HaShomer HaChadash, a volunteer organization that provides security to farmers and ranchers in the Negev and the Galilee, announced that it is crowdfunding a new initiative to establish 60 bomb shelters throughout Israel on farms and in exposed rural areas during the current war with Iran to protect workers.

HaShomer HaChadash started the campaign to honor the memory of Omer Weinstein, who was killed in October 2024 while tending an orchard near Metula. The organization hopes to double the number of bomb shelters to 120, citing the lack of protection for farm workers.

The volunteer organization said it started setting up bomb shelters Thursday to provide greater access to safety for farm workers. This will make farm work safer and entice volunteers back to working the land.

Yoel Zilberman, founder and CEO of HaShomer HaChadash, thanked donors whose support made it possible for farmers to carry on their work, knowing a shelter was nearby in case of attack. He said that the organization would continue to raise funds while rolling out bomb shelters so that shelters could be set up as quickly as possible and in as many places as possible.

Cofounder Onn Rifman added that shelters would be set up during the war to enable farmers to return to work and continue working amid strikes from Iran and Hezbollah. He added that HaShomer HaChadash also conducted other missions, including helping at impact sites, organizing agricultural volunteer work, running activities in shelters and distributing food to elderly residents.

The organization said that farm work — especially in the north, which is vulnerable to attacks by Hezbollah — has been repeatedly disrupted, which will affect the food supply and food security. The dearth of shelters has made farm work difficult and dangerous, keeping not only farmers out of the field, but also volunteers, maintenance crews and other essential workers. The lack of protection also prevents these workers from traveling to remote areas. The new bomb shelters aim to provide the security needed to keep farms running smoothly.