Whither the 'refugees' in our homeland? - opinion

For the past 13 months – here in Netanya and throughout the country – hotels have been filled with “refugees” from their homes in Israel. Oct. 7, 2023. changed the lives of those Israelis living in the South close to Gaza, and in the North bordering on Lebanon.

Some 3,700 evacuees from communities in the South returned to their homes in August, following the government’s decision to no longer pay for their accommodation. Those from some 10 kibbutz communities badly damaged by Hamas were given a further year of funding for accommodation until they have homes to which they can return.

With talk of a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, potentially enabling some 60,000 plus evacuees from Israel’s North to return home, the question is: How many are ready to return and under what conditions? Tragically, there are those whose homes and livelihoods have been totally destroyed, presenting further challenges for them and their families.

To gain some insight into the thoughts of those who have now been away from their homes for over a year, I met with families currently housed in one of Netanya’s many hotels. 

The opportunity arose as a result of members of ESRA Netanya who, during this past year, have endeavored to make Shabbat a little more pleasurable for those far from home. Every Friday, Nina Zuck, chair of ESRA projects in Netanya, collects homemade cakes and cookies – together with other goodies that the children especially enjoy – and delivers them to hotels in Netanya. Zuck strongly believes it is important for all to comprehend how the trauma of being away from their homes is affecting too many families. 

The appearance of the elegant foyer of the hotel seemed somewhat removed from the feelings expressed by those housed within. One could be forgiven for thinking of the good fortune of those residing in this stylish place. However, meeting and talking with these “refugees” in their own homeland demonstrated the reality to be somewhat different. 

I sat down with five women representing a cross-section of ages. While the invitation was extended to all, the fact that not one man appeared turned out to be indicative of how the women are coping with this ongoing distressing situation far better than the men.

At the outset, all stated how much they appreciated being housed away from the battle zone. They firmly believed the hotel was doing its utmost to make them as comfortable as possible in this war situation. However, a hotel is not home. It isn’t easy for a family with two children to be housed in one room. 

The collective view expressed is that while the hotel’s food is good, it cannot compare to home cooking, with one woman articulating a feeling endorsed by all that they miss – beyond words – their personal kitchens where they were able to prepare food that their families loved.

As requested, the interviewees’ names have been changed. 

Maayan

Maayan, from Kiryat Shmona, has five children, including a 21-year-old son serving in the Golani Brigade located in Binyamina – the army base that suffered the horrific Hezbollah drone attack on October 13, wounding 63 soldiers (seven severely) and killing four as they sat down to eat their evening meal. 

Maayan’s son had a miraculous escape, having just left the dining area as the drone struck. Another of her sons, aged 20, currently serving with the Givati Brigade, has just come out of Gaza; his twin sister is with her mother in Netanya – currently working in a local supermarket. A 22-year-old son in Tel Aviv has settled well, and a 10-year-old daughter is happy with her Netanya school but anxiety stricken at the thought of returning to her home in the North. 

Maayan left her Kiryat Shmona home in December 2023 to spend time with her father, who was taken ill in Jerusalem and then traveled to Tiberias before passing away. It was at this point that she decided to evacuate to Netanya with her two daughters. Her husband is the coach of a Kiryat Shmona football club whose players currently have their practice sessions in Netanya.  

What of Maayan’s personal thoughts? As a mother of two sons in the IDF’s combat units she is, understandably, in a constant state of anxiety about her boys. As to how she feels about being in Netanya – she appreciates the warm support of the municipality, businesses, and schools that have made everyone feel exceedingly welcome. Her response about her readiness to return to Kiryat Shmona: “I grew up with much trauma over the years, and I don’t want my kids to go through the same experience. Until Hezbollah has been totally destroyed, the danger exists of continued attacks against the citizens of the North.”

Naomi

Naomi, her husband, and their four children come from Moshav Netua, on the Lebanese border. Netua is an agricultural settlement with livestock and orchards. Today, the area is a closed military zone.

Naomi recalls Oct. 7 – Simchat Torah. “As soon as we realized, that Saturday morning, what was happening in the South, we were terrified that we would be attacked by Hezbollah carrying out similar barbaric acts on us as Hamas had carried out in the South. That morning, no one in the moshav left their homes. We waited to leave until Simchat Torah had ended. We then packed a small backpack for each member of the family and left the house, not knowing when we would return. We went to my sister– in the center of the country – where we stayed for 10 days. As soon as we heard that our entire moshav had been evacuated, we joined the evacuees in Netanya. It is almost a year and two months since we left our home and our normal lives in the North.”

