Why Israeli war victims were never homeless or hungry

If there was an honest media, the first thing it would do is acknowledge the stark differences between Israelis and Palestinians, starting with the fact that Israeli war victims aren’t homeless or hungry, unlike their Gazan counterparts.

In fact, everything you need to know about these two distinct cultures can be encapsulated in the way citizens of each place were treated following devastating attacks which took place in their respective cities.  

It was at last Wednesday night’s Bat Yam municipal ceremony, which honored the individuals who immediately came to the rescue of those who had lost everything, that we got a real glimpse of what happened.  

In the early morning hours of June 15th, simultaneous Iranian and Houthi rockets were launched at the city of Bat Yam. The events which followed told the real story.

A video presentation, highlighting stocked warehouses of clothing, sorted and ready for the taking by anyone in need, along with tables of food, waiting to be served, already made it apparent that Israelis, unlike Gazans, take care of their own.

Just hours following the devastating blows, which reduced the older part of Bat Yam to rubble, no time was wasted assessing the damage, as residents went to work, meeting every need in record time. 

Zaka, Israel’s volunteer organization, which conducts search and rescue missions rushed to the bombed-out sites, immediately identifying victims and unearthing those buried under the rubble.

Within hours, residents whose apartment buildings had been destroyed, were put on buses and taken to a local Bat Yam school where, after a few hours,  more than 1,000 of them were housed in local hotels throughout surrounding cities. 

Shmuel Birnbaum, one of the volunteers, along with his wife Chaya, both originally from America, settled in Bat Yam, along with their five children in 1990. Their goal of contributing to Israeli society, rather than live in their own little bubble, was finally realized.  

Seeing the importance of being part of this effort, they came each day, stocked with daily necessities we take for granted, such as deodorant, cosmetics or just a warm cup of coffee, making life a little more tolerable for those who had nothing.

So many non-profit organizations stepped up to the plate, such as “Orot Shel Orit” (The Lights of Orit). Run by an extraordinary woman who thought to recruit professional caregivers, she made sure that everything from needed massages to other therapeutic treatments were all provided, free of charge. 

Eventually, all of the homeless were given temporary apartments, by the State which also paid for trauma treatments needed by so many who had difficulty coping after the shock of all they’d gone through. As time went on, a government agency reimbursed losses and did its best to compensate people who were desperately trying to rebuild their lives. 

Prior to the disaster of June 15th, Bat Yam, close to Tel Aviv, had already been active, by helping to house residents from the southern kibbutz communities which were no longer able to remain in their homes after October 7th due to the constant Hamas missile attacks from the Gaza Strip as well as enemy infiltration.

Thinking of ways to serve our military, weekly barbecues were also organized by Bat Yam volunteers, bringing the food to soldiers on their bases throughout the south. Imagine the heartwarming support they felt at a time when they were tirelessly fighting for the safety of our citizens.

These inspiring acts of kindness, bravery and thoughtfulness are just some of what was acknowledged at this special evening, where awards were presented by Zvika Brot, Bat Yam‘s mayor.  

As a resident of Bat Yam, who attended this touching ceremony, I couldn’t help but reflect on the major differences which cannot go unmentioned, because they are often deliberately disregarded. Those, whose anti-Israel passions allow their thinking to be viciously clouded by a hateful political agenda, are quick to paint Israel as the aggressor and the heartless oppressors.

But nothing could be more of a gross distortion, because when you see Gazans who were put in harm’s way by their own terrorist government and used as necessary pawns in their attempt to defeat Israel, it becomes obvious who the real oppressors are.

Doing their bidding, the wanton and willful media pile onto the deceptive narrative by filming what appear to be starving children and crowds holding up cooking pots, begging to be filled with humanitarian aid. All this, under the guise that Israel is preventing Gazans from eating and having a roof over their heads. But it’s all a lie, designed to turn us into the despised of the earth.  

Bat Yam was not an anomaly. Each Israeli community did its part, providing food and housing to those who lost everything. It was what they chose to do, unlike Hamas, Gaza’s leadership, who, instead, caused their people to be impoverished and endangered.

Rather than provide food, they hijacked incoming humanitarian aid trucks, making sure that supplies were first doled out to their own terror network families. Only then were remaining goods packed into Hamas-controlled warehouses where price gauging was employed to extract exorbitant sums, from locals, for goods which were meant to save the lives of all Gazans

Sadly, while this was reported, the dishonest media still refused to identify who was really causing the deprivation suffered by these people have suffered. In short, Hamas has been operating under the cover of dishonest and unprincipled journalists, whose hate of Israel is so great that they prefer to incriminate Israel for the misery which was perpetrated by the real enemies of Gazans – their own corrupt, evil leaders!

While the world may be unwilling to tell the truth, it is an indisputable fact that Israeli citizens, directly impacted by the war, are neither hungry nor homeless. And that is due to the generous hearts of their neighbors who came to the rescue of their own people, making sure that their every need was provide - aa side that the media is unwilling to show.

The truth stands as a testimony and reminder that there are no similarities between the values of the people from Israel and Gaza. One is invested in exploiting their people for the sake of world dominance while the other is focused on comforting those who mourn in Zion!

Want to help more people find our reporting from Israel? Leave a quick Google review of our website here.