Even With Nasrallah Gone, an Israeli Mayor Is Agonizing Over Future

The mayor of Metula, David Azoulay, wakes up every morning knowing that instead of interacting with his Israeli town’s residents, he will have to face the wreckage caused by yet another Hezbollah rocket. Since October 2023, hundreds of anti-tank missiles, including the Russian-made Kornet, have been fired from Lebanon at the small border town whose 2,500 residents have taken refuge elsewhere across Israel. “There’s myself, some farmers, and members of the security team who still live here,” he told The New York Sun during a recent interview. Mr. Azoulay, who has been living at Metula for 25 years and has served as mayor for nine years, said he sleeps “in the command center, it’s the safest place.” He said he has counted 300 homes that have been hit by Hezbollah rockets. Also hit was the town’s elementary school. “I personally call every single family whose home has been hit,” he told the Sun. “It’s something that I’ve taken upon myself to do since last October. If residents see that the mayor is calling, they know there’s bad news.” “Sometimes I’ll end up talking with the family of a destroyed home for an hour,” he added. “I’ll send them photos and videos. It’s heartbreaking.” Established in 1896, Metula is one of the 43 communities within three miles of Israel’s border with Lebanon that the Israeli government evacuated in October 2023 in order to create a security buffer zone. It is estimated that more than 68,000 Israelis from the north have been displaced for the past year.Most of Metula’s residents were first evacuated to hotels at Tiberias, but eventually families opted to rent apartments and homes. The only Metula residents still residing at Tiberias’s Sofia hotel are senior citizens and the elderly, who are well cared for in the hotel, according to Mr. Azoulay, who himself could have chosen to evacuate to a hotel.One of 14 people who have remained in Israel’s northernmost town for nearly a year now, Mr. Azoulay longs for normalcy. “We have a rich history here in Metula,” he said. “Tourists would flock here. There’s a skating rink here. The synagogue was always full during Shabbat and the holidays. It’s a very old building: 127 years old.” “Today residents need military approval to visit their homes for a few moments,” he added. “A handful of residents have come from time to time during the past year to ‘smell’ their homes for a few minutes and then they have to leave because of the situation.” Mr. Azoulay, who was born and raised at another northern Israeli city that has been heavily targeted by Hezbollah missiles for the past year, Kiryat Shemona, believes that the Israeli government must do everything it can to return its northern residents home.“We’ve been at war for the past 11 months. One side has been fighting and that’s Hezbollah,” he said.While Israel’s elimination of the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has given hope to many northern Israelis, Mr. Azoulay is yearning to resume the regular duties of a mayor. “I speak with mayors and leaders from other northern towns and cities throughout the past. We share our experiences and try to learn from each other during this war. “But everyone is facing similar problems in their communities — people are financially destroyed, some have no homes to return to, families are breaking up. The war has taken its toll.”Meanwhile, Metula has been overrun by nature, with hogs, porcupines, and mice replacing people.“We have to believe that things will get better, that our residents will be able to return but our government has to wake up and do everything it can to make that possible,” Mr. Azoulay said.He said he is very appreciative of American Jewish support during the past year: “From the very start of the war, we have received donations from American Jewish organizations, the Jewish Federations, and individuals whose financial help has been crucial at this time, when our government hasn’t been able to help us.” Mr. Azoulay added: “I pray that the day will come and there will be a miracle, that northern Israel gets back on its feet again. I hoped that we would get to celebrate Rosh Hashanah together as a community this year. Maybe next year.”

Even With Nasrallah Gone, an Israeli Mayor Is Agonizing Over Future

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