And More!!!

If Israel fires a rocket at the weapons smuggling tunnels, it get widespread coverage in the media. I wonder how much of this report will make the world's media?

On Monday morning (Aug 2), explosions were reported in the southern port city of Eilat. No damage or injuries were reported but the explosions were heard throughout the popular resort city.

The Israel Army (IDF) and Israel Police are currently searching the area to assess the situation and examine the source of these explosions, and the Spokesman for the Israel Police has confirmed that the explosions were caused by rockets fired to the area.

A press release issued by the IDF Spokesperson moments after receiving initial reports of the explosions states that the IDF maintains ongoing contact with the Jordanian and Egyptian militaries. Jordanian press is reporting that a rocket landed in Aqaba, injuring several people, but those reports have not yet been confirmed by Israeli security sources.

While attacks to this area are rare, they are not unheard of. Earlier this year, on two separate occasions in April, three rockets were fired at the Eilat beach and an additional Katyusha rocket detonated in Aqaba.

Last Friday (July 30) a Grad rocker exploded in the city of Ashqelon, causing damage, and on Saturday (July 31) a Kassam rocket was fired towards the area of the Negev Regional Council. In response the Israeli Air Force targeted a weapons manufacturing facility and weapons smuggling tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

Rockets Galore

As we approach a total of 400 attacks launched from Gaza since the cease fire that halted Israel's Cast Lead' military operation in Gaza on January 19, 2009, on Saturday nigthhtn upgraded Qassam rocket scored a direct hit on the children's hydrotherapy rehabilitation center, located in the heart of Sderot's Sapir College. Thus reports the Sderot Media Center.

The Saturday night Qassam attack followed the explosion of a Iranian Grad missile that hit the city of Ashkelon on Friday morning, July 30th. Hamas controlled Gaza has targeted Ashkelon, with a population of 125,000 Israelis, since March 2008.

The children's hydrotherapy rehabilitation center at Sderot's Sapir College provides therapy and workshops for special-needs children who live in the Western Negev and is used by children from the entire country. The facility was decimated.

For the full story with photos and a video see http://sderotmedia.org.il/bin/content.cgi?ID=693&q=3

More and More Kassams

I make no bones about it. Why try to write something new when from the front line in the Negev, a letter expresses one's sentiments exactly. The following is from a letter I received from a contact at a Kibbutz on the Gaza border in the south. As he says "..before anyone criticizes me for how I feel,please don't,until you have been in my shoes and the shoes of the people of Sedrot".

'What was up until now is nothing compared to what will be,' Popular Resistance Committees threatens after claiming responsibility for Friday's rocket barrages towards Israel's south. Israelis should run for the sake of their children's safety, says terror group. More than 20 Qassams have been launched towards Israeli communities since daybreak, causing no injuries but damaging property

Friday evening when Jews are celebrating Shabbat,all over the world,we in Israel are getting hit with Rockets, 20 of them on Friday. This is how one family had their Shabbat shattered




"I am sick and tired of Israel being blamed for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,and being told that we are using collective punishment on the people of innocent people in Gaza,but where is the call for the humanitarian crisis and collective punishment on the people of Sedrot and my Kibbutz and others living under the threat of rockets,you only hear silence on that,but to my suggestion on what to do. Like I said,I thought I would never say this but here goes:

For every Kassams or mortar that falls in Israel and does damage,Israel should go in and destroy one city block in Gaza,and the heck with our image,my people come first and if they day after day are trying to kill us,then why should I care how they feel.

Yes after reading what I wrote,I still don't believe I would think that way,but that is how I feel today.

I can not forget these innocent people in Gaza,celebrated the terror attack that killed a women and seriously hurt her husband by passing our sweets in the street, now where they get all those sweets when I hear they are starving.

Talking about food and them starving and having no electricity and no Electric power in the hospitals,well that is a lie on their part. Like I wrote in one letter they have electricity,they are being cut 5% not 100% food is coming in daily that I can see with my own eyes and I have others who see this with me,to confirm what I am saying. Their hospital power was not shut off,Hammas just cut them off and shift the blame on Israel. I also ask,why when they complain of starving,why do they have enough weapons coming in,why can they not bring food in the same places they are smuggling these weapons in,oh by the way,why can they not get help from Egypt,they share a border with them,and if Egypt wants all the food they want can come in to Gaza from Egypt."

Any other comment is, I feel, unnecessary

Education Israeli Style and Palestinian

With Kassams and mortars falling every day, it is reported 1 every 3 hours on average, the education of children in a kindergarten takes a different form.

