Recent Attacks On Israel

Nadene Goldfoot                                            

Three teen-aged Jewish boys, Eyal Yifra 19, Gilad Shaar 16, and Naftali Fraenkel 16,  were kidnapped, bound and shot dead by Hamas.  Their bodies were found half-buried two weeks after they were kidnapped on Thursday, June 12th after school.  Celebrations have been going on with Hamas over the kidnapping and people have been handing out candies in their joy.  Palestinian TV is full of programs of hatred for Israelis and Hamas encourages the continued attacking should come from Fatah also.  Evidently it did with this horrendous killing.  The night before a barrage of rockets rained down on southern Israel from Hamas and continued into the next morning on June 29th and 30th.  The rockets have been continuing.

                                                                     

                                                                                 

At the same time, suddenly a Palestinian teen boy, Mohammed Abu Khdeir of east Jerusalem,  was found dead and of course the Israelis were blamed for this.  His body was found burned and hard to identify.   The line was that it was done in retaliation and riots have been going on in a frenzy against Israelis in Jerusalem.  More likely, the boy was killed by his own family in another of the honor killings in the Palestinian culture because rumor has it that he was a homosexual.  His pictures showed a  very thin-looking boy.  I note that the Palestinians' rioting is accompanied with the exact description in their news of a "celebration by the Israelis over this."  Hamas has congratulated the kidnapping.  Is it not a wonder then that they were the instigators if not the culprits?   I have seen nothing in the Israeli news of this, only the sorrow felt before with all of Israel praying in large groups for their safe return, the family's sorrow and the resolve to remain committed to Israel.  Every time something happens, the Palestinian news always copies for themselves what they have caused in the Israelis.  They try to turn the tide and make-believe that they are the victims instead of the aggressors.  It's been in Judaism since the Exodus of Moses and the Israelites that we are not to be happy when the enemy dies, as they are also children of G-d.  I cannot picture any of our IDF cheering over the death of this boy.  Immediately they would know the complication that would be caused from such an event, too.  No, this is all hear-say to instigate the Palestinians to riot.  

                                                                           

In March  2014 between the 12th and 14th, 60 rockets fell. This was before, during and after Purim.   

Today, June 27, 2014:  A total of 6 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip, with the remaining 4 landing in open territory.

Update: 6/28: In center of Gaza were underground rocket launchers, Israel hit them, retaliation from Hamas of 5 to 6  rockets hitting Sderot, causing fire in industrial section.

Update: 6/30  Gaza has fired 15 rockets into Israel last night and this morning.       

Update:   There have been near-daily rocket attacks, followed by Israeli reprisals. 

Update: 6/31  More than a dozen rockets fired from Gaza Strip slammed into Israel early Monday morning , following violent days in the south which have seen a rocket hit an Israeli factory and IDF retaliatory attacks kill at least one.  A factory in Sderot was hit and a man in it injured.  

                                                                       July

July 1

In the late night Gaza terrorists fired a rocket at Israel. The rocket landed in the open field in the Eshkol Regional Council. No injuries or damage are reported. In the morning 4 more rockets were fired. One fell in an open area in Sdot Negev. Another caused damage to several vehicles in the Eshkol Regional Council. A third rocket exploded in the area Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. No injuries were reported The fourth rocket caused a fire near a packaging factory in Eshkol. Though it looked like the fire were turned off, it has spread. Firefighting planes and additional squads try to stop the flames. So far no injuries are reported.   In the evening a salvo of mortar shells was launched at the Eshkol Regional Council area. No red alert in advance, but Explosions were heard. Security forces are inspecting the area. No reports of injuries or damages

July 2

Short after midnight two mortar shells exploded in open areas in the Eshkol Regional Council. No damage or injuries are reported. In the afternoon three mortar shells were fired at the same region. All exploded in open fields. No injuries or damage reported. Again four mortar shells were fired in the Eshkol Regional Council. No one was hurt, no damage reported. In the evening code red alarm was heard in the Ashkelon area. One rocket was intercepted by the Iron Dome Missile Defense System, one exploded in open field. Red alert siren blared in the Eshkol and Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Councils.   Minutes after 2 rockets landed in open areas around. Five rockets were launched on the Sdot Negev Regional Council, three were launched towards Ofakim. One was shot down by Iron Dome, the others hit open fields. No damages ore injuries were reported. A rocket was fired on Eshkol Regional Council. No damages, no injuries.

July 3

1 hour past midnight the colour red siren is heard in Sderot and Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council.   One rocket exploded in Sderot. None was hurt, but structures got damaged.  "Terrorists in Gaza continue their relentless rocket fire upon Israel on Thursday as a Kassam rocket struck a building in Sderot Thursday morning that is being used as a summer day camp for children. The rocket thankfully did not explode as children were set to arrive minutes before the impact."

