One of the most exciting initiatives of the war is "Partners in Destiny, Partners in the War Room" – a Jewish-Arab war room in Rahat that works around the clock to deliver food packages to all those in need of assistance due to the situation.
Fall of part of the Syrian anti-aircraft missile in Rahat
"The donations to the war room came from both Arabs and Jews, and the distribution itself is done through a joint effort," says Racheli Geffen, one of the directors, about how the operations room works. "People have suffered injuries and need immediate assistance. The list of requests flowing in from all sectors is almost exactly the same: dry food, oil, baby food and children's toys. We distribute the packages to everyone who needs them."
Last week, the joint operations room distributed about 500 aid packages, including in Ofakim, where the Chabad members of Beit HaTevash operate. "We arrived in Ofakim with three sheikhs from Rahat, and it was nice to see how everyone stood and talked cooperatively, checking who needed what. It was amazing," explains Geffen.
Rahat (archive), photo: Dudu Greenspan
According to her, the war room is constantly receiving many requests from donors, and there is a great need for giving. The upcoming division will focus on Rahat and Netivot. The liaison in Rahat is the welfare department headed by Sa'id al-Awbra, who makes sure with his people that the packages reach the right hands.
"There are families who find themselves in distress," Geffen continues. "This is an emergency, so we are exercising discretion in the division, beyond the usual activity. We have added families of murdered and families of abductees, as well as reservists, leaving the family essentially without a breadwinner. We know who the families are, and we reach them directly, without subcontractors or mediators.
"We're all in a spirit of giving now, because we're all one heart. The blow Israel has suffered will unite us all, and all incitement will stop and prejudices will change. Now the decision makers will have to propose a different tune, because there is no more incitement."
Fouad Ziadne: "We are also going through the pain. We will continue to live together, whether we like it or not, because each complements the other."
Among all the packaging cartons, one of the busiest people in the war room is the director of the community center in Rahat, Fouad Ziadne, who runs from place to place and explains his job to everyone.
"Be sure there will be more initiatives like this. Collaborations will not be talked about as if they are exceptional. We are all together, sharing one destiny. There are murdered and kidnapped, and we too go through this pain. We will continue to live together, whether we like it or not, because each complements the other. There is an entire population here that sees humanity."
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