By David Fleet
Editor
Israel— Laurie Rimon says she’s totally glued to her television.
And for good reason.
Laurie Rimon is the younger sister of Brandon Township resident Jonathan Schechter and has lived in northern Israel since 1973. She lives in a kibbutz or a communal settlement unique to Israel near the Lebanese border.
On Oct. 7, fighting broke out between Israel and Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on Gaza about 110 miles south of Rimon’s home. According to news reports, since the initial attack, Israel Defense Forces are conducting a large scale strike on Hamas targets.
“We were all totally shocked by the attack,” said Rimon, during an interview with The Citizen on Wednesday. “I think the first news was on the telephone and then I turned on the TV. My husband was riding his bike and I called him and told him what had happened. The TV is broadcasting 24/7.”
According to news sources, the bloody conflict has since escalated and is just one of many between Israelis and Palestinians over the past seven decades.
“Everything in our area has been cancelled,” said Rimon. “The areas have been taken over, sort of by soldiers. I live on the Lebanese border and we hope that Hizbollah will stay out. Luckily I am in the East and the Northern problems are mainly in the West.”
Rimon shared a story that a girl from the kibbutz has an older sister who has been living in Kfar Aza, (about four miles east) since the sixties and was murdered by the Hamas.
Following the news Schechter was concerned for his family in the Middle East.
“The locals are definitely on edge,” said Schechter, who has traveled extensively in the region over the years. “The area has numerous underground shelters for the residents. Ayla, my niece is currently harboring in a bomb shelter with her cat. The air raid sirens go off now often now too, and many residents have extreme situational awareness.”