Fatah is following Hamas' lead with TV programs calling for the destruction of Israel.  Abbas is saying, Fatah heats up confrontational atmosphere:"Blood demands blood"Jerusalem, declare a revolution!"
Don't expect Abbas will try to cut ties with Hamas now, which is what Netanyahu has asked him to do.  They had united and they seem to be united with Gorilla glue.  

6/3/14 Another rocket fell on a home and one fell next to a pre-school in Israel

Resource: http://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-hamas-leadership-of-palestine_27.html

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2014/06/30/israeli-army-14-rockets-fired-at-israel-from-gaza
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4536060,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2014
http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/17561/kassam-rocket-lands-childrens-summer-camp-following-iaf-strike/?utm_source=Breaking+Israel+News&utm_campaign=9e62bc6c10-BIN+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d3627f72-9e62bc6c10-83518689

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=11913

http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/middle-east/israeli-palestinian-relations/the-body-of-the-murdered-palestinian-teenager-will-be-brought-to-rest-6241?utm_source=contactology&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyNewsletter

4 Rockets Reported

Nadene Goldfoot                                            

Four rockets were fired from Gaza onto Israel.  One is known to land in the Ashkelon area.  One more was counted, making five.  

Tuesday Night's Rocket Into Sha'ar HaNegev

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                     

Terrorists in Gaza had concealed a rocket launcher in northern Gaza which shot a rocket into Sha'ar Ha Negev Tuesday evening.  They had shot 2 rockets, but one fell on their own side.

Israel had to have an airstrike Wednesday morning to snuff it out, which they did.  This is supposed to be a period of cease fire, and it hasn't been.  Terrorists continue to shoot rockets and mortars into southern Israel's civilian population.

The responsibility is on Hamas to keep the peace, but they are the ones who shot the rockets!  They fell at the moment that the 26 prisoners were being released.

I'm noticing that as the peace talks progress, the terrorists get less cautious  in their attacks on Israel.


Resource: Christians United For Israel
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Rockets-fired-from-Gaza-at-South-as-Israel-releases-prisoners-322952

Qassam and Rocket Shot From Gaza During Past Month of Cease Fire and Peace Talks

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                       

Nadene Goldfoot
Wednesday night a Qassam rocket from Gaza fell into the Eshkol Regional Council.  Terrorists from there just can't keep their fingers off of firing into southern Israel.

Last Tuesday morning a rocket was shot into the Shaar Hanegeve Regional Council.  Promises evidently are made by these terrorists in order to break them.

These are follow ups from rockets shot on the 18th and 21st of July.  So there's really been many rockets breaking the cease fire that have been shot into southern Israel.  Do not think that just because no one was killed that it doesn't cause damage to the civilians.

One thing is certain; it hardens the hearts of the Israelis who are the targets and it hardens the hearts of those of us who find out how our friends are being treated.  If Israel were any other country, such as China, you know how they would react.  How about Northern Korea or Russia?

I don't want to hear one word about how horrible Israelis are and that they have killed Gazans.  Israel is not like any other country in that when they feel they must retaliate to teach those incapable of understanding a lesson, they aim for the supply centers and not the civilians.  The tactic that this unbelievable foe uses is to hide among their own people, especially children.  They don't mind if they lose such people to the cause anymore than they mind talking  depressed  or extremely radical people into becoming suicide bombers.  Their whole scene is  sick.

Resource:  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/170696#.UgMHQdKOTqE

Rocket and Mortar Attacks into Southern Israel: Before and on Eve of Peace Talks

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                        

Why shoot rockets into Southern Israel on the eve of peace talks for the Palestinians?  Don't they want peace with Israel?  Evidently not according to those who have shot the rockets as it's a defiant move from Hamas terrorists in Gaza showing their disfavor with Fatah and the peace talks that have already started in Washington DC.

July 18th was the first one.  Two rockets struck the Eshkol region in the evening.  This is land in NW Negev between Ashkelon and Beersheba which borders the  Gaza Strip.   Then again on July 21st. at 10pm another rocket struck the Eshkol region.  The Eshkol region was hit again by 2 mortar shells  which struck on the 24th at 10am.   Now this Tuesday morning,  the 30th,  another rocket struck  into the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council area without killing anyone, thankfully. This is in the same area but also includes the town of Sderot, which has been hit so many times in the past.

