We met with Nomika Zion of Kibbutz Migvan and Other Voice. The kibbutz in which she lives in as urban kibbutz in S’derot is a community of 80 people. The urban kibbutz was the first of its kind in the mid 1980s and now, it is one of 100. She described her community, where rocket attacks out of Gaza started eight years ago, as a community of trauma where people are victims of shock and anxiety. It was clear that the limited sympathy she was expressing for the Gazan people put her in a difficult position in her community and was very uncharacteristic of her town. She said that she felt that the Gaza War (what she called Operation Cast Lead) took away the ability for S’derot residents to feel empathy, that it rendered them numb by taking away their humanity. If you are interested in reading her thoughts at the time, google the article she wrote during Operation Cast Lead, google the article she wrote titled “Not in my Name, Not for my Security.” She is part of a minority in Israel that questions Israeli policies and recognizes at least to some extent the plight of Palestinians, however limited that questioning might be.
Here is some of what she said:
“I never feel protected when Israel choses revenge. The ceasefire was teh first time I think my government was protecting me.” - Nomika Zion
“War pollutes your heart and your soul.” -Nomika Zion
“Our firends in Gaza are tuck in the largest prison in the world.” - Nomika Zion
“Frankly, I think this [Israel] is a suicide society choosing to live in denial.” - Nomika Zion
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