Here is a message we just received from the Mayor of our partner region in Israel.
To all the friends of the Megiddo Regional Council,
We in Israel are now in the 17th day of Operation “Preventive Edge” against the Hammas Terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
We assume that you are getting plenty of information from your media, but after more than two weeks of war, in which the Israeli civilian population is being attacked with rockets and missiles, it is very important to convey to all our friends around the world the feelings of the residents of our county.
The most important thing that must be taken into account is that we are talking here about a war between a terrorist organization, Hammas, and a democratic, sovereign state, Israel.
This terrorist organization openly states its intention to eliminate Israel and all its citizens, and does not distinguish between civilians and soldiers, women, elderly people and children.
The residents of the Megiddo region, like most of the citizens of Israel, are peace seekers, and support the agreements with the Palestinian people, that are based on the Oslo Agreement.
However, the Gaza Strip was overrun by the Hammas terrorist organization, who for the last fourteen years has been responsible for the incessant firing of rockets into Southern Israeli settlements.
Instead of taking care of the economic welfare of a population numbering 1.8 million people, the Hammas “invested” nearly all its resources in developing weapons and means of warfare. It uses its civilian population as “human shields” and considers all civilian casualties resulting from IDF military actions as a PR victory.
The terrible suffering on both sides does not worry the Hammas, as its leaders hide away in tunnels dug under mosques and hospitals, or are enjoying themselves in luxury hotels in the Golf States.
This time, the Megiddo Regional Council is out of the range of the rockets, and therefore is hosting children and youngsters from settlements that border the Gaza Strip, in order to allow them some relaxation from the daily bombardment.
Around the Gaza Strip, are a number of counties very similar to ours, as they have many Kibbutzs and Moshavs. Kibbutz Zikim, Kibbutz Karmia and Yad Mordechay are situated to the north of the Gaza Strip and belong to the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. Kibbutzs like Nirim, Nir Oz, and Nir Yitzhak, that are south of the Gaza Strip, belong to the Eshkol Regional Council. Kibbutzs like Mefalsim, Kfar Aza and Nahal Oz are in the center of the Gaza Strip and belong to the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council. All these settlements were established long before 1948, and its residents work in agriculture and industry and are peace lovers and support compromise and understanding with the Palestinian population.
After the Six Day War, the residents of these regions developed friendly relations with the Palestinian residents of Gaza, who came to work in the settlements in the area.
All this ended when the Gaza Strip was taken over by the Hammas, who started a war of attrition against the counties bordering the Gaza Strip, including towns like Sderot, Ofakim and Ashkelon.
The State of Israel was left with no choice but to invest vast resources in the building of security rooms and developing anti-rocket defense systems such as the “Iron Dome”.
Over the last few years the Hammas has developed a method of tunnel warfare. These tunnels come under the border, and can facilitate a means for terrorist penetration into the surrounding settlements. Through these tunnels, Hammas terrorists intended, and still intend, to penetrate the settlements, in order to kill and kidnap inhabitants. As previously mentioned, in these settlements reside citizens who hold moderate political views and over the years tried to develop friendly neighborly relationships with the Gaza Strip population.
The Hammas uses funds that are meant for reconstruction and development of the Gaza Strip and building materials that were transferred from Israel, for the building of these terrorist tunnels. These resources could have been used for the building of the Gaza economy.
As you can imagine, Israel has been left with no choice, but to take all necessary steps to remove these threats from the Israeli civilian population.
The residents of the Megiddo county, like the majority of Israeli citizens, don’t want war. However, when we are left with no alternative, we support government decisions in the hope of arriving at an agreement that will guarantee a normal life for both sides.
Yitzhak Holavsky – Mayor
Yohanan Maoz – Chairman of the International Relations Committee
Yael Bar Nir – Spokesman