A rocket is a rocket, though,  and a mortar is just as bad.  They bring death and destruction if it falls within a populated spot.  One never knows.  It's like Russian roulette.  It brings fear to one's body which can cause a woman to miscarry.  The emotional strain on people adds up to physical problems, and the Israelis have been under such pressure in southern Israel since 2000.

Israel has been hoping for peace ever since they were created once again on May 14, 1948.  That's a long time enduring lots of wars and attacks.  While the repertoire coming out of the Palestinian side is," does Israel want peace" and the reply has always been yes, the Palestinians have never agreed to anything pertaining to a peace pact.  In fact, what Abbas does is praise those who have killed Israelis in public squares and on TV.   Now both the Fatah members and Israel are committed to 9 months of sitting it out and coming to a plan.

Hamas in Gazans been completely cut off from Fatah who reside in Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem.  Making peace with Fatah hopefully will cause Hamas to agree to the same program.  Israel is actually in the position to have to make peace with 2 entities; not one.  Is there any logic to this war that has been going on?

As George Peters writes from Melbourne, Australia, the so called "Occupied Territories" are not being "Occupied" by Israel, and if they belong to anyone, they belong to the Jewish national Homeland as part of the League Mandate for Palestine (which is still enshrined in Article 80 of the UN Charter.)  Yes, they were part of the Jewish National Homeland.

From winning in the 1967 Six Day War, which was an Arab nation attack on Israel, the Occupied Territories were simply a return to the reconstituted Jewish national Homeland that had been illegally annexed by Jordan in 1948.  The Arabs waged an aggressive war against Israel.  This can be called "Crimes against Peace" and was #1 in the Nuremberg Trial of the Major War Criminals.  It was a crime against Humanity; Israel.

As for East Jerusalem, which the king of Jordan has complained loudly about not wanting any Jewish prayers said on their Mosque grounds, which is also the grounds of our past Temple, is, along with Judea and Samaria, geographically, historically and legally, part of the reconstituted Jewish National Homeland.  These places have been reclaimed by the Jews after several Crimes against Peace were committed against them by the many belligerent pan-Arab military invasions of 48-49 and 1967.

Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem were illegally seized and then retaken by Israel after 2 illegal wars of aggression and are now with their rightful owner as in accordance to the League Mandate for Palestine.  According to international Law, they are not occupied Territory.  They are legally part of of the Jewish Homeland which is called Israel.  If someone from Australia can figure this out, which many international lawyers have been declaring and we bloggers have been repeating, the 9 month peace program is going to be quite the place to hear some loud shouting.  I hope the defenders of Israel have their notes at hand. So far the attack is on again with 4 rockets and 2 mortars upon southern Israel and the peacemakers are just warming up.

Resource:  http://virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?Itemid=10477
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/272689#.UfhGvNKOTqE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2013

Yesterday's Mortars Hit Southern Israel From Gaza

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                     

Two mortar shells were fired from Gaza into southern Israel on Wednesday.  Evidently they were fired in defiance of the Hamas ruling of not to fire any.

The result was a lot of trauma to the citizens who were not warned of the attack because their code red program evidently wasn't working.

Luck was with the Israelis this time as no one was hurt and nothing was destroyed.  However, trauma and fear were enough of a jolt.

Resource:  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/170223#.UfHadNKOTqE

Israeli Air Force Rebuts Terrorists' Rocket Fire

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                    

Right in the midst of celebrating Lag Ba'Omer outside with picnics and general fun, the Hamas terrorists from Gaza had to fire their 4th rocket  in the past 9 days  into southern Israel on Saturday (Sunday in Israel).  First they had fired 2 rockets on Thursday the 18th, then 1 on Saturday the 21st and now this one on the 27th.

Not only did thousands of families have to pick up their picnic baskets and games for the children to get home to seek shelter, but they left quite miffed, anxious for the government to keep their promise and not let terrorism get out of control.

This year alone Israel has had 22 bombings into southern Israel. Israel had to take a stand in November 2012, and December was a time of cease fire.   January was a month without any strikes.
February had one strike in Ashkelon, Portland, Oregon and Baltimore, Maryland's sister city.  March came in wildly with 4 strikes in one attack directed at Sderot, a city very close to the border.  On April 2nd there were 2 strikes of mortar shells.  April 3rd was a day when 2 hit Sderot again.  April 4th started off with 1 rocket and 3 mortar shell attacks.  April 7th, Holocaust Day, felt 3 rocket attacks.  On April 17th, Eilat and Aqaba were hit with 2 Grad rockets.  On April 18th there were 2 rocket attacks and on the 21st, 1 rocket attack and then yesterday's rocket attack on the joyous holiday of Lag Ba'Omer.

