Why Israel Can't Trust Iran

Nadene Goldfoot                                                 

2014's summer in Israel-Hamas supplied by Iran

One year ago, Israel was forced into a 50-day war to stop rocket attacks from Gaza. The conflict caused death and terrible suffering in Israel.

                                                                    

• HEZBOLLAH has 80,000 rockets-gifts from Iran, aimed at Israel.
•                                                                      

  

  Missiles to use against Israel lined up in Syria-from Iran

  
• IRAN has reaffirmed its intention to annihilate Israel – even claiming “divine permission” to destroy the Jewish state!
•                                                                         
  
• HAMAS has been firing rockets randomly into Israel – a “shot across the bow” perhaps in prelude to renewed war?                              
• 
  
  

  

  Hospital in Ashkelon

• Israel protects its citizens from terrorist attacks with:  mobile bomb shelters, reinforced trauma clinics, equipment for first responders, and bolstered emergency command centers in endangered communities as well as Ashkelon's Bar  Zilai Hospital, Israel's front line hospital on the Gaza border which Hamas keeps shelling even though it serves all people, Jewish and "Palestinian."  .  
• The King of Persia, will bring destruction to the entire world, and all the nations will be outraged and confused…  Midrash, Yalkut, Isaiah remez 499
• Resource: Rabbi Eckstein

June and July Attacks from Gaza on Ashkelon 2015

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                 

June

June 4                                                          

Another rocket from Gaza

Rocket into Ashkelon

Late Evening, Ashkelon and Netivot, 2 rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel and exploded  one in Sdot Negev Regional Council and one near Ashkelon. The IDF retaliated with airstrikes against empty Hamas training camps in Gaza.

June 6                                                                  

Ashkelon, rocket was fired from Gaza at Israel and exploded near Ashkelon.  In response, the IDF attacked a training facility of Hamas.

June 11                                                                   

Ashkelon, rocket was fired from Gaza at Israel and landed short in Gaza. 

June 23                                                                  

Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, rocket was fired from Gaza at Israel and exploded in the council between two communities. ^] In response, Israeli aircraft carried out an air strike on a rocket launcher in northern Gaza.

June 28                                                                  

  

Hof Ashkelon, rocket was fired from Gaza at Israel and landed short in Gaza.

July                                           

July 16

 Hof Ashkelon, a rocket was fired from Gaza at Israel and exploded in the council.. The IDF retaliated with airstrikes against Hamas "terror"  infrastructure.  That was Thursday.

 "'It was 2 am in Israel when sirens sounded in the Lachish region, a frightening wake up call, alerting people to rush to shelters. The Gaza rocket fire at Israel does not only put the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians at risk but it is a deliberate decision to target civilians. No person should live under the threat of terrorism, always fearing what will come next, and whether they will find shelter in time to save their lives.' from Avigail Avram-Hopke".  

                                                                     

It seems that Ashkelon is their prime target these past 2 months.  

                                                                                  

Ashkelon is the Portland, Oregon's sister city and houses the Barzilai Medical Center that serves the whole area including Palestinians. it's Israel's front line hospital on the Gaza border. 

Desert 

                                                            

Beach at Ashkelon

  It's a beautiful beach city of 120,000 residents in an area of farms and citrus groves.  This city is between the desert and the sea, close to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Beersheva.  Besides it's beauty and all it has to offer, it is the oldest city recorded in the Bible with a history that goes back 4,000 years.                                         

Ashkelon's modern section was founded when Afridar, a town established by South African Jews in 1952, and Migdal, a former Arab town, merged.  A national park in Ashkelon includes Greek and Roman ruins and the remains of ancient synagogues.  A Roman tomb decorated with frescoes, the ruins of a Byzantine church, and a wall built by Crusaders are also in the city.  So far in the last few months, people and the city have remained safe.  .  

Southern Israel Hit With Rocket Attacks Six Times in 2015

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                     

Rockets from Gaza into Southern Israel

Israel's Operation Protective Edge started July 8,  2014,  came to an end on August 26, 2014. It had lasted for 1 month 2 weeks 4 days.   Hamas fired some rockets from Lebanon.
  
4,594 rockets and mortars had been launched towards Israel.  Gaza and Israel had an unoffical cease-fire.

A cease-fire  lasted for  6 months.  Then in February 2015 , the Palestinians fired one rocket into Israel.  

