The Vaknin Family / 'When your house is damaged, your whole life changes'
The Vaknins live in a single-family home in the Masaryk neighborhood of northern Nahariya. Since the second week of the war they have been living in the Nahariya Park Plaza hotel because their house was rendered unsafe to live in.
The Vaknin family's house was hit twice by rockets. The first strike came on the third day of the war: A Katyusha fell on an adjacent house and the whole east side of their home was damaged by shrapnel, the windows were shattered and there was serious damage to the doors. The second strike came six days after the first one: A rocket fell right on the center of the roof, breaking through and causing extensive damage.
The family had left Nahariya by the second day of the war.
Zvia: "A rocket fell not far from my husband at the city entrance while he was at work, so we decided to leave and stay with relatives in Yeruham. We thought we were going for the weekend, but we were stuck there for two weeks."
The Vaknins learned their house had been hit while they were in Yeruham.
Zvia: "Your house is actually your fort, and when it is damaged your whole life changes."
The images of the wrecked house are the only ones engraved in the family's memory. Yesterday, Zvia described an occasion that will not be forgotten. "I was picking up Shoham from summer camp, and we were on the way to the hotel and had to pass the street we live on. Shoham lowered his head and said, 'Mom, I can't look, it hurts me what happened to our house.' These words shocked me, all in all a 5-year-old boy, I will never forget this story."
The process of compensation and repair is not easy on the Vaknins. "I keep hearing in the media that there is assistance; speaking for myself I can't feel it, the bureaucracy is simply insane. Don't let anyone think that staying in a hotel with three kids is a great treat, I would prefer to be told, 'Start the repair work, we're behind you.' Everything is stuck between appraisers and engineers and property tax."
Zvia and Yair do not believe there will be a second round of war, despite the feeling that it's not over. "I sincerely hope my intuition does not fail me," says Zvia, "and that there will be no more wars in the north. It's enough what we've been through."
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"Your house is actually your fort, and when it is damaged your whole life changes." The images of the wrecked house are the only ones engraved in the family's memory. 'Mom, I can't look, it hurts me what happened to our house.' "I sincerely hope my intuition does not fail me, and that there will be no more wars -------. It's enough what we've been through." My sympathies are with the Vaknin family but my heart also goes out to the Lebanese and Palestinian 'Zvias' and 'Shohams'. They are also human and have the same feelings. For once try and put yourself in their shoes. You cannot have peace by rubbing an entire society into dirt (Palestinians) or reducing one to rubble (Lebanon). Think Israel. Peace is a state of mind.
Stop reading the Israeli newspaper and read your own biased news instead. We deal with our problems and you can deal with the "poor" people in Lebanon who where abused by hizbala. AS for the demolitions of the houses of the "poor palestinians (they dont exist) they deserve what they get by blowing up innocent people and by hiding terrorists in their houses. So stop whining and let us deal with our own problems.
This is war. You must take sides (if you're Jewish) Otherwise just keep quiet Remember there is good and evil. You decide. Wars are fought between good nations and evil "nations"
Now just imagine the plight of Jews of Gush Katif,whose homes were smashed by their own people- the police and I.D.F. Most Israelis in the north approved of this terrible deed
I regret to say: it seems that you do not have the right "protectia" or relations to some corrupt cronyism network
Now they will have a better understanding of the bloody life the Arabs are enduring while zionist caterpillars are destructing their homes. Until all Israelis understand, Hizbollah should continue sending missiles from the east... and palestinans Katyushas from the west... Maybe when the Israelis will be fed up, the will take the Exodus and those who love this land would form a ONE DEMOCRATIC AND LAIC STATE FOR ALL with the Arabs.
Dear Zvia, What is important is that you and your family are safe . I was in Lebanon too,in Saida and in Beirut when Israelis started to bomb us killing innocent civilians and destroying our houses. In 1982 I survived the Israeli invasion of Lebanon but my cousin , his wife and children were all killed when Israeli planes hit his building. I have family in Gaza whose life became so miserable due to the Israeli shelling and closure. I agree with you that : "Your house is actually your fort, and when it is damaged your whole life changes." I hope that this will encourage you to put pressure on your government to stop occupying Palesinian land and stop destroying Palestinian houses.
I don't need to read the article, to respond, what about all the masaqres and the homeless poeple left in lebanon, by your vicious attacks? in lebanon and Gaza, Israel is nothing but a monster,raging fire,mad dog that gone wild and out of control. Only when arabs united ,justice will preveal for the palestinians.We want justice. Regard this family, Get the taste of it.
.... I suggest you go to Gaza and the West bank and get advice from the thousands of Palestinians whose homes, farms, villages and everything they built has been destroyed by the Israelis on what to do if your home was just damaged.... yOU DONT HAVE MY SYMPATHY, NOT NOW OR EVER....
How does it feel? Terrible and devasting so have so much upset and sorrow. What about the people in Lebonon and of course the inhabitants of Palestine? Please, Israelies listen to your heart and your family troubles and think of what is happening to those across a small expanse of dusty, treeless ground. Think, Think. It is time that the people of Israel realize tjat there are "other people here". You all have to live together don't you know. And for the people who will respond to this, I am not going to listen - I don;t need to.
---- Since the second week of the war they have been living in the Nahariya Park Plaza hotel---- If the hotel is not that comfartable, they may trade places with a palestinian family whose house got destroyed by the IDF and they been living in a tent for more than a year.
U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland said today: About 250,000 Lebanese civilians still cannot get into their homes because they have been destroyed or are too close to unexploded shells or bombs ...
'When your house is damaged, your whole life changes' Perhaps the Vaknin family ordeal will make the average Israli sympathize (just a little) with the plight of the Palestinians whose homes are being demolished on a daily basis by the brutal IDF/IAF, not to mention the killing of many innocent people. Where is your sense of humanity?
Its a discrase that the state is`nt doing enough to help families in this situation. they want action not bureaucracy, although it was to be expected. Where is Mr Peretz and co? War is over maybe but for some the war against the bureaucracy has just began.