The IDF had enough as well.  Their planes hit a terrorist stronghold and armory with weapons in southern Gaza.  Enough said.  Hamas had been warned months ago.  Israel is not about to put up with their citizens' lives being  threatened.  They also closed one of the crossings, the Kerem Shalom Crossing with Gaza as a result of this shelling into Israel.

Notice that Israel does not just fly over Gaza and bomb.  They only do it in defense of an already administered attack on their people and their land. It is a last resort action to thwart this war-like action.   Israel is not a country that wants to take other's land or hurt people.  They are not about to stand silently when others do just this to their people, though.

 These rockets firings into Israel have been going on since 2001. This caused Israel to withdraw all its citizens that were living in Gaza in August 2005.  Then the shelling increased with the result of 4,800 rockets, missiles and mortars hitting southern Israel.  Israelis pick up the rocket pieces and have turned them into sculptures of peaceful objects such as candlestick holders.   Hamas terrorists and others following them are people who do not learn from their past mistakes like most people do. They have been doing it to kill innocent people as well as to cause psychological trauma and disrupt the daily life of Israelis.   They're only making Israel stronger in their resolve that Palestinians are no people to welcome as a neighboring state.

Israel did not take another's land.  This land of Israel was originally Israel's in the first place, but Jews had to go through the legal steps of gaining it back to their name. They did it by consultations, meetings, decisions, agreements and finally as legally as can be by buying  land from landowners.  Then the final say-so was through the League of Nations and years later, through the United Nations on May 14, 1948.  Let no man say we ever stole their land.  This whole attack has been from one principal power telling their people, the Palestinians, a completely false history of events that led to Israel.  It's time they woke up to truth.

Resource:  Arutz Sheva
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2013
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/apr/27/israel-responds-to-gaza-rocket-fire-with-airstrike/

Revenge of 18 Rockets Attacking Israel; Israel Needs Bomb Shelters

Nadene Goldfoot

Today since midnight, southern Israel was hit by 18 rockets  by Hamas's Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades  in revenge, they say, after a retaliatory raid by Israel got one of their men, Suleiman Kamel al-Qara,  in an IAF air raid.  Hamas said they aimed at 5 military locations in southern Israel.  It just happens that these 5 locations are civilian communities so their information is wrong.  They always manage to hit civilian areas.  

The Hamas terrorists even posted a poorly-made video showing them launching 9 rockets early in the morning.

Israel had carried out two late-night air strikes which according to Arab sources, did not cause any injuries.  

Southern Israel has been hit with a barrage of 80 missiles, then 60 missiles, and right now the count is at 18 for today.  All this comes about since Qatar's Emir visited them promising more money for various enterprises.  I doubt if any of it will ever be used for a new hospital.  

Israel needs more bomb shelters.  United With Israel tells us that :

UPDATE FROM ISRAEL: NEARLY 100 ROCKETS WERE FIRED INTO ISRAEL LAST WEEK. GRAD ROCKETS FROM GAZA EXPLODING IN BEERSHEBA... SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED. The residents of southern Israel - men, women and children have been traumatized by the terror of ongoing rocket attacks. With only 15 seconds to find cover, lives are in jeopardy. Nearly 1 million residents are within striking range of missles from Gaza. There is an immediate need to protect the people of Israel. Portable shelters can be moved to where they are needed most. Over 12,000 Kassam Rockets have been fired into southern Israel in the last 10 years, deliberately targeting Israeli civilians, causing chaos, destruction and death. An entire generation of children has been raised to live in fear of rocket attacks. Israeli cities such as Sderot, Ashkelon and Beersheba continue to be in real danger. As Hamas' Kassam Rocket stockpiles continue to increase, this is a war on terror that needs your support. More shelters are needed today!

Resource: Arutz Sheva news@israelnationalnews.com Daily Humiliation Continues:  18 Rockets since Midnight by Gil Ronen 

United with Israel, www.unitedwithisrael.org  bomb shelter campaign

Raining 80 Rockets in Southern Israel Again

Nadene Goldfoot
Tuesday seemed to start a barrage of 80 rockets and mortars hitting Israel that lasted through Wednesday night.  If citizens were living within 10 km (6.21 miles) of the Gaza border, they had to take cover in bomb shelters within 15 seconds, or at least be inside their own homes.  School was cancelled.  5 homes were damaged.  One received a direct hit with the bedroom of the daughter being the target.  Luckily, the girl was in Jerusalem visiting and was not there.  The miracle continues with her parents having breakfast and not being able to hear the siren giving people a 15 second warning so that they were still at the table and shrapnel went flying, but didn't hit them.  The pieces veered off in the opposite direction of where they were sitting.

