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Israeli Private Citizens Aiding Syrian Refugees in Jordan
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by Anav Silverman / Tazpit News Agency
The fighting in Syria, as seen from Israel. Photo: Tsuri Cohen-Arazi/ Tazpit News Agency.
In what UN officials have described as the worst refugee crisis in 20 years, more than a million Syrians, half of them children, have fled the country in the past six months.
Since the outbreak of the Syrian war in March 2011, the total number of Syrian refugees is now up to 2 million people. According to Jordan’s minister of state for media affairs, Mohammad al-Momani, more than one million of those Syrian refugees have flooded into Jordan.
For neighboring Israelis, the tragic developments have not gone unnoticed.
Dr. Boms himself is involved with aid distribution to Syrian refugees through an Israeli group called Hand in Hand with Syrian Refugees. Made up of concerned Israeli citizens and NGOs, Hand in Hand was initiated in the beginning of 2013 to address the Syrian situation.
Partnering up with an American Christian charity, Operation Blessing, and Israel’s Reut Institute, Hand in Hand has been raising funds, and sending and distributing humanitarian aid to Jordan’s Syrian refugees throughout the past year.
In May, Hand in Hand sent a special truckload filled with 5,000 winter jackets and sweaters, along with 1,000 pairs of shoes and toys, with the aid of Operation Blessing, to Syrian refugees.
“It began as word of mouth – first we started collecting from neighbors and friends, then from different sectors across the nation including Jews and Arabs and finally from international supporters,” explains Melanie.
“What we are doing is our Jewish duty,” Dr. Boms explains. “This is a Jewish message – we cannot ignore what is going on in Syria after everything our own nation has been through. On a humanitarian level, we owe the Syrian people this help.”
Melanie says that when the truck finally reached its destination, the Syrian refugees were ecstatic. “Our Israeli delegation reported that many of the children were missing winter jackets and other articles of clothing, so the truckload was met by many happy faces.”
The political sensitivities also had to be addressed – Melanie removed any Hebrew labels from the clothing. Moreover, the items were sent through a Christian organization because Jordan would have refused to allow the truck entry had it become known that Israel or Jewish organizations were behind the clothing collection.
“We are getting a lot of positive feedback – especially from Syrian refugees via our group’s Facebook page,” says Melanie. This year, Hand in Hand is collecting funds to purchase woolen blankets to keep Syrian refugees in Jordan warm during the winter.
“There’s always bad news from this region – the humanitarian aid is the only positive outcome from the Syrian tragedy. Maybe projects like Hand in Hand can help create a different Middle East,” concludes Dr. Boms.
