Netiv Ha'asarah, Sderot, and Ayalim
Thursday
was planned as a day that almost no other tour group might take. We were about
to explore issues of real life, including the struggle to live under the
constant threat and reality of bombardment from rockets, missiles and mortars
from Gaza. We would also meet some very
special young adults who are creating and building Israel in what some view as
new Zionism.
We
began by heading south towards the Negev and the Gaza Strip.
Before we arrived at our first stop we were
told by Uri that although he suspected we would not need this precautionary
advice but better safe than sorry. In
the event of hearing an alarm called “tzeva adom,” red alert, we were to exit
the bus calmly, lie face down on the ground and place our hands over the back
of our heads. While we were fortunate
not to use this information directly, just being warned set an eerie tone for
the day.
Upon
our arrival at Moshav Netv Ha’asarah we were greeted by Smadie Shmilovitz
who
described life on this border community.
Last year when I visited this Moshav we met her son, Raz, who is also a
tour guide for Da’at.
Of
course we were welcomed with some light refreshments before hearing Smadie’s
story. She told us that Netiv Ha’asarah actually was founded in the Sinai. After the peace agreement with Egypt they
uprooted themselves and moved back into Israel’s pre-1967 border. Their hope
was that never again would they need to move off their land. They were resettled on the northern border
next to the Gaza Strip where climate and soil conditions were similar to what
existed in Sinai. They were mostly farmers.
Today the next generation of their children who have moved back and
built house are not given the same land and water grants so they earn their
incomes in other ways. The original inhabitants are still farmers. We sat in
their mo’adon, clubhouse, and waited while a women’s stretching or yoga class was going on. When we entered we saw a closeup area map of the
Moshav and the immediate surrounding area as well as two art pieces put
together by children created as a form of outlet for them as therapy. Smadie
spoke of life for the families and told us that even with the constant missile
and rocket attacks everyone has remained despite the trying and dangerous
conditions. We saw a new shelter being
constructed right next to the pre-school playground.
We passed one house that as been hit by
explosives more than a dozen times.
The
army has recently removed soldiers from being stationed on the moshav and now
security must be provided in other ways. We drove to the border overlook and could see
right into Gaza. In the distance was
Gaza City but we also saw other communities including two from which Israelis
were moved out during the disengagement.
In the distance we spied the building that once was the synagogue. We were no more than 150 meters from the
border fence.
Our
next stop was the city of Sderot which has become all too well known because it
is the most targeted town in all of Israel.
Sderot was founded as a development town for new immigrants and
unfortunately has continued to have its share of economic challenges.
The danger of the bombs from Gaza has added
to their difficulties. A few years ago a
group was created called the Sderot Media Center to publicize the plight of
this area. Not only do they bring
visitors here to see films and see rockets but they also try to combat the
distortions of media that only shows Palestinian suffering. There are multiple psychological problems
that go beyond the physical dangers.
Teenagers may still sleep in parent’s beds or wet themselves at night.
Hearing the click of a sound system being turned on or anything similar brings
immediate fear that the next sound will be the warning of incoming rockets or
the rockets themselves. Sometimes the 15 second warning window is not
enough. We heard from Anat, a single
mother who simply wants to live in peace.
We saw pieces of “iron dome” rockets which cost $50,000 a piece to try
and intercept incoming fire. Rockets
from Gaza are often painted different colors signifying Hamas, Islamic Jihad,
Al Qaeda or some other groups. In the Legacy Heritage Park of Good Wishes we
observed a playground where many of the play areas are colorful bomb
shelters.
We heard a child’s letter to a
child in Gaza hoping they could both live in peace and security.
Our
third stop of the day was at another Moshav called Yachini. Attached to this moshav is an area for a
group known as Ayalim. These are young
adults, most who have finished their army service and now want to give back to
create a better Israel like their parents and grandparents had done before
them. Some call them the new Zionist
pioneers.
Besides continuing their
studies at nearby institutions of higher learning the do volunteer work to
assist locals who are under privileged or in need. They learn building skills and even build
their own living quarters. They exist in
numerous communities in the Negev, the Galil (in the North) and in cities like,
Ramle, Jaffa and Akko. They are
extremely inspiring and are hoping to build an Israel that makes us all proud.
While there we not only met with some of the youths, but had a delicious
catered lunch and celebrated Arlene Cooper’s birthday.
That
night after arriving back in Jerusalem we went to dinner in various
places. Jan and I met with our friend
from the partnership Aviva Dvir, who coordinates the Educational Bridge. We had a lovely dinner with her and her
husband Amos.
This
day provided incite into parts of the real life of Israel and Israelis. It was not filled with tourist sights. It was a story of people and how they live
their lives
No comments:
Post a Comment