Much has been written about the assistance of civil society. The amazing mobilization of the people, in all its parts, to help the evacuees, the families of the abductees, the wounded and the bereaved families, must replace the failure of the government and its ministries.
Many compliments were showered on ZAKA volunteers. Much has been said about brothers in arms and the Kaplan Force, who converted their logistical capabilities to civilian aid. The expo complex, which has been converted into a huge logistics center that transports food and supplies to army units and evacuees, along with a fruit and vegetable market of a farmer in the envelope that operates there, arouse admiration. But sometimes, small, local initiatives, done quietly and modestly, are just as exciting.
By chance, I met a group of men from all over the country, some of them former brothers in arms and others members of a riding group from the Zichron Yaakov area. Most of them are of retirement age. Without anyone asking or instructing them, about two weeks ago they decided to go down to the envelope and do whatever it takes. From assisting with harvesting, cowshed and chicken coops, through moving vehicles to helping clean the area, with an emphasis on removing garbage from the homes of kibbutz members in the envelope. So several times a week.
Early in the morning about ten days ago, they met at the Kama junction, and from there in a convoy to the village of Gaza. Armed with large plastic bags, gloves and work clothes, they moved between homes, cleaned, cared for domestic animals if they found any and transported them to safety, collected valuable items and souvenirs and passed them on to families.
In one of the houses, whose entrance had a sign with the names of its occupants – Or Tamar and Adas Rafi – they found a letter on the table. There was great excitement when it turned out that the letter had been left by IDF soldiers who fought the terrorists in the same house.
The knowledge that a combat soldier from Givati, who has just finished a battle against terrorists, thinks about the residents of the house and sits down to write them a letter, arouses many thoughts, first and foremost - that a good, sensitive generation has grown up here, connected to the country and its residents
In hesitant handwriting, on white paper they must have found there, they wrote and erased and wrote: "Hey, talking from the Sabra Battalion. We are in the middle of the war and stopped to grab cover and rest. There were terrorists in your house, and we eliminated them. I was sorry to see what they did to the house, but everything is for the best and everything will pass, we have a strong army working so that you can rest in peace and live here without worries, this is in our country. We also took care of the dog with food and water and calmed her down. Love: the 8th platoon, the Sabra battalion, the predator company." The writer even drew a small heart.
The knowledge that a combat soldier from Givati, who has just finished a battle against terrorists, thinks about the residents of the house and sits down to write them a letter, arouses many thoughts, first and foremost - that a good, sensitive generation has grown up here, connected to the country and its residents. If he had added his name as well, I would have reached out to him and given him a warm hug. Now all that remains is to pray that he will return safely to his family and loved ones.
If I were in charge of the Israel Prizes or the list of torchlighters on Israel's 76th Independence Day – which must be dedicated to the events of October 7 – I would look for those people who, voluntarily, and at the expense of their time and money, took action and were where the state failed, and give them the recognition they deserve.
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