A year has passed since the brutal Hamas pogrom against Israel on October 7 reminded us just how fragile life can be. In the days following, thousands of Israelis were evacuated from their devastated communities. That immense tragedy has changed Israel forever.
“October 7 forced our community to leave the kibbutz for the first time since it was established in 1946,” explained a recent update from Kibbutz Be’eri. “We were evacuees in our own land, forced to process the pain, despair and anguish of that tragic day. Yet despite it all, it did not break our spirit. Today, we are determined to return to our homes, to rebuild what was destroyed, replant the fields set ablaze, and leave a flourishing kibbutz to our future generations.”
A message from nearby Kfar Aza said their community was “built with the sweat of their brow, and with tears, love and laughter into a flourishing green village full of life and the joy of children.” Since their emergency evacuation on October 8, it has taken a long while, but they have now gathered the strength to dream about going back home for good.
Unfortunately, the war is not over yet, and many Israelis feel it will not end until all the hostages return home. Still, we have been inspired by the selflessness, bravery and generosity of Israelis from all walks of life. And among the Gaza border communities, we have encountered their incredible resilience and hope, and their strength and determination to return and rebuild.
“We thought our grandparents’ original mission to establish the eleven settlements on the Gaza periphery was completed, but it turns out we are only halfway there,” noted Ben Sochman, manager of Be’eri printing press. “Apparently, the entire Zionist story has yet to be finished. Now is our time to decide who we are… Will our names appear in the history books in 50 years as the second generation of founders? This is not an easy decision.”
“We are the generation of Netflix and espresso. It’s not easy to return from bourgeois life to the battlefield,” he added. “Each one will choose who they are and where they are going. Here in Kibbutz Be’eri, we do not intend to give up the land our grandparents bequeathed to us. We intend to turn this great fracture into a story of resurgence.”
At the ICEJ, we also intend to do our part! We have been walking alongside the communities of the western Negev for decades by providing bomb shelters and fire-fighting equipment, and over the past year by supplying emergency aid, trauma care, special radio devices, ambulances and ATVs, educational equipment, and activities for children.
Now a shift is underway as these evacuated communities are moving into temporary housing in host villages closer to home. The goal is to keep the kibbutz members together while their homes are rebuilt, with the hope of completing their return by 2026.
This presents a big challenge, as the war in Gaza continues though at a lower intensity. Attention is now turning to the North, and Iran, allowing the rebuilding and renewal process in the western Negev to get underway.
The Christian Embassy is privileged to be a part of this ongoing story. While government funding will provide basic aid, large gaps are evident. The ICEJ is currently in discussions with several area kibbutzim to help bridge those gaps by rebuilding public facilities to meet recovery needs for the most vulnerable, such as activity centers for the elderly, children and young adults.
The goal is not simply to restore these communities back to where they were on October 6, 2023. Rather, they are also looking to the future. These battered communities must rebuild trust so that their people can come home, and hopefully new families will join them. Meanwhile, trauma care will be a central need for years to come.
The prophet Isaiah foresaw a day when “the sons of foreigners shall build up your walls.” (Isaiah 60:10) Your gift towards rebuilding the destroyed Gaza border communities lets Israelis know they are not alone, enables their dreams of return to come true, and allows you to fulfil Bible prophecy. So, please help with this process of rebuilding and renewal.
