Northern Israeli communities frustrated by lack of protection ahead of new school year
Northern Israeli community leaders expressed outrage following last Sunday's pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, noting that while central Israel was swiftly protected, their own communities in the north have not received the same level of defense.
Despite hopes that schools would reopen in time for the 2024-2025 academic year on Sept. 1, Education Minister Yoav Kisch announced last month that they would remain closed due to “security complexities.”
However, when Hezbollah took aim at the center of the country, Israeli forces addressed the threat forcefully and immediately. Of the many hundreds of Hezbollah rockets aimed at Israel, only 250 escaped the strikes and penetrated the border, almost all of which were shot down from within Israel early on Sunday morning.
Kisch had previously urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “act decisively against Hezbollah to restore safety for northern residents” according to the Times of Israel. Now, residents are growing increasingly frustrated that more hasn’t been done for them, especially after witnessing the success of Sunday’s operation.
“Yesterday you showed us how much you despise us,” Moshe Davidovitch, chair of Mateh Asher Regional Council, told Kisch the following day.
Mayors have been in discussions with the IDF and the Minister of Education regarding the safety of educational facilities in the north, where communities have faced constant attacks since Oct. 7.
To date, some 8,000 rockets have been fired from the northern border, and 62,000 Israelis have been evacuated from 38 communities in the north, according to Israel's Defense and Security Forum, 14,600 of whom are children. More than 1,000 homes and buildings have been damaged, and over 250,000 acres of land have burned.
Davidovitch told Kisch he “won’t allow the school year to open in schools, kindergartens and educational facilities that are not protected, in a place where the IDF doesn’t know how to protect young people.”
Over 14,000 displaced children from the north have been placed in kindergartens, schools or informal educational arrangements throughout Israel.
The disparity in security measures between northern communities and those in central Israel has caused significant frustration, with northern residents feeling neglected and overlooked.
“Look me in the eye and give me an explanation” demanded one resident from the north. “Why is my life less important?”
Davidovitch warned the education ministry representatives and those present at the meeting, “You will be remembered in the history books as [the ones] who abandoned our children.”
According to Israel's KAN news, the local mayors were told each community would receive support based on the needs of the individual municipalities.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah resumed its attacks against Israel on Monday afternoon, with warning sirens blaring across large portions of the Western and Upper Galilee region, indicating drone infiltrations and rocket attacks.
“We are very determined to continue to harm Hezbollah, to eliminate more and more commanders, and to deprive it of assets and capabilities – we are not stopping,” stated IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on Monday evening.
“Hezbollah has more capabilities and the work is not yet complete,” he added.
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Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments, studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University, but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject, the God of Israel. As a writer, Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem, Israel.
