I'm a British soldier and I'm here to tell you a few things about the British and the Jews.

I'm a Tommy boy; about to end my contract in a few months. I'm currently in Afghanistan.<br><br>I've been an avid reader of this sub for a while, but I've never commented. I just want to share a few things I've observed whilst in the forces. British veterans may or may not agree with me, but this is my experience:<br><br>There is a lot of support for Israel among the military; at least with my unit and the people I know. I'm not sure what it is, but we tend to admire the Israeli military and the way your country is structured. I guess it might be the fact that Israel's survival is dependent on the military and that every able bodied man and woman must at some time serve in it, thus making it an integral part of society. The British military, not so much (our survival isn't really threatened by hostile external forces like yours is). I personally also believe that Israel is doing the right thing and I've got no problem with religion (I'm an atheist, by the way). I also have a great interest in history; I'm pretty sure that your country was there first.<br><br>There is a lot of negative sentiment among the military towards Palestinians; I think this is mainly due to the fact that we all watch the news and see what the Palestinian factions do. I'll be dead before I call them terrorists, but it's pretty hard for them to have any sympathy from the average Tommy (maybe not American soldiers as much, as they seem to be far more religious than us Limeys). They just don't have a good reputation with us.<br><br>Then, of course, there are the Muslims who serve. There are a few in my unit, and it's true what they say: they're not usually the most popular guys. I've met a few decent ones, but the majority are just untrustworthy. I personally don't like Islam as a religion, but I accept that the radical elements don't represent the entire faith. I've had pleasant conversations with the few Muslim lads and I don't think there's a problem with Islam, I think there's a problem with radical Islamists. I do, however, think that there is a conflict to be had in the future. I don't know how the situation is in America, but in Britain you'll notice that some of the main cities are quickly being overrun with Muslims who don't really have a great reputation and certainly don't integrate well with British society. I'm not trying to sound prejudiced or xenophobic, it's just the truth. Radical elements will grow and then there will be a problem.<br><br>We've got a lot of 'foreigners' (for lack of a better term) in the British military. It's mainly Caribbeans and Africans to be honest, with more than a few Middle Eastern and South Asian lads. The last two groups are usually Muslims, and it's not great. I served with one '(Pakistani?) Muslim who was pretty much a racist towards 'white' people. I'm not sure he realized that I'm Middle Eastern as well (I'm Iranian). Not all of them are like that, of course.<br><br>I think the British military may try to move more towards the Israeli model; at least in regards to recruitment and training. It's already happening. I joined in 2019, and I remember my training being a lot harder than my older friends who joined in the early 2010s. I'm just a soldier, though, not anyone of authority, so what do I know? I think Prince William once said something along the lines, though. He said the British military needs to be more meritocratic like the Israeli military, where career progression and promotions are more based on merit than on time in service.<br><br>I don't think there is any real conflict between the UK government and Israel. There is a lot of trade and the British government would never come out in support of the Palestinians. Britain is a secular country, without a doubt, and religion holds little influence over policy. I hate to say it, but the British government is a bit of a lapdog to the US government. I'm not sure if there's a reason why the US government gives Israel so much money, especially when the US has so many internal problems. I'm not American, so I don't care. I do know that the British government has come out in support of Israel multiple times when the US hasn't. We're not really allies, but we're not enemies either. I think the British government realizes how important Israel is in the Middle East, and believe me, the Israelis do a fantastic job keeping the lid down on all the surrounding countries.<br><br>Sorry if you found this a bit of a meander, I'm very tired right now. Love you guys, you're incredible. <br><br>Ziv Chai, Yisrael Chai.<br><br>&#x200B;