Published: 8 February 2022
Last updated: 4 March 2024
MANAR AL-SHARIF talks to two women, an Israeli and a Palestinian, living either side of the border, about their desire to become neighbours again
ADELE RAEMER, WHO lives on Kibbutz Nirim, on the border with the Gaza Strip, says she has between zero and ten seconds to reach shelter when her community receives an alert warning her of an incoming rocket attack from Gaza.
"I am still blogging because I feel compelled to act. I give interviews, tell our story, and express the humanity that my community and I share with our Arab neighbours just a few miles away, across the border. Unfortunately, I do not see this perspective represented in the media," she told The Jewish Independent.
Adele is the founder and moderator of the Facebook group "Life on the Border, things people may not know (but should)," a private group she created on Facebook in 2011 informing people from near and far of what’s happening on the ground.
Some Gazans have joined the group and contributed to the dialogue, but only in limited ways due to the risks involved, such as social harassment and being imprisoned for years due to the lack of human rights organisations in Gaza.
When Gazans feel compelled to say something, especially during times of escalation, they enter the group and inform the members of the situation in Gaza, Adele added.
During the most recent aggression, in May 2021, Mariam - from Gaza - and two other women - from the United States and Norway - participated in a dialogue in the group, with hopes of reaching out to the people and supporting them in various ways.
Mariam used her energy and courage to inform the people on the other side of the border of what was happening on her side. "I really feel sorry for both you and the people of Gaza, because I believe we are all the victims, who do not benefit from the conflict," she says.
