Burning Fields in Gaza

Cross posted from Grandma's Army 

My family has had quite a long history with the Gaza Strip. My husband and I joined a newly formed moshav in the Negev, seven kms. from Gaza in 1960, where my four children grew up. My oldest son, who is a farmer, and his four married children, plus his youngest unmarried daughter, still live there with their growing families

In 1949, Arab terrorists, known as Fedayeen were trained and equipped by Egyptian Intelligence to engage in hostile action on the border, and infiltrate Israel - to commit acts of sabotage and murder. The Fedayeen operated mainly from bases in Jordan, so that Jordan would bear the brunt of Israel’s retaliation, which inevitably followed. The terrorist attacks violated the armistice agreement provision that prohibited the initiation of hostilities by paramilitary forces – nevertheless, it was Israel that was condemned by the UN Security Council for its counter-attacks!

 Since then, terrorism from Gaza has “rocketed”. We have experienced it all: suicide bombers, kidnapping, mortar bombs, rockets, well over 100 tunnels dug out in order to infiltrate into Israel.

Death and destruction has become the way of life for young Gazans who are taught to hate and destroy – as they did when Gush Katif was given to them with all the greenhouses intact.

 In 2018, rioters began a series of mass protests at the borders. This was the first Hamas supported invasion attempt, with rioters throwing firebombs, blazing kites, and shooting at IDF soldiers. Thousands of acres of cultivated farmland, nature reserves, and forests were burnt – up to a distance of 40 kms. from the Gaza border.  The green landscapes in the fields worked by the Israeli settlements and villages on the Gaza borders had been turned to black and scorched earth.

A few girls from my moshav decided to change this grim scenario and to introduce some colour into the burnt territories. They felt that, by organizing a fashion show they would increase public awareness to the terrible damage being caused by the many fires, which were burning up the crops, nature reserves, trees, etc. in the Gaza periphery.

 

To show  that, in spite of the hate and destruction which emanates from Gaza, life in Israel goes on. To show that the people of Gaza cannot break our spirit - to instil some light and colour into the black landscape. They recruited a few friends who were willing to be photographed and procured the services of a stylist. The venue they chose was in the fields of kibbutz Be’eri which had been burned a few hours previously. They said that when they arrived the fields were still burning.