Gush Etzion Foundation

Gush Etzion is located in the Judean Hills, just 20 kilometers south of Jerusalem. Most of our 22 communities are surrounded by lush forests. The recent fires throughout Israel have also affected the Gush, jeopardizing the safety of many of our communities and residents, along with agricultural and tourism sites.

While sometimes wildfires breakout as a result of intense heatwaves, some of the forests near our communities have been targeted in arson attacks by hostile neighboring Arabs. This type of agricultural terrorism is a dangerous reality, which cannot be ignored.

Our main fire station is located at the Gush Etzion junction and services all of our communities, business parks, shopping centers, and common areas. However, since Gush Etzion is spread out over a large mountainous terrain, it can take the fire responders up to 25 minutes to arrive at the scene of a fire.
Therefore we are in dire need of first-response equipment such as fire wagons and many other items in order to control any blazes that might erupt, until the fire brigade arrives.

The first-response equipment is utilized by community volunteers who are prepared to safeguard their homes and the homes of their neighbors at a moment’s notice 24/7. A fire wagon for example holds up to 25 liters of water, giving up to 25 minutes of relief until the firefighters arrive. This can be the difference between a small blaze and a full-blown forest fire.

Below (click ‘budget’) is a list of the most pressing items required.

Through your generosity you can play a key role in keeping our communities safe during fire-related emergencies!