Embracing the Enemy: The Inside Story of Israel’s Secret Humanitarian Mission to Rescue Syrian Civilians from Civil War

Between the years 2013-2018, the Israel Defense Forces ("IDF") carried out the largest humanitarian operation in its history and one of the largest that any army has ever carried out. The operation, called the "Good Neighbor" saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Syrian citizens who suffered from the civil war raging in their country, either by providing care to their children in Israeli hospitals, or through the supply of hundreds of thousands of tons of humanitarian food and equipment.
In the book, the author describes his experiences with the hundreds of meetings with the Syrian citizens and aid organizations; how the unit was established under conditions of uncertainty and a significant lack of information; how trust was built with the various players involved in the project; the essence of partnership; why you should never rest on your "laurels"; and, what is the meaning of thinking "outside the box".

Lt. Col. (Res.) Eyal Dror served 24 years in the Israel Defense Forces in coordination and liaison roles in the Palestinian arena and as commander of the "Good Neighbor" operation in the Golan Heights. He is a doctoral student at Haifa University in the Department of Education and Leadership and an international lecturer on Middle East issues, humanitarian aid, cooperation and trust building.