3 Rockets Falling into Sderot Again: Truce Broken

Nadene Goldfoot
A mortar was shot into southern Israel's  Sderot Tuesday .
Qassam rockets were then shot into the same area Wednesday morning as children were going to school, making 2 attacks in 24 hours.

These attacks were the first since rockets were fired during President Obama's visit to Israel 2 weeks ago.

Air strikes from Israel followed these attacks up.  The Israeli air raids came after the 3rd rocket attack on Israel.  These were the first airstrikes since an informal cease-fire in November.  An Israeli military statement said its planes targeted accurately  2 extensive terror sites.

Defense Minister Ya'alon warned that Israel will take a tough response toward any shelling.

Palestinians  reported that no one was hurt and no damage was reported in Northern Gaza.

A mortar  from Syria was shot into Ramat Hagolan in the North.   The IDF destroyed the source of fire.  Israel will not ignore any rockets coming from Syria, either, whether accidental or not.

During November 2012, 1,500 rockets were fired at Israel in 8 days from Gaza.   Israel's military holds Gaza's Hamas rulers responsible for any attack against Israel.  Though Sderot takes most of the hits and depending on the ammunition used, Netanyahu said that shelling southern Israel puts 1 million Israeli citizens in harm's way.  That's 1/8th of the population.

I note that the elections of the Palestinians were just over, and Hamas terrorists put in the same people again who are all for attacking Israel.

Though on Tuesday the UN overwhelmingly ok'd a worldwide arms trade pact, Iran, North Korea and Syria, all facing arms embargoes, cast the only no votes.  They complained that it favors the big arms suppliers like the USA over importers that need weapons for self defense.The Palestinian terrorists get many of their rockets from Syria who gets them from Iran.  Moon explained that the Arms Trade Treaty will make it more difficult for deadly weapons to be diverted into the illicit market.  It will take 90 days to be in effect.  50 states need to ratify it.  The USA's National Rifle Association has opposed it.  It needs 2/3 approval to win ratification.   So were the hits on Tuesday  and today in response to "getting their licks in before they can't get their weapons for self -defense"?   It certainly is coincidental.

Hopefully this will mean that eventually it will become harder and harder for these terrorists to receive their weapons to use against the Israeli population.  The cease fire lasted from November 21st to  about March 20th when Obama visited.

Resource:  Oregonian newspaper 4/3/13 page A4, Israel responds to rocket fire with airstrikes and page A5 UN overwhelmingly OK's worldwide arms trade pact.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166720#.UVxYj6KOTqE
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/12/us-palestinians-israel-violence-idUSBRE8AB07Y20121112
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/2-rockets-pound-Sderot-area-as-tensions-rise-on-Gaza-front-308509

Gaza's Reminder to Obama of Their Presence: Two Qassam Rockets on Sderot

Nadene Goldfoot
On Obama's 2nd day of visiting Israel, at 7:15 am in Sderot, Quassam rockets were fired from Gaza.  What a surprise for a Thursday morning to have a rocket hit your backyard.  Another fell into an open area and about 3 others must have fallen into their own Palestinian territory.  First off, the air raid sirens went off 5 times.  .

This is certainly a break in the quiet enjoyed by the Israelis in southern Israel lately.   It's not a very nice thing to happen just before Passover.

Obama is talking to Assad who isn't all that popular in Gaza.  Could it be a message for Obama as well?

Resource:  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4359306,00.html

Clinton's Greeting in the Middle East

Nadene Goldfoot
Egypt's military head, field Marshal Hussein Tantawi warned today  after Hillary Clinton left that he won't let the Muslim Brotherhood dominate Egypt, even though Hillary  had advised him to work with Egypt's elected Islamist leaders, so he wasn't very happy with her suggestions. He stated that "Egypt will never fall.  It belongs to all Egyptians and not to a certain group--the armed forces will not allow it."  The military has cut Morsi's powers and has taken over the job of writing a new constitution.

