A fundraising campaign by March of Life in cooperation with Keren Hayesod during the last Gaza war in May 2021 was able to fund three mobile shelters for the south of Israel. Now they were inaugurated in the presence of a German delegation including March of Life founder Jobst Bittner.
Moshav Hodaya is a small village in the south of Israel with 500 inhabitants. It is only 15 km away from the Gaza Strip. When Hamas or Islamic Jihad terrorists fire rockets at Israel and the alarm sirens go off, the residents only have 15 seconds to get to safety. However, the people here do not want to be intimidated by the constant threat of a new conflict flaring up. 95% of the population wants to stay here despite the constant threat, and increasing numbers of Israelis are even moving to this agricultural area of the country.
Mobile shelters have the important task of giving residents as much of a sense of security as possible – despite the constant threat. At the ceremonial inauguration of three mobile shelters in Moshav Hodaya, which were financed by a fundraising campaign of March of Life in cooperation with Keren Hayesod, the mayor of the Hof haSharon region, Itamer Ravivo, explained the importance of these shelters: “The mobile shelters are placed everywhere in public places, near bus stops, playgrounds and other places where many people are. This way, even if people are not at home, they can get to safety quickly and easily.” Talia Sapir, Keren Hayesod representative, added, “Even though it seems quiet at the moment, the threat of bomb terror is a constant companion. Such mobile bunkers save people’s lives!”
Jobst Bittner, founder of March of Life, explained that it is part of March of Life’s message to also take responsibility for what is happening today, “We were shocked by the images of the Gaza war and the threat to people in southern Israel. Therefore, together with the chairman of Keren Hayesod, Sam Grundwerk, we appealed for support in an online broadcast on May 14. We were overwhelmed by the great willingness of people to donate – thank you to everyone who participated!”
At the end of the event, it was agreed with Mayor Ravivo that as part of the March of the Nations in Israel in May 2022, events will also be held in the Hof Ashkelon region right next to the Gaza Strip. This way, many people from all nations will be able to express their support to the local population in person.