We lost an IDF soldier Tuesday night when he evidently touched a gate close to the border in which was hidden an explosive bomb.  This was near the Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha.  6 people were seriously inured in the attack, 3 of them being foreign workers from Thailand. Dozens of others were treated for shock.

The terrorists were not only Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigade men but also the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine).  They seemed to work separately but under the same time frame and goal of hitting southern Israel.

As usual, we hit Gaza after being hit, and then they hit Israel after being hit in retaliation, and so it goes.  Israel managed to get in an air strike from 7:00pm to 7:30pm on Wednesday.  When Israel didn't retaliate, they just kept pounding away, anyhow.  The Gazans' terrorists have been told. : You hit Israel and we will hit back.

Ashkelon, Portland's sister city, was to be hit with 7 rockets aiming towards it, but was missed.  With all this furor hitting Israel, it looks like Qatar's Emir's money does nothing to quell Hamas's need for peace.  It probably has the opposite effect in emboldening them.  They may now think they have a partner.   This might cause Israel to  rethink Operation Cast Lead.  This deluge was a lot to bear.

Resource:  http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=289059
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/161289#.UIgltG_A9GY
http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/2012/10/hamas-launches-new-rocket-offensive.html

Simcha Torah Observed Despite Mortars and Missles Raining

Nadene Goldfoot
This has been the joyous season of  our High Holidays concluding with Sukkot on October 2nd and then Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Law from Moses) on the 9th, Tuesday. This was the time that reading of the Pentateuch in the synagogue was completed and the reading will start over again from the beginning.

For Southern Israel, it also meant the attack of 50 kassam rockets and mortars raining down.  Early that day 2 rockets fell, one at 6 am to start the morning off with and then another in the afternoon.  The city of Netirot was hit with one while the others fell without harming anything.  That night 3 Kassam rockets rained down.  That was it.  The IAF retaliated that night and hit a tunnel used by the Hamas terrorists.

50 kassam rockets and mortars rained down on Southern Israel.  Goats were killed on a kibbutz that belonged to the children.  The barrage came at 5:50 am.  That was in retaliation to Israel's retaliation of hitting 2 Jihad terrorists on motorcycles in Gaza.

Though Egypt told Hamas to cut it out, the terrorists ignored their directive and continued to attack anyway.

Resource: Arutz Sheva, IAF Hits Terror Tunnel in Gaza by Elad Benari

Arutz Sheva: Report: Egypt Orders Gaza Terrorist Ceasefire with Israel

by Chana Ya'ar 

Payback For Hitting Sderot

Nadene Goldfoot
This week the UN wrote such a pathetically terrible report, inaccurate and unbalanced as usual on Gaza that Israel's ambassador, Ron Prosor, wrote a sharp letter to the Security Council's President Gerard Araud "that a group of researchers on the moon could have produced a more accurate and balanced report than this one on Gaza.  This week, Israel's children started their school year with the all-too-familiar sounds of sirens and explosions as terrorists in Gaza fired 6 more rockets into their communities," he wrote as a starter.

This week southern Israel suffered rocket fire from several rockets, one of which had hit a home in Sderot early Friday morning, so the Israel Air Force (IDF) identified the cell responsible and identified an accurate strike.  At least 3 Palestinians were killed and one injured.  It was near the border.  The wounded were rushed to a local hospital by ambulances.  Three targets in Gaza were struck for the rocket fire on Sderot and the surrounding area.  Two weapons production sites and a weapons warehouse were hit in northern Gaza in the retaliation.

The terrorists should know by now that when they hit Israel, it's a sure thing that they'll get it back in return.

Resource: http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=283988#

Counterterrorism in Gaza: AQAP Saudi Cell Caught With Poison Chemicals

Nadene Goldfoot
Last Sunday, August 26, 3 rockets hit Sderot, Israel which lies just a few miles from the Gaza Strip border.  This time 2 workmen were injured.  On the very same day, 2 terrorist cells were captured in Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  Both were created by Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula  This group, AQAP, has ordered its Sinai cells and the Egyptian and Palestinian branches to step up their attacks from Sinai and the Gaza Strip.  AQAP is an al--Qaeda group who revere Osama bin Laden of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.  The Saudi government evidently chased them into Yemen, whose government is also against them.

The AQAP have been found with not only weapons and explosives, but chemical substances for loading into explosive charges.  This type of evidence was found in 2002 when a bomb was found packed with poison chemicals and was detonated by a Palestinian suicide killer in Jerusalem.  It is feared that those weapons may also now be in the Sinai.

