Dear Tnua,
This morning we woke up to the sound of sirens. From the stairwell of Garin Tzur’s apartment complex, we followed the news as the unanticipated attack that we are currently witnessing began to unfold on this traditionally joyous holiday. We watched with shock and heavy hearts as Hamas opened an attack on Israel on the scale of some of the largest conflicts in Israel’s history. Rockets continue to hit Israel, air attacks continue to hit Gaza, and ground fighting continues in Israeli towns near the Gazan border. We as a Mazkirut Artzit are safe, and the Workshoppers are safe. We have many partners in Israel, and we encourage the ma’apilimot and nachshonimot to reach out to their madrichimot and friends in Israel who are affected by this violence. Your messages and care matter to them. We also recognize that this violence impacts anyone who is invested in the region and in the Jewish people, and we encourage all chanichimot of the movement to reach out to friends, partners and madrichimot in these difficult times.
On a personal note for Habonim Dror, Ofir Libstein, the chair of the board of directors of Habonim Dror Olami, was killed in a gunfight defending his Kibbutz near Gaza. Ofir was a lifelong Kibbutz member who served as the chair of Habonim Dror for many years. He was the mayor of the Sha’ar HaNegev regional council, working diligently to take responsibility for the towns in the region including improving relations with Gazan neighbors and promoting cooperative efforts. His death is a shock and a tragedy for many in the Habonim Family and for all of the people of Israel. Our condolences go out to his family and the entire world Habonim Dror team. Zichrono Livracha. May his memory be for a blessing.
We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of life and the violence that this conflict has caused. We as a movement stand in solidarity with all peoples in Israel and Gaza, and we call for peace. In these disturbing times, we struggle, as always, for shared liberation.
Aleh v’Hagshem,
Mazkirut Artzit 5784