Egypt itself wasn't happy with her either,  boys holding placards showed they hated Israel just a little more than they hated her.  Her motorcade was hit with shoes, tomatoes and a few water bottles.  The people called out "Monika, Monika, remembering her husband's affair just to irk her.

While Egypt's liberals were for the Arab Spring, the liberals and Christians are now accusing Clinton and Obama with forcing the Muslim Brotherhood down Egypt's throat to curry favor with the Islamists.

With that greeting behind her,  Hillary then met with Prime Minister Binyamim Netanyahu in Jerusalem on the last leg of her trip abroad.  She was there to talk about Iran's nuclear power and the stalled peace process with Hamas and Fatah.

As usual, southern Israel at that moment was hit with a rocket at around 9:30pm.  An Israel News Daily article explained what happens is that first the scream of the Color Red rocket alert sounds.  15 seconds later a rocket explodes.  This time it was a short-range Qassam and it exploded somewhere in the western Negev.  Security personel have to go out to locate the site where it exploded.  Israelis must stay in their shelters for 10 minutes after its impact to make sure it's not being followed immediately by another which can happen.

An hour later, another attack did come, this time against the nearby city of Sderot, which is the closest to the Gaza Strip.  This rocket exploded in a field on the outskirts of the city.  Hillary should visit the southern part just to see what it's like and what the population endures from the terrorists.

Resource: Oregonian 7/16/12 page A3, In Egypt by AP
arutz sheva,, Rocket fire Aimed at southern Israel by Chana Ya'ar
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/157910
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/157915

Chanukah is Over, and the Bombing Starts Up Again

Nadene Goldfoot
One million Israelis are exposed to the danger of being hit by missiles, mortars and rockets in southern Israel.  Wednesday a rocket was fired into the area that did not explode on impact.  That doesn't happpen very often. 

Thursday, when people were returning from Chanukah vacations, they were greeted by a Qassam rocket within 10 kilometers of being fired from Gaza that landed in a field without killing anyone.  However, it does cause PTSD.  People are alarmed by the sounds of the siren and from running to some kind of cover.  Not all people have access to bomb shelters in the area.  People never know what was fired or what the range might be.  All have to be prepared.  Hamas is held responsible for all firing emanating from Gaza. 

Reference:  Artuz Sheva : Afternoon naps shattered by Rocket Attack on southern Israel by Chana Ya'ar
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/151216
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2011
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/151166

Palestinian Qassam Rockets That Hit Israel
Nadene Goldfoot

Since 2001 Qassam rockets, unguided missiles, have been raining down on southern Israel, usually hitting Sderot, the closest Israeli city.  They started off with a range of hitting only 1.9 miles away and built up to 6.2 miles away and now can reach a 12 mile radius.  Considering the narrowness of Israel, they don't need to reach much farther. 

What it started off as was a simple steel artilery rocket developed and used by the Izz ad-Dinal Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas.  The name was of a militant Syrian preacher who died in 1935 and was one of the reasons of the 1936 Arab Revolt against the British.  This preacher had died in a guerrilla raid against the British in 1935.  They have created 3 different models.  Actually, all types of rockets are fired into Israel.  The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Al Quds rockets are called Qassams by Israel and other countries.  Since 2000, the Palestinian rockets have killed 22 Israelis and one Thai. 

These may be made right in Gaza, and their design uses common tools and parts.  They use sugar and potassium nitrate, a common fertilizer  to make them move. The warhead is filled with TNT and urea nitrate, another fertilizer.  The TNT is smuggled in through the Rafah border tunnels into the Gaza Strip. 

By 2006 a more advanced Qassam was able to hit as far as Ashkelon.  Israel looked at them as a more psychological than physical threat at first.  IDF used the Red Color warning system in Sderot, Ashkelon and other targets.  This is radar that detects rockets being launched, and used loudspeakers to tell people to take cover.  They had between 15 to 45 seconds before impact.  Now a system called Iron dome has been built to intercept rockets before they hit that has been in use since March 2011, but so far is kept only in the larger cities. 

