MK Chetboun opens emergency support line for Francophones

As of Wednesday, French-speaking volunteers are sitting in Chetboun's office answering phone calls, e-mails and Facebook messages.

By LAHAV HARKOV
French-speaking volunteers answer phones in MK Yoni (photo credit: Courtesy)
French-speaking volunteers answer phones in MK Yoni
(photo credit: Courtesy)
French-speaking new immigrants now have an emergency line they can call for support during Operation Protective Edge – the office of MK Yoni Chetboun.
As of Wednesday, French speaking volunteers are sitting in Chetboun’s office answering phone calls, emails and Facebook messages from many immigrants and tourists who arrived this summer and do not know what to do in light of the rockets striking Israel.
“Hundreds of families are leaving France to move to Israel, and they’re arriving in a tense, unusual time,” Chetboun, whose parents are immigrants from France, said.
“The security situation that we are experiencing is difficult for us Israelis and so much more so for families who don’t speak the language and come from a different culture.”
Chetboun pointed out that most of the immigrants have never heard an air raid siren before and have never been to a bomb shelter.
“This isn’t just technical support regarding where to find the nearest shelter. We also need to calm people down and show them we’re all in this together,” the Bayit Yehudi MK said.
Chetboun is also working to find volunteer opportunities for more experienced immigrants who contacted him.
“It is amazing to see these families who are willing to do anything to live in Israel. At such a difficult time, this decision takes a deeper meaning that shows the Jewish people are united more than ever,” he said.
Any Francophones who need help dealing with the situation can contact Chetboun’s office at (02) 640-8024 or (02) 640-8375, email lobbyknesset@ gmail.com or send a message to the MK’s Facebook page.