Omer Netzer had long dreamed of making a name for himself in Nashville as one of the few Israelis in American country music. But on October 7, the first Israeli to perform at the Country Music Awards put his career on hold so he could fly to Israel and help defend his country.
“I went back, of course, and volunteered,” Netzer said. “24/7 we were risking our lives.”
Meet Omer Netzer, the first Israeli to play at the Country Music Awards.
On October 7, he put his career on hold and flew to Israel to help defend his country. pic.twitter.com/bhHdRWxpXp
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) October 9, 2024
Netzer volunteered to return to his previous job in a special forces police unit in Nahariya, a city just a few miles from the Lebanon-Israel border, for four months following the start of the war. He left behind his wife and newborn daughter to volunteer in the unit, which tracked…