On July 23, 2004, a Palestinian family actually tried to physically stop the Brigades from setting up a Qassam rocket launcher outside their house and the brigade shot one member of the family, the Arab boy, and wounded 5 others. 

In 2009 They were able to reach Ashdod and  Beersheba with the more advanced Katusha and Grad missiles. 

In October 2010 five children and 3 women were injured after a Qassam rocket exploded near a crowded residential area of Tel As-sultan in Rafah.  Hamas has been condemned for storing explosive material near civilians.   In August another explosion wounded 58 and destroyed 7 houses of the Arabs in Gaza.  In trying to kill Jews, they have managed to kill more of their own civilians. 

Here it is 2011, almost 2012 and they are still raining down helter skelter.  What makes me angry is that the media other than Israel and pro-Israeli media do not understand the damage and deaths that these cause.  One website I had just read thought that because they may be home made are not something to fear and is listed under resources below. 

The word "Qassam" usually means the deadly home-made variety while those from Lebanon are called "Katyushas."  Katyushas are a generic class of rocket.  In 2007 the Palestinian Islamic Jihad or Al Quds fired 34%, Hamas fired Qassams or 22%, Fatah fired 8%, the Popular Resistance committes fired 6% and 30% came from unidentified enemy in Gaza. 

In 2001 only 4 were fired at Israel.  2002: 35, 2003: 155; 2004: 281, 2005: 179, 2006: 946, 2007: 896, and they hit the jackpot in 2008 by firing 2,048 at Israel.  Israel finally retaliated in 2008 with Operation Cast Lead, and then got bawled out by the world for trying to  protect themselves.  All this time there was no country speaking out and advising the Palestinian Arabs that they shouldn't spend their time taking all these shots at Israel if they wanted to live peacefully in this world.  All during this time Israel warned the world that they would retaliate and to stop, but they didn't.  The Arabs of Gaza sped up the attacks, instead, like they were daring: "Bring it on."  This led to the UN's Goldstone Report blaming Israel which he changed later after the damage was done besmirching Israel's name.  This same Goldstone Report is possibly very responsible for groups in the USA to continue to punish Israel by boycotting and divesting from Israel all products.  They are trying to delegitimize Israel's existence.  This has now become one of the largest problems Israelis and Jews are facing. 

Now that Libya has been under attack and Ghadafi is dead, weapons have been smuggled into Gaza, no doubt.  That's where some of the more lethal and long-range onces have been coming from.   Even the newer Qassam 3 made in Gaza can now reach out 12 miles away. 

These weapons rain down in southern Israel without any aiming.  They fall on civilians only.  The distance has been growing that they can reach.  People have 12 seconds to run for a bomb shelter. 

In just this month of November, rockets have come into Israel on the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 13th and 15th of the month for a total of 11 rockets.  No one ever knows where they will land.  Though Israel's Iron Dome since March 27th has stopped 24 rockets from coming into several larger cities, they cannot afford an Iron Dome for everyplace.  It costs $100,000 for every interception, and this does not include the cost of creating and setting up an Iron Dome. 

We here who live safely in the USA cannot imagine trying to live a life where you may really feel you are Henny Penny running to tell the king that the sky is falling.  We shudder thinking of an asteroid that could fall out of the sky.  How would Americans feel about living through years of shelling from 12 miles away and have 12 seconds to run to a bomb shelter?  One bout of that and you're done for the day, most likely.  You'd be afraid to even go to the bathroom.  Welcome to a world that the UN pretends doesn't exist but that Jews prayed for 2,000 years to regain.  And yes, it's worth it to us.  Ha Shem said, "but I didn't promise you a rose garden."  He's making us work for it, I think.  We've gone through so much that we're not about to give it up. 