The result was 3 Qassam missiles fired into the industrial zone of Sderot-Shear Hanegev.   This started an even stronger anti-Israel offensive from Gaza.  The group in Gaza shooting is the Shura Council that is actually from the East Jerusalem area who are a 6,000 force of well-armed terrorists commanded by an Egyptian, Hisham Saydani.  Al Qaeda calls him Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi.  His lieutenants and he serve as liaisons between the Sinai cells and the AQAP in Yemen.

Hamas terrorists who rule Gaza were holding Saydani in a special security prison cell until 2 weeks ago when they let him go.  He set up the Shura Council's attack near Rafah.  They killed 16 Egyptian soldiers and rammed the Kerem Shalom crossing barrier into Israel.    Egypt demanded that Hamas find and arrest them. The 3 missile strike on Sderot was warning Hamas to stay away from Saydani and his new group or they'd keep striking Sderot until the IDF would attack Hamas's areas.

Hitting Eilat, Israel on August 17 was also a warning to Cairo to stop looking for the Salafi terrorists in Sinai or else southern Israel would continue to be hit, bringing out the IDF strikes.

Resource:  Debka@thejmg.com  Al Qaeda targets Saudi Arabia, Israel, Saudi cell found with chemicals, special report
http://atlanticsentinel.com/2012/08/saudis-arrest-al-qaeda-cells-with-links-to-gaza-sinai/  very thorough
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qaeda_in_the_Arabian_Peninsula

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

Anti-Tank Missile Aimed at Farmers

Nadene Goldfoot
An Israeli air force  pilot killed one terrorist Thursday in response to the many attacks on southern Israel by Hamas terrorists this past week.  The attack happened east of Gaza City.

Earlier the IDF armored corps artillery forces attacked a Hamas terror cell  that operated within Gaza.  They were ready to launch an anti-tank missile at Israeli soldiers patrolling the security fence.

On Monday, Kibbutz Yad Mordechai was targeted  by an anti-tank missile along with sniper fire aimed at a group of farmers in a field and cars including a child's infant seat that was directly targeted.  A bullet hole pierced the back of the infant's seat.  Luckily, the 7 month old wasn't in it at the time.  The kibbutz, started in 1930 by Polish Jews, relocated to its present site a few miles south of Ashkelon in 1943.  It remembers its founders fighting the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto.  In 1948 they were attacked by Egypt.

Southern Israel has endured at least 300 strikes by Gazan terrorists so far this year.  This puts all of southern Israel in jeopardy as they never know where they will land.  .

Ashkelon, Portland's sister city, is the home of Barzalai Hospital where all people, both Israelis and Arabs can come for their wounds and find medical assistance.  They've had to go underground in order to continue helping people, and that means to dig down to a lower level for protection. The  Ashkelon Marina is well known in the yachting community as a center for International rallies and regattas.  It's famous marina is large enough for 600 ships and is located between two beaches.  

    

Resource: Arutz Sheva news@israelinationalnews.com Terrorist Dead in IAF Strike on Gaza by Chana Ya'ar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Mordechai
http://www.ashkelon-marina.co.il/

Restaurant Hit in Southern Israel by Machine Gun Fire

Nadene Goldfoot
Southern Israel's Monday rocket attack also included machine gun fire that came from the Gaza Strip.  They hit two cars and a restaurant wall in a plaza.  No one was injured but that must have been a shock.  The terrorists must have moved their location of firing as usually they hit open fields with rockets.

Shells found were from an 0.5-caliber automatic machinegun, reports  Ynet News.  This brought out both soldiers and police to check out the area.  People in the restaurant were quite surprised, I'm sure.

This of course caused retaliation by the IAF who hit two Hamas centers in south Gaza overnight.  No injuries were reported.  Evidently from reports, the terrorists had fired a missile into the Eshkol region and were shooting at cars with the machine guns.  It is thought that they couldn't have seen the restaurant from their point, so that could have been wild shooting.


Resource: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4253338,00.html
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gaza-rocket-hits-israel-army/972542/
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n282669

Missiles and Rockets Not Stopping the Alumim Kibbutz Wedding

Nadene Goldfoot
The worst of the latest attacks on Southern Israel was only 6 days ago on Wednesday when Hamas and other terrorists fired 69 missiles and rockets into southern Israel.  Last Tuesday 47 were shot into Israel.  36 missiles and rockets rained into Israel during the following 3 days.   What is happening with a barrage of missile attacks such as this is a follow-up of  quick but restrained IDF retaliatation.  Then there is some "relative calm" of an "un-honored ceasefire."  In larger towns that have a warning siren of incoming rockets, the population has but only 15 seconds to scurry to a shelter.

