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THE NAME
URIAH
The name “Uriah” comes from Scripture and most everyone is familiar with the story. Uriah was not a Jew yet he fought with David and his mighty men. Because Uriah was a Gentile fighting with the Jewish people, we have adopted his name because though we might not be able to fight alongside the Jewish people, as Gentiles we can provide much needed equipment to the mighty men and women in Israel – thus…
THE URIAH PROJECT.
THE URIAH PROJECT.
WHEN YOU ENTER ONE OF THESE COMMUNITIES YOU WILL SEE
AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY
with people moving about involved in various daily chores.
You will see a beautiful place with small duplexes. Each community usually has a daycare for the younger children who are not in school. A swimming pool and community hall are the centers of attention. There will be a playground with bicycles much like you would see in America. You may see kids playing soccer and basketball. Many times you will see a green haven, with tall, leafy trees and long patches of grass, surrounding modest one-story houses.
There are many such communities in the southwestern part of Israel. Many of them are along the border with Gaza which puts them in imminent danger. Many of these communities are less than two miles from the border fence, from Arab terrorists who only one goal – the complete annihilation of Israel.
EVERY DAY, THESE PRECIOUS PEOPLE
FACE THE DANGER OF TERRORISTS
attacking their homes in the form of rocket and mortar attacks
These attacks are often deadly.In the summer of 2014 a mortar attack on Kibbutz Nirim killed the security chief, Zevik Etzion, and his deputy, Shachar Malamed. The attack wounded five other people. Zevik served for many years as the coordinator of security for Kibbutz Nirim. I have a window decal on my truck with Zevik’s picture. I have been asked many times the story behind the decal.
My friends are to be admired for their spirit and determination to continue to live in their communities without giving in to the threats of rockets and acts of terrorism. They are to be praised for their courage. These communities are their country’s home front.
One of the greatest dangers facing our friends in Southwestern Israel are those tunnels dug from Gaza into Israel. These tunnels show us the desire of the Arab terrorists to launch a full-scale attack on Israel.
If Hamas can cause enough havoc and force these communities to evacuate, they will be able to declare victory. If Hamas can successfully force these communities to close down, they will be able to declare victory.
Often if you look toward Gaza and the border fence, you can hear the rumble of a huge drill at work. It is an Army drill hitting the ground and searching for more tunnels.
The tunnels are one of Israel’s worst nightmares and the army is in a race against time to locate and destroy them before they are used. I can only hope that right now a terrorist is not digging a tunnel underneath a community with plans to pop up in the middle and start shooting.
That’s why we must do everything in our power to help these communities. They are the front line defense for the land of Israel. If they give up one inch, just one inch of land to the Arab terrorists, it will be a victory. We cannot allow these communities to be intimidated into closing. We must help!
The people in Gaza may still live in rubble, but Hamas will tell them that their suffering paid off, because for the first time since Israel’s creation, Israelis have been pushed away from places that are within the 1948 borders. They will be able to tell their people — “We’ve set a precedent.”
Security officials tell us that Hamas has invested considerable effort in digging a new tunnel network within the coastal enclave, as well as several tunnels meant for eventual cross-border attacks.
The Gaza-based terrorist organization has been using whatever cement it can get its hands on for the construction of the tunnels, and fortifying the walls of its underground structures with wood as well.
IN SOME COMMUNITIES, ONCE THE AIR RAID SIREN GOES ON, YOU HAVE
SEVEN SECONDS TO REACH SHELTER
The “Iron Dome” system, which protects large parts of Israel from rockets and missiles, doesn’t cover the Gaza border region — the distance is too short. In other communities they have 15 seconds or less!
I have spent time in the communities in Southwestern Israel. On one occasion the Egyptian Air Force was bombing terrorist targets as part of its ongoing war against Islamic State (ISIS) affiliates in Sinai. I could barely hear the Egyptian bombings, but it was impossible not to feel the vibrations created by them. Several times a day I could feel the vibrations as the windows rattled.
Of the 21 border communities, Nahal Oz is the closest to Gaza, and for the last 15 years, has also been one of the most bombarded places in Israel. During the 2014 war, it was under nonstop fire.
If you lived in one of these communities you would know that as a self-sustaining community, there is no fire department or police. The men that live there form the fire and police departments. If the alarm goes off that the border fence has been breached, the men in that community drop what they are doing, pick up their weapons and defend their community, their family and their home. The military may take 10-15 minutes or longer to respond so the men must step up.
