Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
Thousands of families who fled Hezbollah’s deadly rocket attacks in northern Israel are considering returning home this month. More than 60,000 Israelis were forced to abandon their homes in the north and relocate, leaving behind virtual ghost towns.
“On one hand, my soul is really longing for a home, for a place that is mine,” said Moriel Arnon, who just returned to her home in the northern settlement of Kibbutz Eilon after living in temporary housing for more than a year. “On the other hand, there is a lot of fear of the unknown.”
Her teenage daughter, Bat-El, said it felt surreal to walk back into their home. “It’s supposed to be yours, it’s supposed to be like something you know,” she said. “But it didn’t feel like this. It felt like something apart from (me).”
The Arnons are among thousands of families receiving support from the nation’s largest humanitarian aid organization, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that is Israel’s largest importer of humanitarian aid. It has distributed more than $26 million of critical supplies — including food, clothing, medical and hygiene items — to Israelis since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack that ignited the war, drawing in Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists based in Lebanon. “For many of us here in Israel, the whole nation passed through the valley of the shadow of death,” said Reuven Doron, a representative of Joseph Project International in Israel.
As thousands more families weigh whether to return to their homes in the north, the Israeli government has pledged to make the region safe. “The key to returning home is security, and we are not going to compromise on this matter,” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said.
The Israeli government has launched an extensive rehabilitation program to help families whose homes were damaged or destroyed by missiles, or whose homes need repairs after sitting empty for more than a year. The comprehensive aid initiative includes both immediate assistance and long-term support.
“We’re focused on helping all Israelis who continue to suffer hardships because of the war and its impact on Israel’s economy,” said Joel Chernoff, founder and executive board chairman of Joseph Project International. “Moreover, we serve everyone regardless of faith or ethnic background, showing them the love of the God of Israel and the Messiah of Israel.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
