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In this episode, Dr. Yagil Henkin, a military historian and a researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, joins the podcast to discuss the nature of heroism in armed conflicts. The conversation covers the definitions of heroism, its expressions in the modern era, its moral context, and the ways it is commemorated.
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Two types of heroism
According to Yagil Henkin, a distinction can be made between a Western and a non-Western concept of warfare. While in many tribal societies combat was personal and designed to display individual courage, the Western concept, from the Roman legion to the present day, emphasizes mass, coordinated combat in which each soldier is required to fulfill their duty as part of a system.
However, even within this organized framework, there is room for personal heroism, which has two main types. The first type is heroism within the scope of an order, where a soldier is required to perform an especially dangerous mission, far beyond what is expected of a regular soldier. An example of this is the first soldier to breach a wall in a Roman siege, or Eitan Naveh at Ammunition Hill, who provided cover for his comrades while completely exposed to enemy fire. The second type of heroism occurs when the plan goes wrong and the system collapses. In such a situation, the hero is the one who understands the new circumstances, takes initiative, and performs a dangerous action to save the day, without a direct order.
“The younger generation is getting weaker”?
Boris asks if it is harder to expect acts of heroism in the modern, individualistic era. Henkin explains that the saying “the younger generation is getting weaker” is a recurring phenomenon throughout Israel’s history. He mentions the “espresso generation” of the 1960s, who were considered spoiled and hedonistic but fought heroically in the Six-Day War. According to him, even before the current war, some criticized the fighting spirit of the younger generation, but reality proved otherwise.
Henkin argues that in Israel, despite individualism, there is a strong sense of belonging to the collective, to one’s comrades in arms, and to the state. This feeling is what motivates many people to run into the battlefield rather than away from it. He notes that although the immediate motivation on the battlefield is fighting for the comrades to your right and left, what brings the soldiers to the battlefield in the first place is a deeper sense of belonging.
Heroism and moral context
Henkin addresses the tendency to confuse courage with moral righteousness. He mentions Yeshayahu Leibowitz, who used to point out that there were brave people on the Nazi side as well. According to Henkin, courage is a quality that does not indicate the righteousness of the cause. He argues that even among Hamas terrorists there are acts of courage, for example, when a terrorist single-handedly charges a tank. Acknowledging the enemy’s courage does not mean justifying their actions, but rather understanding reality.
He distinguishes between courage and heroism. Courage is the ability to overcome fear and act under fire. Heroism, in our perception, is an exceptional act of courage performed for a positive cause. Therefore, a Hamas fighter who charges in to murder a family might be considered a hero by his comrades, but in our eyes, he will remain a villain. The heroism we value combines two components: exceptional courage and a contribution to a worthy cause.
Commemorating heroism
In the past, for example after World War I, the commemoration of war was mainly collective, as evidenced by monuments like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. However, in recent years, partly due to the influence of television and cinema, there is a growing tendency to focus on personal stories. Henkin gives the example of the immense popularity of Easy Company from World War II following the series “Band of Brothers,” which turned the battle sites where they fought into pilgrimage destinations.
Another trend is the focus on stories of heroism involving saving lives, like the story of the medic Desmond Doss in the film “Hacksaw Ridge,” over stories of heroism of fighters who killed enemies. According to Henkin, modern society is sometimes more comfortable identifying with heroism that does not involve killing.
Decorations for heroism in Israel and the world
Boris notes that Israel is considered “stingy” in awarding decorations compared to other armies like the U.S. military. Henkin explains that this stems from a more socialist and egalitarian tradition, and from the absence of “campaign medals” given for the mere participation in a war. It took the IDF years to formalize its system of decorations and citations.
Henkin points to a change in the nature of the decorations. In the Second Lebanon War, for example, the vast majority of decorations were given for rescue and saving lives in situations that went wrong, not for the outstanding execution of a successful mission. He argues that there is a tendency to overlook “gray” heroism, the perfect execution of a mission, because it is perceived as self-evident.
Regarding the current war, Henkin speculates that the reason for the delay in awarding citations stems from several factors: the desire to thoroughly investigate all events, the fear of controversies surrounding the distribution, and the fact that there are so many acts of heroism that a concern exists that mass distribution would devalue the decoration.
The original episode, in Hebrew: גבורה