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#IAmOtniel

A left-winger and a human being who is mourning today -- she'll go back to opposing the government tomorrow

Jan 18, 2016, 12:02 PM

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Two weeks ago, I was #TelAviv.

Yes. I am politically center-left. I oppose the occupation. I believe that it is disastrous for my people to occupy others, and for others to be occupied. I refuse to work, or perform, on the other side of the Green Line.

But today #IAmOtniel.

I believe we can — and MUST — learn to trust each other enough to find the solution to this blood-thirsty conflict that goes on and on and knows no limits nor boundaries.

So if Dafna Meir, a young mother of six can be murdered in her home in front of her children, a nurse who helped so many, regardless of their culture or religion (and now so many more will be poorer for her loss), a wife and community member who no doubt was dearly cherished, and loved (and being buried in the cold ground even as I type), then I do not care where she lived. I stand up and identify with ALL the places in this brutalized land where people suffer from terror attacks. Be it #TelAviv, or #GushEtzion or #Duma or the #WesternNegev.

Tomorrow, I will go back to politics and working to try to convince the government to change things. And FYI: This does not make me any less of a patriotic Israeli. Or a Zionist. It just keeps me human.

So today, #IAmOtniel.

Oy! And now #IAmTekoa!

About the Author

The writer (aka "Zioness on the Border" on social media) is a mother and a grandmother who since 1975 has been living and raising her family on Kibbutz Nirim along the usually paradisiacal, sometimes hellishly volatile border with the Gaza Strip. She founded and moderates a 14K-strong Facebook group named "Life on the Border with Gaza". The writer blogs about the dreams and dramas that are part of border kibbutznik life. Until recently, she could often be found photographing her beloved region, which is exactly what she had planned to do at sunrise, October 7th. Fortunately, she did not go out that morning. As a result, she survived the murderous terror infiltrations of that tragic day, hunkering down in her safe room with her 33-year-old son for 11 terrifying hours. So many of her friends and neighbors, though, were not so lucky. More than she can even count. Adele was an educator for 38 years in her regional school, and has been one of the go-to voices of the Western Negev when escalations on the southern border have journalists looking for people on the ground. On October 7, her 95% Heaven transformed into 100% Hell. Since then she has given a multitude of interviews, going abroad on seven missions in support of Israel and as an advocate for her people. In addition to fighting the current wave of lies and blood libels about the Jewish state, she is raising money to help restore their Paradise so that members of her kibbutz can return to their homes on the border, where they can begin to heal. If you wish to learn more about how you can help her and her community return home, please feel free to drop her a line.

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