While coronavirus lockdown measures have temporarily reduced terrorism and violence around the world, Israeli officials expect it to resume as the quarantine measures begin to ease. Israel is also opening back up in time for the summer, which has historically seen an increase in rockets and terrorist activity.

To help vulnerable communities in the south of Israel, The Fellowship, in cooperation with the Home Front Command, positioned eleven mobile shelters in the older neighborhoods of the City of Ashkelon. In most of these neighborhoods, there are no established shelters to protect the residents.

Two mobile shelters were set up in the Shimshon Gimel Commercial Center. Yuval, the owner of a small bakery there, publicly thanked The Fellowship for this new initiative. “I still remember the screams and tears of the children during the last red alert siren,” Yuval told us. “We are all here in an open area. We did not have any protection. Now we are protected.”

“The coronavirus period brought quiet, but all of those who deal with security knew very well that it was a temporary situation,” said Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of The Fellowship. “Terrorists do not stop their attempts to harm Israeli civilians for a minute. We at The Fellowship, together with Israel’s mayors, the Ministry of Defense, and the IDF are working constantly to protect and ensure the security of the residents. We must do everything we can so that Israelis can sleep securely at night.”

“I want to thank The Fellowship for setting up the mobile shelters in the Samson neighborhood, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Ashkelon, which has been coping with the lack of protection throughout the years,” said Tomer Glam, the Mayor of Ashkelon. “During a siren, the mobile shelters will provide a solution to people nearby. Still, we have a larger task and that is to protect the neighborhood itself so as to provide immediate shelter for the residents in the apartment buildings. It is encouraging to see that in a place where there are disparities, The Fellowship helps, contributes, and expresses a true interest in the residents of Ashkelon.”

The Fellowship is committed to securing Israel in real, concrete ways—including through literal concrete bomb shelters. With its decades of experience serving Israelis in need, its longstanding relationships with the Israeli government and other aid organizations, and its extensive network of volunteers, the organization is often the first to help on the ground in Israel in times of crisis.