A 23-year-old German citizen has traveled to Israel to attempt to enlist in the IDF, despite having no Jewish affiliation. Making for an even better twist, the grandparents of this German – identified simply as Edgar – were Nazis during World War II. Edgar, however, was raised to be pro-Israel and has wanted to visit Israel for many years.

Edgar’s desire to take action was sparked by the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. “I was sitting at home watching the Jews go through something resembling the Holocaust. I texted my friends to see if they were okay, but I felt like I had to do something,” he told The Jerusalem Post.

In January, Edgar arrived in Israel and began volunteering and assisting soldiers on various bases. During his visit, he decided that he wanted to enlist in the IDF, but as a non-Jewish foreign citizen, he was refused. Despite rejection, Edgar continued to pursue his goal, traveling to government offices, including the Interior Ministry and the Population and Immigration Authority, only to face further rejection.

Undeterred, Edgar remains determined to enlist in the IDF until his tourist visa expires. “Even if I don’t succeed in enlisting, I have no doubt that I would do it all over again. It was an amazing experience [coming to Israel].”

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