Together in War; Together in Prayer

On Friday morning, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issued a call that reflected the unusual reality of the current war: American soldiers fighting alongside Israel. Hours later, the conflict would reach his own family when his son was lightly wounded during operational activity on the Lebanese border.

Earlier in the day, Smotrich called on synagogues across Israel to include American troops in the traditional Sabbath prayers for soldiers.

In a post published Friday morning on his X account, the minister urged worshipers to pray not only for the Israel Defense Forces but also for the American soldiers now participating in the campaign.

“This Sabbath in our synagogues we will pray for the safety of the soldiers of the IDF and for the safety of the soldiers of the United States,” he wrote.

Smotrich noted that American forces are fighting alongside Israel in a shared mission. “US soldiers are fighting by our side, shoulder to shoulder, with great self-sacrifice, to save the State of Israel and for the peace of the entire world.”

השבת בבתי הכנסת נתפלל לשלום חיילי צה”ל ולשלום חיילי ארה”ב.
🇮🇱🇺🇸

לוחמי ארה”ב נלחמים לצידנו כתף אל כתף במסירות נפש גדולה להצלת מדינת ישראל ולשלום העולם כולו. נתפלל להצלחתם ולשלומם בעת הוצאת ספר התורה בבתי הכנסת שריבונו של עולם יצליח בידם שלא תיפול שערה משערות ראשם. אמן!

>>
מִי… pic.twitter.com/o3ilwnVZkF

— בצלאל סמוטריץ’ (@bezalelsm) March 6, 2026

He added that the prayer should be recited during the traditional moment when the Torah scroll is taken out of the ark in synagogues before reading the weekly portion.

“We will pray for their success and their safety when the Torah scroll is taken out in the synagogues,” he wrote, asking that “the Master of the Universe grant success to their efforts and that not a single hair fall from their heads. Amen.”

The wording echoes the spirit of the well-known Jewish prayer for soldiers, commonly recited in synagogues:
“May He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob bless the soldiers who stand guard over our land and our cities… May the Holy One, blessed be He, protect them and deliver them from every trouble and distress, from every plague and illness, and send blessing and success in all the work of their hands.”

In Need of Prayer Himself

But as Israelis prepared for Sabbath prayers that would include American troops, Smotrich revealed that the war had personally touched his own family.

Later that day, the minister announced that his son had been injured during military activity along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

According to the statement, the incident occurred during operational activity by IDF forces near the northern border, an area where security operations have intensified in recent weeks as part of efforts to protect Israeli communities and secure the frontier.

The circumstances of the incident have not yet been fully disclosed, though officials familiar with the matter said the injury was minor.

In a brief statement released to the media, the Minister informed the public: “The son of Minister Bezalel Smotrich was injured during military activity on the Lebanese border. Thank God his condition is light and he is okay.”

The episode underscored the deeply personal reality of this war, in which Israelis and Americans now stand side by side on the battlefield—and in prayer—sharing not only the mission of defending freedom, but also the risks and sacrifices borne by the families of those who serve.