Efraim (Efi) Talbi
The first Israeli prisoner in Lebanon war
Israel
English, Hebrew
Efraim (Efi) Talbi was the 1st Israeli prisoner in Lebanon war, 1982. 10 days later, in a battle against the IDF, he managed to dodge and move to the right side. A fascinating lecture! It can be presented in one long part, or in two parts.
First part – Mom, It's me !
Efi's remarkable story starts on June 6th, 1982, when he was ordered to get to the battlefield while being trained to be a platoon leader in the 450 paratroopers' battalion at the beginning of the First Lebanon War.
Efi served as the radio man of the Officer in command of an armored personnel carrier (APC) when an R. P. G rocket hit their vehicle. As a result, the vehicle caught fire and exploded. Efi jumped into a tunnel but was captured by a terrorists’ ambush.
From here, what unfolds is a captivating story filled with surging emotions including fear, trepidation and imminent death. Efi’s hand was shattered and he was dragged from one terrorist shelter to another. The entire time Efi was closely supervised by his captives until the unexpected confrontation with Israeli forces.
In a courageous move, Efi succeeded in contacting Israeli troopers and he escaped from his captors.
Second part – Capturer, Captive and everything between them
During the captivity, Efi makes a special connection with one of the capturers. in his lecture, Efi talks about the human relationship that has been evolved between them, the impossible connection and the conflict that goes above all borders. He talks about how in a blink of an eye he became capturer instead of a captive, and how he did not forget Muhammad, who secretly washed his face and let him drink. Since then, their connection never really broke.
In his fascinating lecture, Efi describes his personal story, that except of being a heroic story, it is a story about a 19-year-old boy, his recruitment to the IDF, about humanity and about the life in Israel. It is a story about special people who can change reality.