‘We’re second-class citizens;’ northern Israel residents fume as strikes on Hezbollah fail to change situation

No contact with gov't until solution is presented, northern leaders declare

Read this article in:

While most of Israel’s leadership and media praised the IDF’s intense strikes against Hezbollah on Sunday morning, which pre-empted a planned large-scale attack by the terror group, many residents of northern Israel weren't satisfied.

“This morning we found out the naked truth: A preemptive attack to remove a threat to the residents of the center [of Israel] – yes. Continuing the preemptive attack and removing the threat to the residents of the north – no,” wrote Lobby 1701, a group representing the residents of northern Israel, who have either been evacuated or living under constant rocket fire for the past 10 months.

Early on Sunday morning, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched a series of airstrikes with approximately 100 fighter jets targeting more than 40 launch areas in Lebanon, destroying “thousands of Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels.”

While the IDF initially emphasized that the strikes were carried out to prevent attacks in central Israel, subsequent statements confirmed that most of the destroyed rocket launchers targeted the Galilee region.

This followed increasing criticism by residents and local leaders of the north, who stressed that no such “preemptive strike” had been carried out during the months they had been under fire.

“The IDF destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, all of which were designed to attack our citizens and our forces in the Galilee. Also, the IDF intercepted all of the drones that Hezbollah launched at a strategic target in the center of the country,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening.

Lobby 1701 called the government’s policy “a cowardly equation and an attack on the Zionist idea, which was created by the government and is officially turning us into second-class citizens.”

“The residents of the north who are now under a barrage of hundreds of rockets ask a simple question: Why not continue the initiative and also remove the threat to the residents of the north, who have been absorbing thousands of missiles for ten months?” the group asked, while the exchanges of fire continued.

In protest of the government's inaction, three local leaders declared they would cease all communications with Israeli officials until a comprehensive plan to resolve their situation was presented to them.

“A solution includes full security for the return of the evacuees from their homes, ensuring the safety of all residents and approving an economic plan for the rehabilitation of the north.”

The declaration was signed by David Azoulai, the mayor of Metula; Moshe Davidovitz, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council; and Giora Zaltz, who heads the Upper Galilee Regional Council.

The IDF's actions were sarcastically dubbed, “Operation Peace for Tel Aviv,” a reference to the Hebrew name for the Lebanon War in 1982, “Operation Peace for the Galilee,” by the three community leaders who accused the government of being detached from the situation on the ground.

“Prime Minister, ministers, coalition members, government officials and all government employees wherever they are - we have not been of interest to you for ten and a half months, from now on you are not of interest to us. Don’t call, don’t come, don’t send messages, we’ve managed on our own so far, we’ll manage on our own from now on as well,” they wrote.