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On November 22nd, 2016 a wave of fires started in Israel, partly due to weather conditions, partly due to arson attacks. The most affected areas were the Haifa district, the mountains around Jerusalem and Zikhron Yaakov on Mount Carmel where sometimes more than ten crews at a time were needed in order to fight the flames. In total more than 4,000 fires erupted in different areas across the country in the days until the emergency state was officially declared finished on November 28th.
The worst damages were caused in Haifa: 527 apartments were destroyed completely, leaving 1,600 people homeless. 75,000 residents, about a quarter of the city's population, were evacuated from 11 neighborhoods. More than 160 people were hurt including three children and a 6 month old, mainly due to smoke inhalation. Over 350 firefighters and 115 firefighting vehicles were operating in the city. A Haifa resident said people were leaving on foot and by car. “My house was filled with smoke,” the woman told reporters by phone from her car, with the sirens of fire engines and ambulances audible in the background. “And the smell, it was impossible to stay there.”
In total more than 7,500 acres of forest and 2,700 acres of urban areas were destroyed. Yoram Levy, national spokesperson for the Israel Firefighters and Rescue Services said that this series of fires were some of the worst the country ever experienced. “What made this incredibly difficult to fight […] was the number of blazes that took place simultaneously all across Israel. We had every firefighter across the country fighting the fires and witnessing extensive damage to infrastructure, housing, and land from the north to the south and east to west.”
Much needed help was sent from all over the world and also from the Palestinian Authority. It was also heartwarming to see how Arabs and Jews alike opened their homes for the evacuated.
We would like to wholeheartedly thank our European friends who supported us in facing these disastrous circumstances:
Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy and Spain have sent aircraft and other equipment to help fight the fires. We are deeply grateful for their assistance, without which we would not have been able to extinguish the fires as quickly. We would also like to thank Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom for offering help in these difficult moments.
Now the reconstruction efforts are ongoing and again support is coming in from many sides. Arab wood suppliers for instance have donated material for rebuilding a destroyed synagogue. “I decided to help and not receive any payment,” wood supplier Walid Abu-Ahmed told the Hebrew daily news site Ynet. “Jews and Arabs live together in Haifa, and there is no discrimination. We must continue with this coexistence and promote peace.” The help was received with open arms and strong emotions: “I had tears in my eyes when I heard what was happening,” Rabbi Dov Hiyon, who heads the Moriah community, said. “It was so emotional to hear that Muslims were asking to donate to a Jewish synagogue. I’ve invited them to evening prayers to personally thank them.”