Evacuees from the North expressed anger at being neglected after the IDF thwarted Hezbollah attacks aimed at Tel Aviv.
After Israeli intelligence observed that Hezbollah was about to launch its largest attack of the current war, including to Tel Aviv and central Israel areas early Sunday, the IDF preemptively and independently struck targets where Hezbollah was on the verge of firing on Israel.
“The fate of Kiryat Shmona should be the same as the fate of Tel Aviv,” said Matan Davidian, a coordinator of evacuees from Shlomi and organizer in the Fighting for the North forum.
“The State of Israel attacked preemptively for the residents of the center while, for 10 months, residents of the North have been living under fire, far from their homes and families.”
“The dozens of killed and injured unfortunately don’t mean anything to the prime minister who is hiding behind a failing defense minister, abandoning the northern border and the residents, and simply does not care if our blood is spilled.”
Moshe Davidovitch, head of the forum of regional councils along Israel’s northern border and Asher Regional Council head, also pointed to the frustration felt by many northerners at seeing an attack aimed at Tel Aviv garner a response they have not seen to attacks on the North.
North demands equal protection
While he welcomed the IDF’s attack, Davidovitch emphasized that the fate of the North and center should be the same and that the state should not only act when there is a focused threat on Tel Aviv or the center.
Davidovotch addressed the government and cabinet, stressing that “the ultimate goal is to find a solution for the North and bring the uprooted residents back home.”
“We feel as if they are playing Russian roulette with us,” said Nahariya resident and Fighting for the North forum member Moriyah Reder.
“Our reality is absurd,” she said, adding that she didn’t think her children would know what a Red Alert was, and now they experience them daily.
Yonah Jeremy Bob, Mathilda Heller, Tovah Lazaroff, and Reuters contributed to this report.