by Fraidy Moser
Asadi has been appointed as the new commander of the “Adomim” Battalion, one of the three Border Police battalions in the Jerusalem envelope.
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Yasser Hadaya Asadi graduated as the first Arab-Muslim Battalion Commander of the Israeli Border Police. Asadi, 52, was the only Muslim among 107 graduates.
Asadi has been appointed as the new commander of the “Adumim” Battalion, one of the three Border Police battalions in the Jerusalem envelope.
Asadi, a married father of three, two of whom serve in the Israel Prison Service, will begin his new role this week. Speaking to Ynet, he described the position as a challenging one but expressed confidence in his preparedness for the job.
Asadi brings extensive operational experience to the role, having served in the West Bank and along the seam line in the Jerusalem envelope. He emphasized his focus on preventing the infiltration of illegal Palestinian entrants into Israel and ensuring the security of residents in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Reflecting on the historic achievement as the first Arab Muslim to be appointed as a Border Police battalion commander, Asadi described it as the fulfillment of a dream and a personal milestone.
'A dream come true'
"For me, this is a dream come true," he said. "Breaking the glass ceiling of the Arab-Muslim boy who came out of Deir al-Assad and was one of the few in the village who enlisted in the Border Guard. For me, this is a mission, and the fact that I reached the position of battalion commander is something that sends a message to our younger generation in the Arab sector: Any glass ceiling can be shattered if you have faith in yourself and if you just choose the path of contributing to the society in which you live," Asadi told Ynet.The ceremony marking his new rank was attended by his family, including his wife Jihan and their three children. His wife expressed her pride in his achievement, while Asadi acknowledged her support in raising their children during his years of service in combat roles.
Asadi also paid tribute to his late brother, Sgt. Maj. Hassan al Hadiya Asadi, a Border Police combatant who was killed in the Tyre disaster during the First Lebanon War in 1983. Asadi cited his brother’s service as a key inspiration for his own career in the Border Police.
"When Hassan enlisted in the IDF and from there transferred to the Border Guard, he was among the few Arab-Muslims who did so. It was a real breakthrough in our village and in Arab society in general. I always remembered how he would come home wearing a uniform, his pride and that of all the family members in being a Border Guard soldier. When I turned 18, I had no doubt about two things: that I was enlisting and that I would continue his path in the Border Guard. To this day, after 34 years, every morning when I put on my Border Guard uniform, I am filled with pride."
In his years of service, Asadi has encouraged enlistment within the Arab sector, viewing it as an important step toward integration into Israeli society. He pointed to his own children, two of whom have joined the Prison Service, as an example of the changing attitudes toward military and police service in the Arab community.
"Conscription into the IDF and Border Guard is the best route to integration into Israeli society," he explained. "I try to convey to our young people the desire to contribute to society through recruitment. It is much better than the alternative - to walk on the margins of society and often to degenerate into crime, a phenomenon that is unfortunately increasing in the Arab sector," he told Ynet.
Looking to the future, Asadi stated that he plans to continue advancing in his career within the Border Police, with aspirations to contribute over the next decade.
Fraidy Moser
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-881556
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