By: Laurina Driesse

From north to south, Israel is surrounded by terror militias with large rocket arsenals and the intent to destroy her. However, the Christian Embassy stands firm with the people of Israel by offering protection in practical ways which demonstrate our love and concern for them. One of the primary ways is by providing much-needed bomb shelters to shield them against the constant threat of rocket attacks.

Thanks to our very generous donors from around the world – most notably from Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and USA, scores of Israelis can sleep soundly, and their children can joyfully play at kindergartens knowing that there is a shelter nearby.

In the year 2022, the ICEJ has already donated 16 new bomb shelters to protect vulnerable Israeli communities, while at least one or two more will be donated before the year ends. Four were smaller portable bell-shaped shelters, ten were medium cube-shaped mobile ones, and two were larger underground shelters that needed extensive renovations for use in important public buildings.  

Nine of the shelters were placed this year in the Gaza border region, and seven were positioned on the northern border to protect against the rocket threat posed by the Hizbullah terror militia. With the shelters provided this year, the ICEJ has now provided a total number of 181 bomb shelters to protect Israeli communities since 2007! Each shelter displays an ICEJ dedication plaque, assuring Israelis that Christian friends from around the world care about them.

Israel has the proven ‘Iron Dome’ anti-missile batteries used to intercept medium-range rockets. But for communities living within 10-15 kilometers of the Gaza border, families have a mere 15 seconds to seek shelter before the rockets land, and the Iron Dome system is not able to shoot down such short-range projectiles.

In August of this year, Ofir Libshtein, mayor of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council in southern Israel, told the ICEJ Weekly Webinar that the ten towns in his region were targeted with over 300 rockets over the three days of intense fighting that month, which meant hearing the red alert sirens hundreds of times and having to run for their safe rooms each time.

“The Iron Dome is an amazing miracle,” said Mayor Libshtein. “We have found a solution to deal with 96% of the rockets. But because we are so close to the border, we have rockets hit before the alarm even sounds sometimes.”

Meanwhile, the northern region of Israel is densely populated, and the Lebanese border is volatile. Many of the older homes do not have special safe rooms, leaving families vulnerable and having to run to a nearby shelter in the event of a missile attack.

Many of the shelters donated are placed near community and sports centers, clinics, at bus stops near entrances to communities, and close to schools and kindergartens, bringing a sense of security to many worried parents.

“It is always so encouraging when Israelis living under this constant rocket threat tell us that our bomb shelters are indeed saving lives and giving their families the peace of mind they need to continue their daily lives in these vulnerable areas,” said ICEJ President Dr Jürgen Bühler.

Many more communities located along Israel’s borders remain vulnerable, lacking sufficient shelters to protect them against an onslaught of rocket fire. Please consider donating towards more life-saving bomb shelters to protect more Israeli lives.