 Hamas rockets   stopped a wedding at Kibbutz Alumim located in the NW Negev desert in the Sdot Negev area. which has fields that lie next to the security fence of Gaza and is 3 miles from Gaza.  This is an agricultural  kibbutz, as many along the fence are.  You can often hear rocket fire here.  During all this rocket firing of last the 650 guests and wedding party were forced to move the wedding from the kibbutz to a wedding hall in Petach Tikvah just a few hours before the wedding, which is  only 7 miles from Tel Aviv.  The managers of the wedding hall said "This is the fastest flash wedding we have ever had here."

Caterers and guests were directed to the new address and the wedding went on as planned.  The couple took some wedding pictures in front of the Iron Dome battery, which is supposed to take out all incoming missiles aimed at Be'er Sheva and Ashkelon.  At least they couldn't hear rocket explosions from their new location.

This modern orthodox  kibbutz population has  90 families with 375 members of which 135 are children and of which 20% are from the United Kingdom.  400 people live here.  It was started in 1966 as a border settlement with Egypt by Bnei Akiva youth movement members.  The land had belonged to an orthodox Jewish group who had purchased it.  The kibbutz also has a kosher guest house located in their lovely gardens of the kibbutz and has a kosher Bed and Breakfast facility.  It also has its own synagogue, library, spacious dining hall and swimming pool.  The residents live in little stucco houses and the weather is like Palm Springs.  It's probably a lot like Kibbutz Degania Alef that I had visited in 1982.

Resource: Arutz Sheva news@israelnationalnews.com, "Ceasefire War" continues with Rocket Attack on Kibbutz , Kassam Rockets fail to Silence Wedding Bells, both by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu,
http://www.alumim.co.il/viewStaticPage.aspx?pageID=41
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alumim
http://www.innsite.com/inns/A005459.html
http://jeffinisrael.wordpress.com/2006/07/01/kibbutz-alumim/
http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Jewish+Education/Compelling+Content/Eye+on+Israel/Places+in+Israel

130+ Rockets in 5 Days Affecting One Million Israelis: Effect is Striking Gaza

Nadene Goldfoot
130 Rockets have fallen into Southern Gaza since Monday putting one million Israelis on hold in bomb cellars if they have one nearby or available.  Not all people  have them available.

The Israeli Ambassador Ron Proser complained to the UN's Ban Ki- moon.  He mentioned that Israel cooperates with the UN allowing material and humanitarian aid into Gaza yet weapons keep flowing into Gaza and rockets keep firing into Israel.   "“How long will you continue to be silent?” wrote Prosor. “Ten days, ten rockets, and not one condemnation.”“The Red Alert siren in Israel’s southern towns should raise red flags in the Security Council. The Council must act, and do so immediately,” he demanded.

Egypt's brokered cease fire only lasted for a few days, as if to give terrorists time to reload and refuel, because they started shooting rockets Friday night again.  This time the IAF made 2 flights into the coastal territory and hit rocket launching terrorist cells.  They caught one getting ready to strike one on Israel and killed a terrorist from the al Qaida Salafist Islamist group and wounded two others at the al-Bureij refugee camp in the center of Gaza.

Then the terrorists fired 5 rockets into Israel within 2 hours Friday night in retaliation.  A 5th rocket was fired at Ashkelon's area which caused the IAF to strike a 2nd time in Gaza.  They had a direct hit on a motorcycle, wounding 4 Palestinians, one seriously, who later died.  This was the 10th terrorist death since Monday.  One minute later and a 6th rocket hit in the Ashkelon coast area again.

The terrorists' brilliant comments were that they would stop firing rockets when Israel stops strifing their bombing squads.  I think that's about the same as saying that when pigs fly, they will stop.

Resource: www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=274869
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/153650
http://www.timesofisrael.com/grad-that-hit-southern-israel-flew-further-than-any-previous-rocket-from-sinai/
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-20/hamas-links-ending-rocket-attacks-to-israeli-air-strikes

Grad Rocket Hits Southern Israel on Shabbat

Nadene Goldfoot
A 122 mm Grad rocket fell into an open desert of the Arava region in southern Israel on this Shabbat from terrorists who were most likely close to the Egyptian border around Sinai which Egypt has not been guarding as well as in the Mubarak period.  Of course Egypt denies it came from the Egyptian area.  It could have even come from Jordan, which Haaretz suggests, or even that Hamas terrorists managed to get very close to the Sinai area.

