Sha'ar HaNegev Leader Aims for Post-October 7th Growth, Not Just Recovery
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
Ori Epstein, head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, aims to rebuild communities devastated by the October 7th attacks by fostering growth beyond the previous status quo. He has lost several family members and emphasizes the need for a future offering meaning and trust, drawing parallels to global disaster recovery. The council's strategy focuses on enhancing education, strengthening communities, promoting economic development, and improving security through better civilian-military cooperation. Epstein, a former military officer, criticizes the military's risk assessment and calls for public trust to be rebuilt.
The story in 7 lines · by baba
- Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council head Ori Epstein seeks to build communities better than before October 7th, not just recover.
- Epstein, who lost multiple family members, believes recovery requires transformative growth beyond pre-attack conditions.
- The council's strategy includes enhancing education, strengthening community resilience, and boosting economic development.
- A key focus is improving security through better civilian-military cooperation and learning from October 7th failures.
- Epstein criticizes the military's risk assessment and calls for rebuilding public trust.
- The council is implementing a four-pillar strategy to attract residents and businesses to the region.
- Epstein advocates for a state commission of inquiry to ensure accountability and future preparedness.
Ori Epstein, head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, is spearheading an ambitious vision to rebuild communities devastated by the October 7th attacks, aiming not merely to return to the pre-attack status quo but to foster growth into something better. Epstein, who lost his son, mother, brother-in-law, and nephew in the massacre, believes that merely restoring what was will leave the trauma of October 7th ever-present. He draws inspiration from global recovery efforts following disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the Fukushima nuclear incident, advocating for a transformative resurgence.
Epstein acknowledges the profound personal and collective grief, noting that many residents lost multiple loved ones. Despite the immense challenges, including the ongoing trauma and the fact that many, like himself, have not yet returned to their homes, he emphasizes the need to build a future that offers meaning, belonging, and trust. He likens the recovery process to that of an amputee who learns to excel in new ways, suggesting that true recovery involves growth beyond the original injury.
The Sha'ar HaNegev council is implementing a four-pronged strategy to achieve this vision. The first pillar focuses on creating the best possible education system, recognizing it as a primary factor in attracting residents. This includes significant investments in educational facilities, sports infrastructure, and resilience centers. The second pillar strengthens local communities, emphasizing their crucial role in disaster response and long-term recovery, bolstering security measures like emergency response teams.
The third pillar targets economic development, aiming to create job opportunities and attract new residents and businesses. This involves establishing new industrial zones and innovation centers, fostering regional cooperation with nearby Sderot, and developing sustainable economic models. The fourth pillar addresses security, advocating for a more robust and collaborative relationship between local authorities and the military to ensure residents can protect themselves and that the army is better prepared for unforeseen threats, learning from the failures of October 7th.
Epstein, a former special operations officer, brings extensive experience in problem-solving and risk management to his role. He is critical of what he perceives as a tendency within the military to downplay risks, possibly due to political pressures, and stresses the importance of public trust, which he believes has been significantly eroded. He calls for a state commission of inquiry to ensure accountability and a return to a path of learning and improvement, emphasizing that the government must focus on building a stronger, better future for all its citizens.