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IDF to Replace Llamas with Robots

A tribute to our forgotten fuzzy heroes

by
Liel Leibovitz
July 07, 2017
Collage: Tablet Magazine; original illustration: Anna Dewdney
Collage: Tablet Magazine; original illustration: Anna Dewdney
Collage: Tablet Magazine; original illustration: Anna Dewdney
Collage: Tablet Magazine; original illustration: Anna Dewdney

This week, the IDF announced it would no longer use llamas to carry heavy equipment on the Lebanese border, replacing the beasts with robots. In a tribute both to our fuzzy heroes and to our beloved children’s books author, the late and great Anna Dewdney, we give you “Llama Llama, IDF Drama,” a tale for kids of all ages:

With heavy bags
on his shoulder
llama walks
the northern border.

Carrying bags
and bombs and guns
the IDF is
lots of fun!

But who is this?
It’s Robot Guy,
time for llama to
say bye.

Sergeant llama
screams and shouts:
“how dare this robot
kick ME out?”

But the commander,
he is firm:
time to end
the llama’s term.

No more shooting
at Nasrallah
no more clashes
with Hizballah.

Llama grips
his Uzi tight,
llama llama says
good night.

Liel Leibovitz is editor-at-large for Tablet Magazine and a host of its weekly culture podcast Unorthodox and daily Talmud podcast Take One. He is the editor of Zionism: The Tablet Guide.