NGO sets up crowdfunding campaign to support victims of Beirut blast
The campaign has two goals, according to IFA CEO Gal Lusky: The first being solidarity with the people of Lebanon and the second is to gather the means to provide aid to the victims.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFHumanitarian aid intended to be sent to Lebanon.(photo credit: ISRAELI FLYING AID)
Israeli Flying Aid (IFA), a non-profit NGO specializing in delivering humanitarian aid to communities affected by natural disasters and conflict in countries who hold no formal relations with Israel, announced that it launched a crowdfunding campaign to provide aid to the Lebanese people in the wake of a massive explosion in Beirut that killed over 170 people and wounded thousands more, leaving another 90,000 or so with ruined homes.The campaign has two goals, according to IFA CEO Gal Lusky: The first being solidarity with the people of Lebanon and the second is to gather the means to provide aid to the victims."When a disaster of historical magnitude befalls our neighbors, we, the citizens of Israel must set aside the ongoing Israeli-Lebanese conflict, and rise above and beyond politics and diplomacy, reaching out to the Lebanese innocent victims on the other side of the border," said Lusky.The chairman of the Syria Forum at the Moshe Dayan Research Center, Dr. Nir Boms, believes that this "humanistic" approach could create positive avenues between the two countries, and possibly down the line garner positive relationships between the two states.“This recent disaster finds Lebanon in a critical time. Since 2019 the Lebanese have marched to the streets demanding a change and an end to a system that prioritize interests other than those of the Lebanese people," said Boms. "The internal Lebanese discourse creates a unique opportunity to engage in a move of humanitarian diplomacy that will show a different face of Israel and that could open future tracks of dialogue between the two countries.”Link to Crowdfunding site: "Human Warmth" - Israelis for Lebanese Citizens
