No entry for Israelis? Evacuated residents protest against lack of security at northern border

Residents of northern Israel on Wednesday protested against the lack of security by putting up red signs at major intersections in northern Israel, warning the public against entering the deserted areas that were evacuated due to the daily Hezbollah attacks.

The signs are written in Hebrew, English and Arabic and read: “This road leads to the security strip of southern Lebanon within the territory of the State of Israel. Entry to Israeli citizens is prohibited until security is restored to the northern settlements.”

The protest was initiated by activists of the “Lobby 1701” and “Reservists Encampment” groups and aims to raise awareness for the plight of hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have been internal refugees for about four months.

Since last October, Hezbollah terrorists have been carrying out daily attacks against targets in northern Israel, killing several civilians and IDF soldiers and damaging hundreds of homes in the process.

The activists specifically decried the perceived lack of initiative and time horizon to restore security in northern Israel, and made the demand to: “Transfer the war to the other side - and return to the days when Israel attacks and overwhelms the enemy on its territory and doesn’t wait for the mercy of a murderous terrorist organization.”

“This action is intended to remind everyone of the 100,000 residents of the north who have become refugees and are not receiving a proper response, neither security nor civilian. The State of Israel must understand that the residents of the north expect decisive actions,” the Lobby 1701 statement read.

The design and text on the signs resembled signs posted by Israel Defense Forces throughout Judea and Samaria, warning Jewish Israelis against entering the Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank.

In addition, the mention of a “security strip” was intended to be ironic as it refers to the security zone maintained inside Lebanese territory by Israel from 1985 until 2000, which was originally established in response to Palestinian rocket attacks on northern Israel at the time.

Captain Omer Patziniash, the spokeswoman for the military encampment, stated: “We don’t want to weaken the army - we are the army, and we are shouting the cry of the soldiers who have been sitting on the border for over four months with their hands tied.”

“We cannot allow the northern arena to be neglected, we cannot allow this war to end without removing Hezbollah from the border and returning control to the State of Israel,” she added.

“Our friends are cannon fodder at the border, we receive hundreds of inquiries from reservists about the situation in the north and hear that the instructions to open fire are only being made more strict and are tying their hands. It’s time to take the initiative and decide, it’s time for the IDF and the government to do the right thing.”