Weekly Update 42 – 4zichron.org

June 27, 2025

Hello, everyone.

This newsletter addresses the events of the “Am Kalvia” war in terms of community resilience and public communication.

First, we would like to thank the council staff who worked around the clock, manned the council’s emergency operations center, and maintained routine emergency operations. Thank you to the Operations Department, which continued to collect trash and maintain public spaces even during air raid alerts. Thank you also to the volunteers who assisted with various tasks: to the Barak Unit volunteers and the jeep drivers who maintained a visible presence and bolstered the sense of security. To the volunteers in the community kitchen who continue to treat hundreds of soldiers every week to meals and treats, and to the volunteers at the “Ogan” association who assist the families of reservists. And my apologies if I’ve forgotten anyone—truly, thank you all.

At the same time, it is my duty as a council member to present several facts and thoughts that necessitate a substantial improvement in the local authority’s management of any future emergency.

I intend to send the comments you will read here to the mayor, his two deputies, the council members, and the council administration. I hope that, contrary to their usual practice of ignoring my emails, they will read and implement them, because we must fearlessly assess what happened—only then will we be better prepared for the next event, should it unfortunately occur.

If you have additional comments or suggestions, please send them to me as soon as possible, and I will consider what to include in the aforementioned summary.

Lack of Communication with the Public

The Council’s messaging system, such as “SMS Zikronet,” did not function during the days of fighting, except in isolated cases. The Council’s website was also not updated, and there was no “dedicated section” addressing the “Am Kalia” war—a section that serves as an information hub is required. Additionally, the council’s Facebook page did not share much information.

What was there? Private messages from the council head to those in his distribution list. Under normal circumstances, this is acceptable—the council head wants to stay in touch with those who voted for and support him. But in an emergency, when the private messages included alerts to stay near a shelter, sirens, real-time updates from the district commander in the Home Front Command, and instructions to enter and exit shelters.

In an emergency, all these messages must be sent exclusively through the council’s messaging system, which is open to the entire public. A situation where the authority’s information dissemination system is not functioning and the council head informs only a handful of residents from his distribution list is not normal and is even problematic in this context.

This situation is also caused by the elimination of a professional spokesperson position—which is precisely its role in an emergency—and we saw an example of this when the spokesperson system functioned optimally during Operation Cast Lead and the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the budget meeting a few months ago, when I protested the large sums allocated to pay two salaried deputies, the council head replied that he had saved money by not having a spokesperson or a personal assistant. Now it turns out that the savings are at our expense. Two deputies instead of a broad public notification system in times of emergency. You decide what is more important.

Lack of transparency and accountability among elected officials and the Security Committee

The municipal security committee was not convened at all during the war, nor was it summoned for a meeting as required.

Council members received no updates, reports, or briefing meetings. These are of great importance for public transparency and the ability to raise needs, etc. This conduct stands in contrast to how members of the plenary were briefed and convened for discussion at the start of Operation Iron Swords when Ziv was head of the council. You will agree with me that this is necessary and even mandatory in the emergency situation we are in.

To the best of my knowledge, no emergency drill has been conducted

It is expected that during the emergency, emergency forces will conduct drills, as many neighboring authorities in our region have done and as the council did a year and a half ago during the Iron Swords campaign. Such drills are important given the nature of the campaign and the threat, particularly regarding missile strikes, and should involve the council, emergency and rescue forces, and volunteers.

Deployment of Volunteer Forces

There has been no announcement regarding the mobilization of a volunteer network and/or youth movements, etc. If called upon, these volunteer forces could assist in public shelters, provide individual aid to senior citizens and isolated residents, and support the families of reservists—and this is only a partial list.

Lack of Community Relief Activities

The Community Center, as a central arm of community operations, was completely absent from the event throughout the entire period. The Community Center is headed by Deputy Council Chair Zila Reshef (a full-time, salaried position).

The community center could have organized community activities based on local resources and volunteers (thereby also providing them with financial support). All of this would have been in accordance with Home Front Command guidelines and held near public shelters or in fortified educational institutions. For example, children’s activities throughout the day in public shelters, story hours, clowns in playgrounds, and more.

An exception to this—and therefore worthy of praise—is the H.Z.B. Club, which maintained contact with senior citizens and even provided them with information about various recreational activities. So why not for families with children?

Because the council administration and its managers were instructed by the council head not to respond and, in effect, not to cooperate with me. I independently launched several community initiatives for the public:

A post calling on small businesses to advertise their activities and products—dozens of local business owners promoted themselves, and in doing so, I encouraged local shopping at local businesses that had found themselves without customers.

( https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15ki8vCAS1/ )

Encouraging activity near standard-compliant shelters: I posted on Facebook and in several neighborhoods a list of public spaces, playgrounds, and sports facilities located near standard-compliant shelters, or shopping centers that have a standard-compliant shelter

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Uxsh5nkag/

I am attaching several examples from neighboring towns and organizations where community activities for the public’s benefit did take place. This was not the case in Zichron Yaakov.

Examples from the Binyamina Community Center

Activities for the entire community – Week 2 summary – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/12MBsveYks7/

Moments Together – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BLjrKofde/

Daily Challenge – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18vPSJApme/

Community Project: Family Ties – Seniors – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14EwyCx4B4b/

Mamad Singing Competition – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HqBNSf76H/

Youth for the Community – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16rvH7gVpE/

Examples from Pardes Hanna –

Zoom in the Moshava –

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ZB7RmW124/

Islands of Quiet – At the End of the War – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16koA5UGcj/

A Community Exploring Nature – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16wHw2EJzv/