On April 23, Israel's 67th Independence Day (May 14, 1948 birth), a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel.  It hit an open field in the Sha'ar HaNegev region near Sderot causing no injuries or damage.  Evidently the Arabs knew Israel was using their Hebrew calendar for this event.  

In May, Palestinians fired one rocket into Israel.  It was on May 27th when an M-75 or Grad missile impacted in Gan Yavne, a city east of Ashdod.  No report of injuries or damage were noted.  

This month, the 4th of June-Wednesday Israel time at about 11:00pm, Ashkelon and Netivot's sirens sounded because 3 rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel and exploded near those cities.  2 landed in Sdot Negev Regional Council area and 1 near Ashkelon.  No casualties or damage were reported.  

This time, after 6 rockets had been shot into their land this year,  the IDF retaliated the next morning with airstrikes against empty Hamas training camps in Gaza.  Then the Palestinians complained to Egypt that Israel was hitting them!  

The Times of Israel reported: that "a Hamas source told Israel Radio that the rockets may have been fired by a cell of Salafist extremists allied with the Islamic State in retaliation for one of its members being killed by Hamas on Tuesday. The source said that Hamas was deploying its troops across the Gaza Strip to keep the peace."

So here we have fighting in Gaza over supremacy; Hamas and Salafist IS terrorists.  At this time, Obama is claiming that Israel really doesn't want peace, and it's Israel who is the victim of terrorism and their associated bombing!   I think that all Obama is concerned with is filling in his list of Things to Do during his 2nd term in office, regardless of what's going on.  
                                                                            

Ashkelon is constantly in danger from bombing.  In the early 1950s, many South African Jews settled in Ashkelon, establishing the Afridar neighbourhood. They were followed by an influx of immigrants from the United Kingdom.  In 2011 the city had a population of 117,400.  it holds an important hospital for the area that serves both Arabs and Jews.  

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2015
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/rockets-fired-gaza-southern-israel-150603230355923.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/04/world/middleeast/gaza-militants-fire-rockets-into-israel.html?_r=0
http://rt.com/news/264769-gaza-explosions-israel-missiles/
http://www.timesofisrael.com/rocket-sirens-sound-in-southern-israel-2/
http://www.jewishjournal.com/rosnersdomain/item/more_gaza_rockets_more_gaza_fears-Excellent opinion article
http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/30418/report-hamas-military-wing-fired-rockets-israel-lebanon-summer-war-middle-east/
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/rockets2011.html
http://htl.li/NUIUV?fb_ref=Default&fb_source=message

Hamas Blames Israel for Defending Itself From Rockets-tells Egypt to stop Israel.  

IS in Gaza and Rockets Fired Into Israel

Nadene Goldfoot                                                    

IS in Gaza

After a nice respite, Gaza was at it again on Wednesday night, Israel time,  and Ashkelon, Netivot and other communities heard the alarm sirens.

A couple of rockets had been shot into the Sderot, Israel area (Sdot ha-Negev Regional Council) and within a few hours early Thursday morning , the Israel Air force attacked three Hamas targets.
                                                                       

 This time around, the IDF is viewing rocket fire very seriously.  Moshe Ya'alon, Defense Minister,  commented that Israel will not tolerate the occasional rocket fire anymore.

The firing turned out to be not from Hamas's Sunni or Shi'a Muslims, but from the extreme Salafi Muslims who have ties with  IS as it was they who claimed responsibility, but Hamas is responsible for such goings on and knows it.  This was in reaction to the execution of an IS terrorist by Hamas in Gaza on Tuesday.

These Salafists call themselves the Omar Hadid Brigades.  They commented, "We are continuing with our jihad against the Jews, the enemies of Allah, and no one will be able to deter us."  We Jews have fallen from the "apple of G-d's eye" to the"enemies of G-d, now with them."

The report is that IS and Hamas have been fighting each other for control.  Saber Siam, an IS leader had been killed by Hamas, but Israel gets the punishment.  Weird logic, Hamas won't mind at all.  I think the idea is to get all the credit and leave Hamas incapable in the public eye.  IS is stealing Hamas's thunder and is making points, they think, from the Gazans.  IS thinks nothing of killing other Muslims that are not members of IS.