The family lives in two hotel rooms, Naomi explained: “My four children sleep together, but their room is quite a distance from ours which, in itself, creates problems for the younger children.” She went on to say how much their children miss their friends and the open spaces of home.

Professionally, Naomi designs head coverings for religious women, embracing turbans of varied beautiful designs. Recognizing she was going to be away from home for an extended period, she decided to bring her sewing machine with her, enabling her to continue to produce exceedingly attractive head coverings in Netanya. Her husband is working and was the only man to appear as we concluded our conversations.

Avital

Avital is with her husband at the hotel. They too come from Moshav Netua. Initially, their children and grandchildren were with them but then decided to return to their homes in Nahariya – in spite of the constant rocket attacks – specifically to keep their jobs. The moshav, aside from the orchards and livestock, also offered holiday homes for rental. Avital proudly showed pictures of the beautiful apartments available which had been the prime source of livelihood for the couple. Her husband ran the poultry house. Avital explained, “We cannot breed animals from a distance, which is both a loss of employment for my husband plus a loss of income for us.” Fortunately, she is also a seamstress, which has enabled her to earn some money taking in repairs from the evacuee community living in the area. How is her husband coping? “Badly” was the answer. He misses his farming work on the moshav, resulting in him spending most of his time either watching TV or sleeping.  

Yehudit

Yehudit is from Moshav Even Menachem on the Lebanese border. She is widowed. One of her daughters passed away young, leaving a daughter of her own whom Yehudit raised. Initially, she and this granddaughter came alone to the hotel, with her married son and three children joining them later. However, her son and family decided to rent a home in Nahariya. Currently Yehudit and her now 20-year-old granddaughter – a military policewoman based in Jerusalem – are together when the granddaughter is off duty. Another daughter of Yehudit’s rents an apartment in Netanya together with her husband, children, and grandchildren. 

Yehudit feels she is part of a warm family in the hotel, as the group has become very close and supportive of one another. 

Aviva

Aviva from Kiryat Shmona is a single mother of four adult children. She is an English teacher by profession of 26 years standing. Her English is excellent – acquired when she went to summer camp in the United States at age 17. She has managed to find a teaching position locally.

Aviva’s three daughters, who originally evacuated with her to Netanya, have now moved on to Tel Aviv, where they receive an accommodation stipend from the government for as long as the war prevents them from returning to the North.

Her only son, aged 22, is autistic, which proved particularly testing for a number of months, as no facility could be found for him during the day. This resulted in Aviva having to take her son with her to her teaching job. Back home, he was part of a community specifically set up to support those with special needs.

While her Kiryat Shmona home is still standing, she was shocked to find – on her one visit – that it was animal-infested. Today it is no longer possible to return, as the area has been declared a military zone. 

Collective comments

Life in the hotel is particularly exacting for the children who were used to plenty of space at home.  It isn’t easy having to do your homework while seated on a bed. The school system here is very different from that in the North, which contributes to emotional problems for both the children and their parents. 

Many youngsters no longer have familiar friends with whom they can play and share fun times; even if their friends might be in the same city, they are often in hotels far away from each other and have been placed in different schools. These realities add to the poignant challenges of the parents whose lives have been turned upside down. 

Normal routine has disappeared. The mothers cannot make their children the food they crave; the fathers are often without work, feeling demoralized and depressed, leaving the mothers endeavoring to keep the families together, despite the enormous difficulties they face – perhaps the worst being not knowing when the family will be able to return home.

How do they feel about returning home? The answer was unanimous; while craving home, there was no way they would be prepared to return unless it were safe to do so. They fear the terrorist tunnels close to the border, and many do not have protected areas to run to in the event of a rocket attack. Prior to the war, the residents had been expected to pay for the construction of shelters; however, the prohibitive cost of between NIS 100,000 and NIS 150,000 prevented many from building these. All concurred that the government must take full responsibility for the security of those who live on the border – financial and otherwise.

Meeting these families – whose lives have been dramatically disrupted – emphasizes that their return home will only come when they feel that the government can ensure the security they richly deserve.

Currently, our government is in the process of passing a budget that continues to provide generous financial support, at numerous levels, to those refusing to serve in the IDF. Conversely, it is reprehensible and unacceptable that funds are unavailable to secure the homes of those residents situated on borders shared with our enemies. Many of these Israeli residents have family members continuing to risk their lives in defense of our country. 

The likes of Maayan, Naomi, Avital, Yehudit, Aviv, and their families deserve better. 

The writer is president of Israel, Britain and the Commonwealth Association (IBCA); she has formerly chaired public affairs organizations in Israel and the UK. The views expressed are hers alone.