The 11-Point Plan: Establishing 11 new mechinot near Gaza

In view of Operation Swords of Iron, the Joint Council of Mechinot has launched an initiative to establish new mechinot and mechina branches near Gaza

Background

During the night after Yom Kippur of 1946, in an inspirational operation of historic significance, the Yishuv set out on the 11-Point Operation, in which 11 new communities were established in the Northern Negev in a single night. In recent months, inspired by that historic action, the Joint Council has introduced a project to establish new mechinot near Gaza, working in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Settlement Affairs, the Tkuma Administration, and other partners.

The initiative was conceived in light of Operation Swords of Iron, with an understanding of the importance of border communities and uncompromising rehabilitation of communities near Gaza. The new mechinot and branches will join and strengthen existing mechinot in northern Israel, near Gaza, and in the Western Negev, which are a bedrock of support, volunteer work, and education in their home communities.

Key goals of the plan

1. Bolster community resilience: Placed inside communities, the mechinot will serve as a source of strength and resilience.
2. Provide additional labor for rehabilitation and the local economy, including agriculture, manufacturing, and more.
3. Help with education: Integrate in the school system and informal education as a supporting force for the years of rehabilitation.
4. Attract people: Each mechina will serve as an anchor that attracts groups of young people and mechina alumni, as well as their families and friends, to the region.

Six mechinot to open this summer

Mechinat Merchavim Dror will open in Kibbutz Yad Mordechai; Mechinat Yonatan will open a new branch in Kibbutz Sa’ad; Mechinat Derech Prat will open a new branch in Kibbutz Nir Am; Mechinat Meitarim–Lachish will open a branch in temporary quarters in Kibbutz Dorot, subsequently moving to a different community in the region; Mechinat Ofakim LeMada will open in Netivot; and Mechinat Derech Eretz will open a branch in Ashkelon. In addition, Mechinat Tavor aspires to establish a branch this summer in Kiryat Shmona, subject to security developments.

Aside from mechinot that will open as part of the plan, two additional locations will open in the Negev this summer: a branch of Mechinat Hanegev in Mishmar HaNegev, and a branch of Mechinat Ami Chai in Be’er Sheva.

In keeping with the plan, additional mechinot and branches are expected to be established in the coming two years near contested borders in the north and south.

In an interview with Makor Rishon about the project, Joint Council CEO Avishai Berman said:

“Throughout the years, missions and pioneering have been the DNA of the mechina enterprise. That was the foundation on which we constructed the 11-Point Plan, whose goal is to establish new mechinot this summer in the Tkuma region and next year, hopefully, on the northern border too. The Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Settlement Affairs, the Tkuma Administration, and KKL are partners in this move. Most important, the move was prepared in partnership with the local governments, the communities, and the residents who were evacuated. Right in the place where they tried to bring about our destruction, we’re bringing a message of growth. The mechinot will continue to be a strengthening factor in the new future of Israel.”