'It's war. Anything could happen': Former IDF member to make one-way trip from RDU to Israel after Hamas attacks

A man from the Triangle is returning to Israel for the first time in four decades to help with the war effort.

Gadi Adelman studied counterterrorism for nearly his entire life. When Hamas attacked his home country, he felt the need to help.

Early Sunday morning, Adelman will make his way to Raleigh-Durham International Airport to hop on a plane. Eventually, he will land in Tel Aviv. As of Friday, it’s a one-way trip for the former Israel Defense Forces member.

Adelman said he made the decision to leave for Israel on Oct. 7, the day Hamas attacked the country where he grew up.

When Adelman was 14, he survived a terrorist bombing in Jerusalem. He said it was a catalyst for him.

“Not understanding or having dealt with terrorism obviously at any point in my life, I was trying to wrap my mind around the fact of, why would somebody do this to somebody else?” Adelman said.

Adelman began studying terrorism from its origins. He then joined the counterterrorism unit in the Israeli Defense Forces, eventually moving back to the U.S. in 1981 to educate others.

When Hamas attacked, Adelman explained what happened.

“I started getting phone calls from different agencies in Israel the next day,” he said.

Adelman will be working with a group that delivers equipment to forces at the northern and southern borders.

“Israel is probably one of the few countries in the world that when a war breaks out, instead of everybody running away and leaving, people from all over the world will go home,” Adelman said. “Also, that’s what I’m doing. To me, this is going home.”

Adelman said he is looking forward to supporting his country, but he understands the risks.

“It’s a war,” he said. “Anything could happen.”

Eventually, Adelman hopes to land back at RDU. He said he'll stay in Israel until the end of the war.