June 2023 Heartland Highlight: Tekoa

Last Spring, a father and son sat on their porch enjoying their tranquil pastoral surroundings when the boy noticed something suspicious. Since their home is situated only a few meters from the community’s security fence, the boy had a clear line of vision to a suspicious-looking man climbing the security fence from outside the community. Once he alerted his father, both observed the man climbing down the security fence inside the community with a knife in hand. The father instinctively, yelled for the terrorist to stop, but the terrorist continued, while mumbling in Arabic. There was no time to think—only act! The father, a civilian volunteer for Tekoa’s first responders, ran into the house to retrieve his weapon. Returning with his gun in hand, he warned the terrorist a second time before discharging his weapon, protecting his family and countless neighbors from a blood-thirsty terrorist. Who knows how many lives he saved that day? It was a miracle. Next time, they may not be so lucky.

Tekoa is a thriving community located in the eastern Etzion Bloc area, just south of Bethlehem, at the edge of the Judean Desert. Religious and non-religious Jews, including many artists live together in this vibrant community, promoting tolerance and mutual understanding. Tekoa numbers more than 4,300 residents and continues to grow. The people of Tekoa have suffered numerous terrorist hostility over the years. In 2001, two local 13-year-old boys were attacked and murdered by Arab terrorists while hiking in the land they loved. And many families have experienced terrorist infiltrations and a general lack of security on the surrounding roads, where Arabs regularly shoot at Jewish cars. Despite the ongoing threat, the families of Tekoa remain united in their dedication to Israel’s future by settling the land and raising their children.

In the aftermath of the recent attempted terror attack, the families in Tekoa feel scared and vulnerable. The recent attack, combined with ongoing tension from the surrounding Arab population, demands an immediate upgrade in Tekoa’s security protection. A few years ago, CFOIC Heartland’s generous donors helped Tekoa purchase surveillance cameras, greatly improving overall safety there. But, several remaining “blind spots” along the fence make the community vulnerable to intrusion—putting lives in constant danger. There is no time to lose. Tekoa has an urgent need to install additional surveillance cameras in the remaining vulnerable spot to ensure no one enters Tekoa without being seen.