Over the weekend, Washington once again issued a statement about extending the "ceasefire" with Lebanon by another 45 days. Once again, there were declarations, once again attempts to project a calmer reality. But anyone living in Kiryat Shmona, Metula and the communities along the confrontation line knows the simple truth: There is no ceasefire here.
The reality sounds completely different: echoes of explosions, helicopter fire, sirens, drone alerts and children who jump at every unusual noise. While some speak of "stability," northern Israel continue to live under a constant threat.
Stop lying to the residents of the north. There is no "ceasefire" when children are growing up amid sirens, drones and explosions. While life in central Israel goes on as usual, residents along the border are facing the longest-running threat in Israel's history, a threat that has lasted for decades.
No normal country would accept a reality in which the other side fires and threatens, while its own citizens are expected to remain silent and simply get used to it. The time has come to stop containing it, stop postponing decisions and remove the threat from the north, once and for all.
A dramatic announcement about extending the agreement is published over the heads of the residents of the north, but the government of Israel barely responds. As if this were just another meaningless technical update. As if an entire public can be accustomed to life under fire. As if there are parts of the country where "normal" is not really normal.
This must not be normalized.
A family in Kiryat Shmona cannot be expected to live a normal life when the children know by heart where the nearest safe room is. It is impossible to speak of a "return to routine" when at any moment a UAV could appear over the city or another explosion could be heard along the border. And the term "ceasefire" cannot continue to be used when, in practice, one side continues to threaten, launch attacks and try to disrupt our lives.
The residents of the north are not sitting ducks. They are citizens of the State of Israel, and they are entitled to real security, not a media illusion of quiet.
And as if this unbearable security reality were not enough, the government is also cutting budgets for northern communities. While residents live under a constant threat, businesses collapse and families struggle to return to normal life, decisions are being made in Jerusalem that further weaken a region that has been on the front line for years. Instead of strengthening the north, it is being abandoned once again.
Let it be clear: A real ceasefire is not measured by statements from Washington or celebratory headlines. It is measured by one simple question: Can a child in Kiryat Shmona go to sleep without fear? Right now, sadly, the answer is still no.
Avichai Stern is the Mayor of Kiryat Shmona.
