As the sun sets of Fridays and the hustle and bustle of the week fades into the background, families in Judea and Samaria nestle into the sacred embrace of the sabbath. But one Friday evening, tranquility shattered as a sinister plot unfolded in Shaked, located in Northern Samaria.
As parents tenderly tucked their children into bed, hostile Arab infiltrators breached the wire fence of the tranquil community. Targeting a quiet home, the two Arabs stole valuables and ransacked a house, leaving chaos in their wake. Thankfully, the elderly homeowner, away for the evening, was spared the ordeal that unfolded. Yet in Judea and Samaria, even burglary carries the grim potential to escalate into a terror attack.
For Atzmon Yahav, head of Shaked’s security team, safeguarding his community is a calling. With urgency, he marshaled his residents to the safety of their bomb shelter upon hearing reports of an intrusion. Yet, the perpetrators melted into the darkness, evading capture and leaving a lingering sense of vulnerability.
Perched on a hilltop, Shaked offers a pastoral backdrop, with breathtaking views of a nearby nature preserve and a tight-knit community where neighbors are family. Yet just beyond this idyllic setting lies the ever-present threat from Jenin, a hotbed of terrorist activities, and other hostile neighboring Arab towns whose residents are intent on violently uprooting Jewish presence in the region. Life in Shaked is not easy! Local families regularly face shooting attacks on their cars while traveling on surrounding roads and in recent months, directly at their homes. Yet, these brave pioneers remain steadfastly committed to securing and developing their divinely promised ancestral land.
Following the tragic events of October 7, a pall of fear gripped the people of Judea and Samaria as Arabs in the region applauded their Hamas brothers.
Instantly, every Jewish community became a potential target for a similar massacre and Shaked was no exception. This new reality underscored their vulnerability, demanding greater vigilance.
The most urgent threat loomed from the eastern border, where the Arab town of Dhaher al-Malih lies less than two city blocks away across a wild field. Here, the old wire fence proves a flimsey barrier against hostile infiltrators, especially for the first line of homes that border the fence so closely. While loca Arab shepherds can steer their flocks across wide-open grazing landscapes, they regularily drift near SHaked’s perimiter barrier. Sometimes reaching within touching distance from the fence, these shepherds, obsured by wild shrubbery, gathered inteeligence information for a future attack, Atzmon reasoned. Without surveillance cameras providing early warning of hostile activities, a terror attack was simply a matter of time.
In response to this dire security gap, Shaked turned to CFOIC for help, and you, our faithful friends, have responded generously! Thanks to your unwavering support, the people of Shaked now have advanced surveillance cameras standing as sentinels along the eastern perimeter. These cameras provide critical advanced warnings to the first response team, enabling them to act quickly and efficiently to potential threats. With this newfound vigilance, the once brazen shepherds have retreated, choosing different pastures. Your support has made a tangible difference in the lives of those living in Shaked, easing their anxieties, and enabling them to continue developing the Biblical Heartland.
While tensions and tangible threats have clearly increased in Judea and Samaria since October 7, you have made a lasting impact on in the Biblical Heartland. The newly installed cameras have created a palpable sense of security throughout Shaked. “Everyone is sleeping much better again,” remarked Atzmon, with sincere gratitude in his voice: “Thanks to CFOIC and its donors, we now possess sophisticated tools for our security that we could not have acquired on our own.”
The people of Shaked bear witness to your unwavering friendship and support of the Biblical Heartland, bound by a shared commitment to restore the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland. Atzmon echoes their heartfelt appreciation: “Our Christian friends have stood by us when lives were on the line, and their support will be etched in our hearts forever.”