The video below is self explanatory



Meanwhile Sheik Palazzi has a lot to say about the Arab system of education http://www.amislam.com/archaic.htm. Commenting on pressure from the United States on Saudi Arabia since Sept. 11 to reform its educational system, Sultan Al Saud, the Saudi Crown Prince told the Saudi TV on 16 Sept. 2005, “America and the rest of the infidel world should go to hell. We are not going to change our education system which is based on the best religion of the world. We are proud of being Muslims and having an Islamic education system.”

However, on the same web site Sami Alrabaa says "Unless the Arab states drastically change their education systems, they will stay backward, weak, and a breeding machine of parrots and fanatics."

I say to this "you couldn't be more right"

Sderot - and still the missiles fall!!

Missiles are falling in Sderot and the Western Negev without end. Over 700 Kassams and 1500 mortars this year alone. And the Palestinians have the chutzpah (cheek)to say that if Israel responds, they cannot continue with the "peace" process.

Does the world really know what life is like in Sderot. I hope this film gives a better idea.

More on Annapolis

It concerns me that we seem to becoming immune to the daily (yes daily reports) such as the one below received from the army spokesman’s office.

“Overnight, 3 Palestinian gunmen attempted to infiltrate into Israel through the security fence between Israel and the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

An observation force identified the three gunmen as they were attempting to cross the fence into Israel in the area of the Israeli community of Nativ Ha'asara. The gunmen exchanged fire with an IDF post near the security fence.

A Golani brigade force responded by firing at the gunmen and identified hitting two of them. There were no injuries to IDF soldiers.

Yesterday, approximately 25 Kassam rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip. Over 135 were fired since the beginning of November.”

Yet here we are off to Annapolis in a matter of days (even though the invitations have still not been issued) and we don’t even know who is going to attend.

In today’s paper, only one commentator was expressing optimism, all others pessimism as to the outcome. Meanwhile the army is on high alert and expecting attacks as Annapolis approaches. The army reports at “least 10 high level alerts”.

Further, at a time when so many are pessimistic as to the outcome, in the Western Negev, the reactions to Annapolis are apparent day by day. Since the beginning of the month, official sources say that 110 Kassam rockets and mortars have been fired from Gaza into the Western Negev.

Almost 200,000 Israeli citizens -- including Ashkelon, Sderot and over 20 kibbutzim and Moshavim, now live under the daily bombardment of kasssam missiles fired from Gaza, while Egypt has facilitated the flow of hundreds of thousands of weapons, Ammunition since Israel's disengagement in August 2005, whole allowing Hamas to build a well trained organized army which numbers 13,000 fighters, many having had special training in Iran.

This is the surreal situation we are in.

A Humanitarian Crisis?

“If the economic sanctions that Israel has applied against the Gaza Strip in reducing fuel supplies are to be regarded as collective punishment, so should the economic sanctions that were imposed against South Africa during the apartheid years, or those against Iran today”’ writes Dan Izenberg in the Jerusalem Post.

Although there is lots of talk about cutting off supplies of electricity and fuel to Gaza and the humanitarian crisis that would result, the courts are preparing to hear this week a petitioners' request for a show-cause order to cancel the original decision.

What has actually happened thus far is that amount of gasoline allowed into Gaza had been cut from an average of 350,000-400,000 liters per week to 300,000 liters and the government is also considering a further, gradual reduction.

Diesel exports were cut from 1.4 million liters per week to 1.2 million liters. A government spokesman stated that "according to government estimates, the amount of fuel necessary to fulfill the Gaza Strip's humanitarian needs does not amount to more than 50 percent of the amount supplied today, and this is a conservative estimate which provides a significant safety margin."

The spokesman added that the export of diesel for use in Gaza's power station had been reduced from an average of 2.2 million liters to 1.75 million per week. It said that in September, the Palestinians in Gaza had added a third turbine to provide additional power. When only two turbines operate, the power station produces 55 megawatts of electricity. When the third one functions, supply goes up to 63 megawatts. The drop in diesel exports imposed by Israel last week means that the amount of electricity provided for Gaza will return to the pre-September level.

All in all, hardly a humanitarian crisis but meanwhile at least one woman was suffering from shock after three Kassam rockets were fired at Sderot late Sunday morning, Israel Radio reported. One of the rockets hit a house and another hit an electrical line, causing a complete blackout in the western Negev town.

The siren system and 106 emergency hotline were offline following the attack, leaving the town's residents without even the means to prepare in case another rocket salvo would follow later in the day.

And so the deliberate targeting of the Israeli civilians goes on.

The Same Story

Having just returned from a lecture tour in the UK coupled with a bit of holiday, it seems nothing has changed here in Israel the 2.1/2 weeks I have been away. Three reports below from the local press seem to confirm that nothing will change unless some action is taken.