 50 rockets of this type made in China were found to be long distance and hit Israel on Decmeber 31, 2008, wounding 5 people. Russia also makes this type of Grad rocket as well as other countries.  The distance it can travel is at least 22 to 25  miles.  Update on 17th  is that the distance can be 50 km or 31.07 miles.   April of this year saw  3 Grads that were fired at Eilat from the same area.  For Oregonians, this is like a Grad rocket shot from Hillsboro and hitting Portland.

2001 saw rockets being shot into southern Israel from Gaza's Hamas terrorists.  Sderot, the closest city to Gaza is only 1.864 miles or 3 km away and was hit constantly.  More than 8,600 rockets have been shot into Israel from Gaza since then causing 28 deaths and several hundred wounded, not to mention the PTSD caused by the population.  By 2006 long range rockets such as this grad was reaching Ashkelon.

So far, this year of 2012 has seen 224 rockets and 28 mortars hit southern Israel from Gaza with the worst month being in March.

Resource:  http://news.yahoo.com/rocket-fired-southern-israel-nobody-hurt-army-103106310.html
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=274039
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/16/us-israel-rocket-idUSBRE85F0G220120616
http://defense-update.com/newscast/1208/analysis/311208_palestinians_use_chineese_ws2e_extendedrange_rockets.html
http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Ammunition-Handbook/122-mm-BM-21-Grad-series-rockets-Russian-Federation.html
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/grad-rocket-lands-in-southern-israel-source-unknown-1.436740
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2012
update: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?ID=274126&R=R1

All Is Not Quiet on the Western Front

Nadene Goldfoot
The month of March saw terrorists from Gaza fire over 200 rockets into Israel over 4 days after terrorists Zuhir Musa Ahmed and Mahmoud Ahmed Mahmoud Hanani were killed.

Fire broke out in the Eshkol region in Southern Israel after it was hit by high trajectory firing into the Israeli territory.  IAF aircraft retaliated by striking 2 direct hits on  weapons storage sites  in northern and southern Gaza on yesterday.

Before, on Sunday the aircraft took out a terrorist tunnel with direct hits.  This came about in retaliation to being hit by a Qassam rocket in the south late Sunday night, exploding in the Eshkol Regional Council.

Friday morning another fight took place between IDF troops and a Gaza terrorist as they were trying to infiltrate the western Negev from Gaza which took the life of a young Golani Brigade soldier.

All this shooting was supposed to have been under a cease fire maintained by Egypt, but for the terrorist groups, only seems to mean that  they just do not fire barrages.  They shoot just as it suits them to remind Israelis that they can do it which disrupts the lives of those in Southern Israel.  How would you like to be the sitting ducks?

April showers brought 10 rockets fired at Israel in 9 separate attacks, two being launched from the Sinai in Egypt this time.  3 were Grad missiles aimed at Eilat on the Red Sea coast.  Some residences suffered from shock.  This happened on the 4th.  On the 8th 2 Qassam were fired into the Sdot Negev in the morning and a rocket was fired at Sderot in the evening.  The Color Red alarm sounded in the city once more.  Sderot has taken upteen hits.  On the 14th Fatah fired a rocket at night with CARE International detecting it coming from east of Jabalia which exploded prematurely.  They did it again the next day with Qassam rockets coming into the Sha'ar Hanegev and Ashkelon areas.  The 22nd, 23rd and 30th also had Qassam rockets fall into the areas.

May is supposed to bring flowers but the Ashkelon area only got another Qassam rocket and Israel decided to retaliate by hitting a tunnel in northern Gaza on the 1st.  Another Qassam rocket shot into Sdot Negev again on the 9th and that brings us to the 15th with a Qassam rocket fired in the morning into Sha'ar Hanegev area.

In this we see that Israel is the target of constant attacks.  Israel retaliates once in a while aiming at the cause, not the people.  Yet we are seen as the bad guys.  Go figure.  What kind of logic is this?  England is being very anti-Israel with many Brits supporting the Palestinian "liberation struggle against Israeli imperialism" as some see it.  This is the same British Empire who conquered and subjugated other countries, controlling over 1/4 of the world at one time where "the sun never set on the British Empire."  Queen Elizabeth II is into her "diamond jubilee" and has never visited Israel yet.

Senator Barack Obama flew into Israel vowing that if he became President he would work towards ending the Israel-Palestine conflict "from the minute he was sworn into office."  He didn't let on that he meant he would work to push Israel back to indefensible lines from 1967 which would mean untold amounts of Israeli lives to be lost. No, it's not popular to be supportive of Israel, but we are anyway.  They're the ones getting attacked and shelled and why?  For existing.

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2012
Arutz Sheva news@israelnationalnews.com IAF Hits Weapons Storage Sites in Gaza by Elad Benari 

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