It’s takes little imagination to think life must be increasingly difficult for either side of a conflict, such as those which erupt in the region of Israel/Palestine in the Middle East. The sights and sounds of war frighten most of us, but a life lived under the skies of rockets flying and near to where an army is moving must make the air at times disconcerting to breathe.
The reality for aid organisations is their clients need food and water quickly, as well as short-term supplies that make life at least bearable until the warring is over. The charity Colel Chabad for instance says 100,000 people have fled their homes in the North of Israel and they face a mounting issue not easy to overcome.
In their latest communication they say the removal of such large numbers of people pockmarks the community and leaves positions unfilled in the neighbourhood. It also means in actuality many people are not working, aren’t learning, and don’t have the proper spaces in which to live their lives in dignity, and in respect of their faith.
“Who among us isn’t wondering how ordinary Israelis are coping? Especially the 100,000 men, women and children who have been displaced from their homes in the north because of Hezbollah’s murderous missile attacks? Yes, 100,000 productive citizens have had to abandon their fields, grocery stores, pharmacies, and jobs in factories and hotels. Meanwhile it’s been nearly a full year with no work, no paychecks, no income.”
Chabad, founded in Jerusalem, has been working for over 230 years in and amongst the Jewish people and, of course, in modern day Israel. The survival of a continuously operating charity in the heart of the Middle East is a testament to what people want; a sustainable way of life which values humanity and does not take away from it.