Reference: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90777/7640357.html -disgusting report minimizing danger of Qassam to a population
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qassam_rocket
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2011

Israeli soldier's Letter to a Palestinian Family in Gaza

Part of a letter sent by a reserve Israeli soldier

I can surmise that you are intelligent and educated and there are those in your household that are university students. Your children learn English, and you are connected to the Internet. You are not ignorant; you know what is going on around you. Therefore, I am sure you know that Qassam rockets were launched from your neighborhood into Israeli towns and cities. How could you see these weekly launches and not think that one day we would say "enough"?! Did you ever consider that it is perhaps wrong to launch rockets at innocent civilians trying to lead a normal life, much like you? How long did you think we would sit back without reacting? I can hear you saying "it's not me, it's Hamas".

My intuition tells me you are not their most avid supporter. If you look closely at the sad reality in which your people live, and you do not try to deceive yourself or make excuses about "occupation", you must certainly reach the conclusion that the Hamas is your real enemy. The reality is so simple, even a seven year old can understand: Israelwithdrew from the Gaza strip, removing military bases and its citizens from Gush Katif. Nonetheless, we continued to provide you with electricity, water, and goods (and this I know very well as during my reserve duty I guarded the border crossings more than once, and witnessed hundreds of trucks full of goods entering a blockade-free Gaza every day).

 Despite all this, for reasons that cannot be understood and with a lack of any rational logic, Hamas launched missiles on Israeli towns. For three years we clenched our teeth and restrained ourselves. In the end, we could not take it anymore and entered the Gaza strip, into your neighborhood, in order to remove those who want to kill us. A reality that is painful but very easy to explain. As soon as you agree with me that Hamas is your enemy and because of them, your people are miserable, you will also understand that the change must come from within.

I am acutely aware of the fact that what I say is easier to write than to do, but I do not see any other way. You, who are connected to the world and concerned about your children's education, must lead, together with your friends, a civil uprising against Hamas. I swear to you, that if the citizens of Gaza were busy paving roads, building schools, opening factories and cultural institutions instead of dwelling in self pity, arms smuggling and nurturing a hatred for your Israeli neighbors, your homes would not be in ruins right now.

 If your leaders were not corrupt and motivated by hatred, your home would not have been harmed. If someone would have stood up and shouted that there is no point in launching missiles on innocent civilians, I would not have to stand in your kitchen as a soldier.

You don't have money, you tell me? You have more than you can imagine. Even before Hamas took control of Gaza, during the time of Yasser Arafat,millions if not billions of dollars donated by the world community to the Palestinians was used for purchasing arms or taken directly to your leaders bank accounts. Gulf States, the emirates - your brothers, your flesh and blood, are some of the richest nations in the world.

If there was even a small feeling of solidarity between Arab nations, if these nations had but the smallest interest in reconstructing the Palestinian people - your situation would be very different.

You must be familiar with Singapore. The land mass there is not much larger than the Gaza strip and it is considered to be the second most populated country in the world. Yet, Singapore is a successful, prospering, andwell managed country. Why not the same for you? My friend, I would like to call you by name, but I will not do so publicly. I want you to know that I am 100% at peace with what my country did, what my army did, and what I did.

However, I feel your pain. I am sorry for the destruction you are finding in your neighborhood at this moment. On a personal level, I did what I could to minimize the damage to your home as much as possible. In my opinion, we have a lot more in common than you might imagine. I am a civilian, not a soldier, and in my private life I have nothing to do with the military. However, I have an obligation to leave my home, put on a uniform, and protect my family every time we are attacked. I have no desire to be in your home wearing a uniform again and I would be more than happy to sit with you as a guest on your beautiful balcony, drinking sweet tea seasoned with the sage growing in your garden.

The only person who could make that dream a reality is you. Take responsibility for yourself, your family, your people, and start to take control of your destiny. How? I do not know. Maybe there is something to be learned from the Jewish people who rose up from the most destructive human tragedy of the 20th century, and instead of sinking into self-pity, built a flourishing and prospering country. It is possible, and it is in yourhands. I am ready to be there to provide a shoulder of support and help to you. But only you can move the wheels of history."

Regards, Yishai, (Reserve Soldier)
Resource: Sent from Cousin Denise Bremridge (partial letter)
[Originally published in Hebrew in Maariv - an Israeli daily newspaper]