.

That was Sunday, but Monday really topped it off. It seems that the Arabs near the northern part of Israel near Lake Galilee had started up with the Jews, so last night Israel attacked the fort where the Arabs came from and destroyed the whole place. So today there wasn’t an Arab in the whole section. I took the Israeli knife I bought you and went with the troops to look at the destroyed fort and take whatever was usable.

Dear Alan – wait till you see the picture of this mess. In this section they won’t attack again.

Three big cheers for Israel, they know how to speak to the Arabs in the only language they understand -guns & bullets.

Wish you could be here. Your Best Pal & Brother,
Bob

Comments:

Private
August 16, 1957 Friday afternoon

It is clear why this letter was reserved for Alan’s eyes, and not my grandparents. My father obviously didn’t want his parents to know that he was going on security patrols with the Israel army.
I am very curious how these letters meant for Alan were found together in the same box with the rest of the letters that I discovered in my grandparents’ basement. Did Alan actually keep them private? And if he did, for how long?

“I went in a border patrol car near Jerusalem & Ramat Rachel & Ein Kerem. We were well armed”
In 1957, Ein Kerem and Ramat Rachel were in the part of Jerusalem controlled by Israel, but they were located along the border with Jordan, and there were constant shootings across the border. No wonder my father didn’t want his parents to see his letters!

“Three big cheers for Israel, they know how to speak to the Arabs in the only language they understand -guns & bullets.”
This is the mentality of the Middle East and many Westerners don’t understand it.