As the next battle looms, many Israelis remain unprotected

Today, the main target of these terror cells are innocent citizens as these terrorists deliberately target population centers.

By HAIM BIBAS
IDF soldiers partake in a drill (photo credit: IDF)
IDF soldiers partake in a drill
(photo credit: IDF)
As the Israel Defense Forces continue to defend the northern front against infiltrations and unprovoked attacks, it appears likely that this security situation will escalate. If that is to happen, Israel requires a sustained and alert readiness on the part of our security.
The IDF is a strong and resilient army with proven abilities for accurate and lethal results. As a people’s army, it operates night and day to protect fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters and fellow citizens of Israel, to disable our enemies and their intent to kill.
Unfortunately, these days that is just not enough. Today, the main target of these terror cells are innocent citizens as these terrorists deliberately target population centers.
In the light of this change in strategic warfare, mayors, who stand at the head of local authorities, are compelled to assume more security responsibility and stand as commanders of forces to protect residents, who now reside on the front lines.
The innocent citizens across Israel, both Arab and Jewish, did nothing to provoke such attacks. As a “villa in the jungle,” Israel and our civilian population are targeted by a wide range of terror groups operating freely in our neighboring countries, who set their main ambition to kill our citizens and cause damage to our national resilience.
As Israel’s children get ready to return to schools next week, imagine the following picture: the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror organization shooting hundreds of missiles aimed at Israeli schools, hospitals and indiscriminate civilian targets, and Iranian-backed militia penetrating the State of Israel via tunnels, trying to kill or kidnap our citizens. Imagine this terrifying image with Israel still having to face further terror and rocket attacks on our southern border.
This scenario could happen in a matter of days, and yet, thousands of Israeli citizens still do not have a safe room to protect themselves in such a situation. It is not that the government of Israel doesn’t believe that this is important – it is that the national government has placed more priority on similar urgent matters such as – budgets for education, transportation and more. Although the “Shield of the North” program was approved – councils and cities in the North still haven’t received a single shekel for much-needed protection purposes. I will continue to raise the alarm to call more attention to this security threat until this situation for our citizens is addressed.
On behalf of every mayor across Israel, and especially the North of our country, I am approaching the State of Israel with the following demand:
Transfer the money you have already allocated for building shelters in the North. This must be done in all houses, neighborhoods and settlements so there will be as few casualties as possible and so that we can protect our residents. We cannot send our soldiers to the front lines and leave our home front vulnerable. Do it now before innocent people will get hurt.