The military option may be exercised after the Annapolis "peace" conference. another option is that of of cutting off supplies of fuel and electricity. The hypocracy of so many governments is highlighted again concerning this second option by complaining of collective punishment. The Europeans were double quick in cutting off all supplies when they were not being paid. In Israel's case the proposal is only to cut off up to a maximum of 20% and this should not create any humanitarian issues.


a) Fire Rocket Barrage at Israel - Shmulik HadadPalestinians in Gaza fired a barrage of 13 Kassam rockets at Israel Thursday morning. At least nine rockets landed in Sderot and its vicinity. One of the rockets landed near Sapir College, just five meters from a campus employee, but did not explode. Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for the rocket fire. (Ynet News)

b) See also Palestinian Terrorists Fire Mortars at Israel from Gaza Schoolyard - Hanan GreenbergIDF Intelligence has released a video of three Palestinian terrorists launching mortar shells towards Israel from a courtyard outside an elementary school in the town of Beit Hanun in northern Gaza. A senior IDF officer said Wednesday that Palestinian terror organizations continue to abuse the civilian population in Gaza by launching attacks against Israel from their midst. "They don't think twice about firing Kassam rockets near crowded public areas, even though they're fully aware that they're endangering innocent civilians," said the officer. (Ynet News)

c) IDF Thwarts Suicide Attack in Hebron - Efrat WeissAn 18-year-old Palestinian youth aroused the suspicion of Border Police securing the junction leading to the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron on Wednesday. The troops called to the youth to stop and lift his shirt, where he had concealed a firearm and two knives. On further inspection, soldiers found a suicide letter detailing the youth's intent to die as a martyr in an attack. One of the knives was inscribed with the words: "With this knife a Jewish soldier will be murdered." (Ynet News)

A New School Year

The new school year in Sderot http://sderotmedia.com/ got off to a fiery start with a bombardment of Sderot and its educational institutions by Hamas using Kassams and mortars. The Israel army struck several rocket launchers in northern Gaza soon after, saying” it refuses to allow Hamas to guard its rockets by placing them in populated areas.”
Hamas claims that three teenagers and children were killed in the air strike. What they did not say, however, was that these children had been sent by Hamas terrorists to adjust the launchers. The army identified five launchers with suspicious figures moving among them and launched the strike.
An army correspondent is quoted as saying that “this is not the first time this has happened. This phenomenon of Hamas paying ten shekels ($2.50) to children in order to retrieve the launchers has become the norm. The terrorists launch the rockets from afar via remote control and know that if they approach the launchers they will be hit, so they send young children.”
An army statement said: “As part of the ongoing defensive activity to protect Israeli civilians from terror threats this afternoon, the IDF targeted several Kassam launchers in the Beit Hanoun industrial area, which were placed by Palestinian terrorists and aimed at Israel. Several Palestinians were identified handling the launchers at the time. This area is often used to fire Kassam rockets at Israel.”
Nearly 300 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel from Gaza in the month of August alone.
The previous night, soldiers intercepted a 15-year-old suicide bomber dispatched from northern Gaza.
This cynical use of children is, in my opinion, a direct consequence of the on-going indoctrination of Palestinian children. Now every Monday afternoon Al-Aqsa TV, http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/html/final/eng/eng_n/al_aqsa_e.htm the most important medium in Hamas’ media empire, broadcasts a children’s program called “Brilliant Children,” on which child experts in various fields are interviewed. The September 3 episode, a special for the beginning of the school year, featured a child named “Ahmad” (a name symbolizing all Palestinian children), whose field of expertise was defined as jihad (holy war). Such programs are meant to indoctrinate the younger generation of Palestinians with Hamas’ radical Islamic ideology, at the core of which is jihad. Such ideology is indoctrinated through Hamas’ educational system (kindergartens, schools and universities) and other means as well. It is all part of Hamas’ long-term strategy to train new generations of brainwashed Hamas operatives who will participate in the violent campaign to destroy Israel and wipe it off the map in accordance with its charter.

“Summertime and the livin' is easy”

Well the “easy” life of the summer holidays (for the children) is drawing to a close, not so easy for the parents. The shopping malls are regaling the shoppers with all the books, accessories and school bags required for the new school year. It is reported that parents are spending around $2 billion on their children on back to school items. Ahead of the new school year, local industries have invested heavily in the design and development of new orthopedic back packs and school bags in a sector that employs over 5000 people.

