The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Distributes Armored Vehicles to Fortify Israel’s Northern Region
March 27, 2024
JERUSALEM – As dozens of rockets are launched daily at Israel’s northern border communities by Hezbollah terrorists in the last month alone, and thousands more since October 7, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) has committed more than $2 million to equip local authorities and security teams with armored vehicles.
The first five of nine total armored vehicles were delivered at a dedication ceremony on March 27 at the Mevo’ot HaHermon Regional Council in northern Israel. They will be put into immediate use, while four additional vehicles will be delivered in the coming months.
The vehicles will allow municipal officials and security personnel to travel safely while serving their communities, even under rocket and other threats. While nearly 80,000 residents of these northern Israel communities have been evacuated, some must remain because they are elderly or infirm, while other stay to maintain vital infrastructure and protect those left behind. Prior to the outbreak of the war on October 7, The Fellowship funded a similar distribution of vehicles to southern border communities.
Ilan Isaacson, Security Chief for the Eshkol Regional Council along the Gaza border says his life was saved on October 7 thanks to his armored vehicle. “Directly in front of me were two pickup trucks filled with terrorists. When they got closer they started shooting at me, but the armor of the jeep repelled the bullets and allowed me to escape and head back towards our communities to provide the critical response. Without the generosity of The Fellowship, who gave us the jeep well before the events of that horrific day, I wouldn’t be here today to tell my story.”
Fellowship President Yael Eckstein added, “This war has taught us a very difficult but lifesaving lesson. We must be ready and equipped for all types of eventualities, particularly in ensuring that our heroes on the front lines and in their communities have the equipment they need,” she said. “Together with our hundreds of thousands of supporters around the world, we will continue to identify new, additional ways we can help provide security, protection, and care for the Israeli people.”
The Fellowship has also recently announced several other safety and security-focused initiatives, including nearly $1.5 million towards the placement of 123 shelters at bus stops serving 42 northern communities, and $136,000 towards equipment for Rapid Response Teams in the Northern Druze communities.