The term "comrades in arms" is not only valid for the military service itself, as Yossi Moskovitsh, 51 a veteran of an elite unit of the Golani brigade, discovered.
Moskovitsh who was wounded during the Second Lebanon War saw his health deteriorate until he was in need of a kidney transplant.
In addition to sustaining physical wounds, he also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD,) which resulted in an outbreak of acute diabetes.
Moskovitsh was recognized as a disabled veteran but his health condition continued to deteriorate, so his brothers in arms in his reserve unit decided to help.
Kfir Goona, who served with Moskovitsh took to Facebook. "Golani is a family, and you do everything for your family. My friends and I are looking for a kidney donation to save the life of a veteran who was injured while saved our lives," he wrote in a post. "Diabetes has led to a deterioration in his kidney condition, and he is in mortal danger. now, I and my friends who owe Yossi our lives, want to find a suitable donner to save his."
"Yossi is a true hero," Goona, 43 said. "In the moment of truth, he did what he had to do to save lives."
Goona said Moskovitsh called his friends to him, shortly before his son's Bar Mitzvah.
"I felt like he was calling us to say goodbye and I couldn't bear it. I knew that when in need of a kidney, time is of the essence," he said.
"I've been a member of the Knesset Guard - an Israeli protective security unit - for over 20 years, and the values I acquired there and back home, made me realize we have to do something. So I said we must help our brother."
Ari Ringer, 40, married and father of four who served in the Golani saw the post.
"The post touched me," Ringer said. "I'm a proud Golani soldier, from a family of four brothers and two nephews who all served in the brigade. I immediately said that I would be happy to see if I could be a match."
When Moskovitsh's sister contacted Ringer to thank him, they found out that their families had been neighbors.
"I told her that I was originally from the Golan Heights, and it turned out that our brothers all studied together in the same school."
Moskovitsh himself studied with my brother," Ringer said. "I've read about kidney transplants and it's something that interested me, so I did the tests and we were a match."
The transplant was performed at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv a week ago by Dr. Jacob Goichman, director of the hospital's transplant unit.
"After the surgery, we took a picture with the brigade flag," Ringer said. "The whole event was very memorable, and the connection I felt was special. It's an indescribable, uplifting feeling. A lot of people thanked me, but I already received my thanks, I felt it in my gut."
Moskovitsh is currently recovering in his home, still trying to get his head around the gesture. "There are no words to describe how excited I was," he said.
"Ever since I was wounded, I've been dealing with PTSD and I felt disconnected. I invited the guys to the Bar Mitzvah because my son had not seen me in uniform, he was born after my injury and I wanted him to know about my military past and to meet my brothers in arms," Moskovitsh said.
"They came and brought joy to the encounter. Even I, who grew up in Golani didn't know how strong the bond of the combat soldiers could be. They recruited the entire Brigade to help me," he said.
After the Facebook post, Moskovitsh received more offers for kidney donation.
"My boot camp commander from 30 years ago, called and told me that he wanted to donate a kidney,' he said. "And after him, 10 other Golani soldiers with the same blood type as mine, contacted me and offered their kidney's too. This brotherhood in arms is something else, Golani is forever, Moskovitsh said.