Noga Gil Basi, spokeswoman for Ma'ale Gilboa and a candidate for the leadership of the Emek Hama’ayanot Regional Council, commented in an interview with Israel National News on the tense security situation and called upon the army and security agencies to increase the sense of security for the community and residents.
Gil Basi explained the complexity of the situation: "We live quietly and peacefully on the seam line, but in recent months the area has been heating up and occasionally there are security incidents that involve shooting at the kibbutzim in the area. Anyone who lives near Arab villages knows about the shootings at weddings, but in the last few months the shooting is aimed at us and yesterday it was in the direction of the soldiers stationed near Kibbutz Merav. Miraculously there were no casualties."
How does this affect you?
"We are working on this with the community, the army, and the security forces and demand that the State put in a more significant effort to restore peace and security to the area," she said.
Has there been any communication with officials in the Arab villages?
"We are taking a different approach and are working with the State authorities, and security and military services. We demand that they protect us."
Finally, Gil Basi, who is also the daughter of Yonatan Basi, former chairman of the Disengagement Board and a resident of Ma'ale Gilboa himself, described the local community and the renewal of the kibbutz in recent years: "To date, 180 families live in Ma'ale Gilboa and we are a leading kibbutz and a renewable energy powerhouse. We run a dairy farm with cows that produce quality milk. This is a good community. It is true that there are difficult times that we endure as part of the country, and I hope that peace will return."