Brazilian reports tensions near Gaza
“The mother of a friend of mine was murdered in her house yesterday. The grandparents of a friend of mine have been missing since yesterday, one of them is suffering from Alzheimer’s. An acquaintance of mine who studied with me is missing. […] My boss’s son was killed in the army while his father was outside Israel. “He came running so he could at least bury the child,” Janine said.
The battalion in which the Brazilian woman serves is responsible for protecting the Hamasruled city of Ashkelon, near the northern border of the Gaza Strip. On Saturday (7) the city was attacked by terrorists, although to a lesser extent than other places in the country.
Janine lives in Beersheba, further south in the country, about 65 kilometers from where she lives. The Brazilian was asked to travel to Ascalão shortly after the attacks began because she is a reservist and can therefore be called up in wartime.
“My battalion is specifically responsible for this area I am in. Other battalions are near the Gaza Strip. And they are already preparing to invade. We don’t know if that will happen or not. But the preparations are being made,” he explained.
According to Janine, terrorists are not limited to the Gaza Strip. “They are still in Israel. Just this morning we had a case of terrorists crossing the Gaza Strip and traveling in a car on one of the nearby routes,” he said.
It is important for them that people understand that not all Arabs support terrorism. “There are also several people of the same ethnicity who are against it,” she explains.
Janaina was born in Recife and moved to Israel in January 2009 to attend secondary school as part of a program the country offers for young people from the Jewish community. After completing his studies, he decided to permanently emigrate to the country and was nationalized at the age of 18. Today she is married and has a son.
Despite the tension, the Pernambuco woman said she tried to calm her family in Brazil through social media.
“In general, my family sends a lot of messages of support. It’s not just about concern, but about support. What is more important to me. Because when concern is accompanied by support, you feel like you’re doing the right thing,” he said.
Janine also said the attacks would not change her plans to live in the country.
“I am Brazilian, I have a deep connection to my country, to Brazil, to Pernambuco, to Recife. But I am also Israeli. And I plan to continue living here and serving as a reservist for as long as my body can,” he explained.