This is the third of a four-part series called 'Taste of the Holy Land'.
You hear a siren and know you have 15 seconds to find safety in a shelter or in your home’s safe room. It signals rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip. And with the counter attack from the Israeli intercept system, the Iron Dome, you will hear three blasts: the original from Gaza, the counter attack launch from Israel, and the collision of the missiles. This is a common occurrence for the people of Netev Ha’ Asara, an Israeli town that borders the Gaza Strip. It was in the home of Roni, where I learned about her unsettling reality. She shared how the simple activity of taking a walk down the street with her grandchildren could be risky. She raised 5 children in this home. Three of her grown children still live in the neighborhood. She volunteers her time and resources to transport residents of the Gaza Strip who need medical attention and treatment in Israel. When asked about living so close to Gaza, Roni replies, ”It’s a small piece of land, let’s start learning to live together”. She lives with hope in her heart.
On the day of our visit, it wasn’t a siren I experienced but an inspired afternoon with a true peacemaker on the Gaza border.
