A BRITISH soldier says she is ready to die to save Israel – and “all of humanity”.
Kinneret Hamburger, 23, is one of 300,000 reservists called up by Israel to fight to defeat Hamas.
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British IDF fighter Kinneret Hamburger, showing off a pair of Union Flag socks, reveals how he is helping to fight Hamas. Credit: Ian Whittaker
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Kinneret — the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor — is a keen Manchester United supporter who regularly visits her family in EnglandCredit: Ian Whittaker
But the Israel Defense Forces lieutenant is clear that this is not just a fight to save Israel from Hamas – it’s a fight to save the Western world.
She said: “These terrorist groups are coming for all of us. If Israel does not defeat Hamas, then the West is next in line.
“You will see terrorist attacks in Trafalgar Square and Oxford Street. It is hard for us to believe that they want to kill us, but they do.
“We are in a fight for all of humanity, so anyone who believes in life must take a stand.
“I wouldn’t call it a world war at this stage, because right now only the IDF is fighting Hamas. But we do it for the benefit of the whole world.”
Kinneret — the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor — is an avid Manchester United fan who regularly visits her family in England.
He has grandparents in Cricklewood, North London and also in Manchester.
Kinneret was due to start her second year of law studies at university – and was looking forward to moving into a new flat the next day – when she was woken early on October 7 by a siren.
She grabbed her phone to check social media for news of the terrorist attack and got an urgent text message from her backup unit that said, “Come to base.”
Kinneret said: “It was a holiday, so I was with my whole family in the hotel when I was woken up by the siren.
“Before I could even check what was going on, I got a text.
“My older brother and his wife — who are also reservists — were also on their way to their bases, as were all my friends.
“I didn’t even pack my bag. I just got in the car and drove away. Mom packed my things at the hotel later.”
The Kinneret now plays a key role in Israel’s war on terror, but cannot reveal operational details for security reasons.
But she was happy to meet The Sun at an outdoor cafe in Tel Aviv to explain why Israel is fighting, not just for its own survival, but for the whole of Western civilization.
As we spoke, five thunders echoed overhead—a loud reminder that this country was at war.
“Iron Dome,” she said, calmly explaining how the country’s anti-missile system had just destroyed incoming Hamas rockets.
The Kinneret reflects the mixed nature of the Israeli military, where 20 percent of combat soldiers are women.
She said: “Many women struggle in combat roles. I read about a female commander whose unit killed 100 terrorists.
“If there is a situation where I have to shoot a gun, then there is no doubt. I have no other choice. Hamas has declared war and we have no choice but to fight for our lives.
“Since Hamas terrorists have been running through our communities with RPGs and Kalashnikovs, we have been in combat roles.
“Some people might find it strange that young women like me are going to war.
“But we grew up with constant sirens, knowing that we were going to do national service and knowing that we were surrounded by people who were training their children from the age of six to kill Jews. I am not only fighting for my life, but for everyone who values life.”
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Smoke billows from the northern part of the Gaza Strip as a result of an Israeli airstrikeCredit: EPA
Kinneret said that Israelis make sacrifices not only for their country, but also for the West.
She said: “That’s why world leaders like Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak are here. They understand that if Israel does not defeat Hamas, the West is next in line.”
Kinneret’s textile engineer mother Maryon, 54, grew up in London and met her economist father Carl, 56, while studying at Manchester University, where he lived.
They dated, broke up and then both immigrated to Israel separately.
They met again, got together, then got married and had four children, three of whom are sons.
They are a close family, but Kinneret was too focused on the war to have an in-depth conversation with her mother.
She said: “Right now I don’t have time to talk about feelings and emotions. I’m just focused on the mission.
“I had a friend who was a soldier in a special unit who was killed in the days after October 7. But I haven’t mourned him yet either. I’ll find time for that later when we win the war.
“My mother is strong, like all Israelis. But she is also a mother who cares for her children, like all mothers. What is she currently? Probably both.”
In times of peace she loved to visit her family in England and go shopping in Oxford Street and stock up on cookies and Cadbury’s chocolate.
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Kinneret was about to start her second year of law studies at the university when she was woken early on October 7 by a siren Credit: Reuters
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The brave student had little time for her family and said: ‘I’m just focused on the mission’ Credit: Ian Whittaker
Kinneret said: “Whenever anyone visits England, they are under strict instructions to bring scones and Cadbury chocolate.”
She added: “I’m very proud of my British roots.” To prove it, she showed a pair of Union Jack socks that she had been wearing because she had run out of pure military-issue ones.
A quick chat about patriotic socks didn’t last long before she was back to the business of war.
She revealed that she considers it a privilege to defend her country, as she spoke of her pride in serving in the IDF.
She said, “It’s me. There is a part of me that is always a soldier. Maybe one day I will be a lawyer, but I will always be an officer in the IDF.”
She empathizes with innocent Palestinians who are suffering a major humanitarian crisis, saying they have been held hostage since Hamas came to power in Gaza nearly 20 years ago.
But she doesn’t have them for the thousands who march in support of Palestine in London and around the world.
She said: “I don’t think there are any words that can explain it. People say ‘we are not anti-Semitic, we are anti-Zionist’ or just against the occupation. Don’t fool us. The basis of this hatred is hatred of Jews. It is anti-Semitic and against the Western world.
“The people in charge of Gaza are training their children to infiltrate Israel and kill us and it breaks my heart. They want me and my fellow Jews dead.
“The liberal west is struggling to understand that they want to kill us, but they do.
“They don’t believe in life like we do. They embrace death and want to take us with them. So people who value life, not death, should take a stand.”
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Source: HIS Education