and a cloth over his face - with a thick layer of dust over everything. The weapons too are covered in dust. A miracle they still work.

The jeeps race along at over 100 kilometers per hour. We are within range of the enemy, who are still shooting at us. But there is almost no chance that we will be hit. Speed is the best armor. With both hands I hold onto my hat, my rifle, and the radio. The muscles of my forehead are aching from squinting, and my eyes are red and watering.

The wadi once more. We position ourselves to give covering fire if necessary. This time we get across quicker. We have learned from experience. In Ekron⁴ there is a little soldiers’ club. Two cute girls are sitting there as we come in, and they get quite a shock from our appearance, covered in dirt and dust from head to foot, but then they laugh. Hearing their laugh, we forget our tiredness. We drink lemon-ade and beer and feel like heroes. The jeeps with their dust-encrusted weapons look as though they have been through a heavy battle. What a great impression!

Back to the base. We have only two things in our heads: a cold shower and bed. We have been spoiled by the ceasefire. It is about time we accustomed ourselves again to the rigors of combat.

* * *

Ceasefire...

One of our duties forced us to spend some days in Camp Sarafand.⁵ There we had the chance to live alongside the Palmach people. The bat-talions of the Harel Brigade were stationed there. Relations between us and the Palmach were rather curious. At the beginning of the war we got annoyed at the attention all their actions attracted, while hardly anyone showed any interest in us.

But as time went on we began to like the Palmach on account of the attitude of their soldiers and their discipline. Friendly relations devel-oped between the Givati brigade and the Harel, Yiftach, and Sergei brigades after we had fought side by side in several operations. This mutual sympathy was also based on a similar attitude to military hier-archy and discipline.

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