Elliot Wine, 31-32, is a Canadian from Toronto who “moved from Toronto to Israel at age 21 and enlisted in the IDF’s combat engineering unit in late 2015,” according to The Canadian Jewish News.

In 2017, Wine told the publication: “I grew up going to a Zionist Jewish day school, and a Zionist synagogue weekly, and support for Israel and the Jewish homeland was infused into my daily life. When I met an Israeli soldier for the first time at the age of 14, I was sold. I can’t tell you what his job or name was, nor where he was in the army. All I saw was the green uniform, and I was hooked from then on.”

Wine said that his parents eventually approved of his decision, but that his family and friends in general are not 100 per cent on board: “Not a single person has disowned me – yet – or told me they do not approve of my decision. However, there are many that have stated they would prefer me on the western side of the world where they are sure I can find another way to give to Israel.”

The publication added, “Wine was reluctant to say he’d recommend the experience to someone else, but believes it’s the most character-building process he’s ever been a part of. ‘This is not at all the decision for everyone, but for those who have the head for it, it is something to look back on, even through all the tough times, and be proud of yourself.’”