Meanwhile in the south, in Sderot parents are apprehensive about the new school year because of the incessant barrage of mortars and kassams being fired from the Gaza strip. Palestinian infiltration attempts from Gaza are increasing. The Israeli army reports almost on a daily basis on the attempts at infiltration. Over the past three weeks, 10 gunmen have been killed while trying to plant bombs alongside the security fence. "Our goal is to stop anyone who approaches the fence; sometimes it's civilians, sometimes it's terrorists and sometimes it's terrorists pretending to be civilians," said a military official. "We have no intention of harming civilians, but it's often impossible to ascertain the intent of each individual infiltrator.

Here in the north we cannot be complacent as Iran helps to build a presence in Lebanon. Media reports are full of what is happening in Southern Lebanon under the noses of UNIFIL http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-reconstruction17aug17,0,4226946.story Along the roadways of southern Lebanon, thousands of banners festoon street lights and utility poles. They feature a distinctive symbol, a red inscription from the center of Iran's flag, protectively swathing Lebanon's iconic green cedar. The emblem belongs to the Iranian reconstruction organization. Its presence delivers a message that is not lost on those who have watched cratered roads filled in, damaged school walls resurrected, and life return to some semblance of normalcy over the last year.

Iran is a Shiite Muslim majority country that sees itself as the patron of Shiites around the world, including those in Lebanon, who make up a third to half of the population. Whenever the Lebanese government, nonprofit organizations or other donor nations have faltered, Iran and its ally Hizbullah, which dominates most of the municipal governments of the south, have quickly swooped in. For example, when Qatar slowed reconstruction efforts several months ago because of corruption worries, Iran quickly upped its contribution.

As the summer peaks it ain’t going to get any easier

A period of calm - really??

A couple of days ago I received an e-mail from a contact in South Africa who thought "we now had a period of calm"!! Really??

From an army report yesterday, it was stated that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) operated in the Gaza Strip as part of the continued effort to intercept terrorist activity intended to harm Israeli civilians. In parallel the IDFcontinues doing its utmost to prevent uninvolved civilian casualties.

The IDF targeted the following terror operatives in the southern Gaza Strip:
a.. Palestinian gunman armed with an anti-tank missile near an IDF force.
b.. Three senior Islamic Jihad terrorists: Omar Khatib, Khalil Daifi andAhmad Abed Alal, who were recently involved in attacks against Israeli civilians.
c.. Two Palestinian gunmen armed with an anti-tank missile in proximity to a force.
d.. An aerial attack of gunmen that opened fire at an IDF force. Due to suspicion of an unarmed civilian being among the gunmen the missile was aborted although the target still posed a threat.

Two Qassam rocket launchers and two armed gunmen preparing to fire Qassam rockets installed on the launchers from the northern Gaza Strip into Israel were targeted. On July 22nd of this week, the IDF also targeted Qassam launchers and two gunmen who used them to fire rockets which hit the Sapir College in Sderot injuring an Israeli woman, a school in the city and another community in the western Negev.

During the past week there were over 55 projectile launchings, approximately 30 of which landed in Israel. Among these, there were about 20 Qassam rockets, 11 of which landed in Israel in the past week. At least 9 civilians were wounded by Qassam fire, including a baby girl in a Kibbutz, as well as structural damage that was caused to property in the western Negev.

In the past month over 120 rockets and mortar shells fired from the GazaStrip hit Israel. There was one attempt to infiltrate into Israel from the northern Gaza Stripthis week. On Saturday night, July 21st, an IDF force identified two gunmencarrying rifles and grenades attempting to infiltrate Israel, while hurlinga hand grenade and activating an explosive device at the force, whichresponded with fire and hit the two.

If that is calm I wonder what action means?

Qassam rocket lands in western Negev; no injuries reported

This received from a friend of mine today from a report a few hours ago

A Qassam rocket launched from the northern Gaza Strip at Israel landed in an open area near one of the kibbutzim of the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Now what is in italics is what is written or said in most of the updates, after a kassam has fallen. There were no injuries this time in blood or pain, that can be seen, and it was in an open area but my wife & I, were driving by when the Kassam fell, and it shook us up.

It is not the first time this has happened to us, but when you hear the "Red Warning"(for those of you who don't know what red warning is, it is a warning of up to 15 seconds, to let you know that a kassam is on it's way) and the daily falling of kassams, does get to you and in some way does mentally injure all of us, not to mention that there are injuries and damages and death from kassams.

Sunday my wife was in Sderot and within 5 mins time there were 5 "Red Alerts" warnings, none fell near her but one did fall at the school near were I was at. To us this has taken its toll and yet, we are not affected as much as the people in Sderot and near by Kibbutz Nir Am, so what feelings we have from this you can multiply that at least 5 times for those unfortunate people. So the next time you read or hear, There were no reports of injuries or damage, remember this letter.