We naturally tend to see displacement as a weak point: they lose business, privacy, daily routine and schoolwork. However, the unprecedented evacuation of its scope and intensity at Israel's borders is also a particularly powerful and expensive card, which is currently in the hands of those who were forced to leave their homes. This is their Joker for a better future for them and for the entire country.
Recently, there have been more and more attempts to set a deadline for the return of the evacuees. In the south, February 4 has already been set (a date that mayors and towns oppose, because of security instability), and in the north they still say "soon." I have one piece of advice for residents and community leaders: Don't return home until the state signs a new socioeconomic contract with you.
Returning home is not just a physical act of packing suitcases and belongings. It must come from a conceptual correction of the state's obligation towards its citizens, and physically towards infrastructure. The Zionist vision was built on an integrated concept of security and settlement. The settlements were perceived as civilian outposts, and the residents who chose to live there took upon themselves the realization of the Zionist ethos. In other words, living on Israel's geographical margins enabled them to play a central role in the Zionist story. The thing is that this centrality has never been expressed in socioeconomic terms. The settlements were neglected, and no infrastructure was built to enable proper employment or a satisfactory leisure life. Thus they became "people from the periphery," people who live on the margins only because there is no other choice. Finally, the last brick fell – the security promise.
The evacuation is a physical manifestation of this crash. Residents of the north, for example, did not wait for an official evacuation. They evacuated themselves, some the next day, October 7, forcing the official evacuation on the state.
The departure of the cities and towns is a harsh criticism of the state that abandoned its part of the agreement. Trust has finally been broken, and more and more signs on the ground are revealing that the evacuation is being converted into negative migration. The settlements are being abandoned, and for the state this is a nightmare, a real turning point in the Zionist vision.
Therefore, the residents' choice not to return is the best chance they had to rewrite their place within Israeli society. They must sit down with the state at the table and draft a new socio-security contract. For example, the demolition and reconstruction of entire neighborhoods, which will enable the sterilization of the components of poverty and social weakness. On this layer will be built a new, high-quality and protected layer - both against missiles and earthquakes - with modern urban development and employment and leisure opportunities.
Living on Israel's geographical margins enabled them to play a central role in the Zionist story. The thing is that this centrality has never been expressed in socioeconomic terms. The settlements were neglected, and no infrastructure was built to enable proper employment or a satisfactory leisure life
We must not compromise on anything but the end of the era of slums in the border areas. Residents of border settlements - do not lose this important card. If you return to your homes without a new social contract, you will confirm the marginality that the State of Israel attributes to you and lose the chance to influence it to correct it. The road to a better life is through a fundamental repair not only of the buildings, but also of the character of the border settlements.
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