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(RTR)
On September 5 a group of armed Chechen militants took over a school in Beslan, a small town in the Russian republic of North Ossetia. Over 330 children and teachers died in the assault.
Two months later, 18 children who were among those rescued were given a gift they will never forget: a month-long trip to the sunny coastal city of Ashqelon in Israel.
“When I saw the pictures from Beslan, and heard what other countries offered Russia, I thought that this is not what the children in Beslan need. Helping Russia fight terror is fine, but the children needed something else,” Mayor of Ashqelon Roni Mehatzri told The Media Line (TML). With this thought in mind, Mehatzri initiated a unique operation. He arranged for a group of children from Beslan to enjoy the hospitality of a seaside resort.
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Mayor of Ashqelon Roni Mehatzri (Dudi Saad/G.F. Photos)
“The children who came to Israel were chosen according to their medical condition. They came to Ashqelon for treatment and recovery. As you can see, some of the children are wounded and burned, and Israel has a reputation for treating those kinds of wounds,” said the head of the Even Ezer foundation in Ossetia, Alan Gubaev, who helped organize the group.
In order to overcome the bureaucracy involved in arranging this operation, Ashqelon’s mayor asked Ya’akov Bar-Shimon – Israel’s former Consul to Azerbaijan and the Caucasus – to use his good contacts in the region. “When I first met them at the Odessa seaport, the children were all crouching, and unwilling to talk. But the change was quick and obvious,” Bar-Shimon told TML. “From the moment we arrived at the port of Odessa, and throughout our journey in Israel, the change in these kids was amazing, and now you cannot find any difference between them and other children,” added Gubaev.
One of the activities the children were offered at the French Vacation Village in Ashqelon, was drawing workshops. The changes in the children’s moods were also apparent through their paintings. “When the children first painted pictures, the colors they used were very dark. After two weeks they began using bright and joyful colors. It makes me very happy,” said their instructor Katya.
Talking about some of their other activities, six-year-old Kheta told TML, “We are sightseeing, swimming in the pool, going to the beach, and resting a lot.” The oldest child in the group, 16-year-old Kosta added, “I draw a little, but most of the time I spend at the gym.”
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Kheta (Dudi Saad/G.F. Photos)
Two weeks after their arrival in Israel, the children of Beslan received yet another moving gift. Children from throughout Israel, who had heard about the tragedy, wrote them letters wishing them a better future.
But this was only temporary time off for these children. Now they have to go back to their town, which has suffered the loss of one percent of its population. According to Bar-Shimon, this will not be as hard for them as might be expected. “Caucasian people are known for their strong feelings towards their families and homes. These children miss their families, and want to go back,” says Bar-Shimon.