Resource:  http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/politics-and-military/military/iaf-strikes-gaza-targets-over-rocket-fire-13822
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.659534

Gazan Rocket Attacks Result in Israel Retaliation, Search Hebron for Kidnapped Teens

Nadene Goldfoot                                              

Last week on Saturday "Shabbat", June 14, 2014,  2 rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel  early in the evening and landed in the southern section of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, where the main hospital is that services everyone including Gazans.  Like the old adage, they bite the hand that feeds them, in this situation, they bite the hand that can save their lives. That very morning another rocket had been fired which brought about the IDF hitting another armory and other targets in the southern Strip.  Again, another direct hit.

Israel answered the attacks by striking 6 targets later on Saturday evening with the 2nd attack on the coastal territory within the same 24 hours.  They hit 4 terrorist headquarters of which 3 were in the southern Strip and 1 was in the center.  They also hit 2 weapons storehouses (armories)  in the south. It was a  direct hit.
                                                                       

Mohammed Awar, an officer in the Hamas police,  was the terrorist responsible for the past rocket attacks against Israel over the last few years and in the last month. He was a Salafist, the most extreme of the Muslim religion and an extreme terrorist. They "deem unnecessary and un-Islamic other ideologies such as liberalism or humanism.  The group of Salafists,  Takfir wal-Hijra, who kidnapped and murdered an Egyptian ex-government minister in 1978, inspired some of "the tactics and methods" used by Al Qaeda.   It was Awar's  group that was behind the April 21 rocket strikes on Sderot and other towns within reach of the Hamas terrorists.    Israel targeted him while he was riding his motorcycle in the northern Strip and he died soon afterwards. Hamda Nasser, in his 20's, was injured.   Killed also accidentally along with him was a 7 year old boy, Ali Abed al-Latif Alawar.  This is the problem.  Usually the killers surround themselves with the innocent women and children.
                                                                         

This week should bring some news about the 3 teen agers who were kidnapped by Hamas living in the PA territory of Judea-Samaria.  Abbas is not happy about the act but can only blame himself for having all their energies go to hatred of Israelis and continued encouragement of this sort of thing.  Israel is furious and rounded up about 355 men hoping to find a lead.  It's important to give the terrorists a reason to not do this again to anyone, so are making life pretty miserable for them.  Israel has to find these children.  50 of those were arrested;  and  were some of the 1,027 prisoners freed by Israel in 2011 in the exchange deal to free Gilad Shalit, an IDF soldier who had been kidnapped.

Seconds after they were kidnapped, one had used his cell phone to report to the police that they had been kidnapped, but the police thought it was a prank.  Eyal Yifra 19, Gilad Shaar 16 and Naftali Fraenkel 16 were kidnapped late Thursday, June 12th.  Nothing has been heard since.

The kidnappers, Hamas terrorists,  are finding it might not have been worth the trouble, since now a Palestinian 16 year old who was participating in a riot in Judea in the village of Dura early Friday was shot by the IDF for throwing rocks.  An Israeli soldier was wounded by stone-throwing in Qalandiyah in Judah overnight on Thursday.   A 22 year old rioter was  injured by gunfire in a clash near Qalandiyah checkpoint against the IDF and later died in hospital.  The violence came with the search for the kidnapped children.  Searching was not made easy for those worried soldiers.

This is what happens from recognizing a Palestine made up of united Fatah and Hamas terrorists.  Hamas is stirring up Fatah and this has happened from it.  It has allowed Hamas to move into Judea and Samaria.  Instead of having peace in mind, they have war instead.

Resource: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.598772, by Jack Khoury, June 15, 2014
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salafist_jihadism
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.600059

Israel's Operation Pillar of Defense's One Year Anniversary Against Hamas

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                        

It was just one year ago that Israel had said ENOUGH and after being hit by rockets, mortars and missiles from Gaza since 2001, finally went into Gaza  in an offensive land operation to put an end to the shooting with Operation Pillar of Defense that lasted for 8 days.

It was recalled by both Hamas and other affiliated terrorists in Gaza and in Israel.  Cities like Sderot and Ashkelon were favorite sites hit in Israel.  Where Sderot is very close to the border, Ashkelon is a large major city to the north of Gaza along the sea where a large hospital is that serves both Arab Gazans and Israelis inside a large perimeter.  The strikes have caused the hospital to go to the basement levels in order to take care of their patients.  What seems to be an insane goal to me, the Arabs keep aiming for the city that provides them life when they themselves are injured.

Saturday afternoon during Shabbat, southern Israel was greeted by 3 rockets shot at them from Gaza.  They landed in an open field in Gaza!  The platform they were shot from must have been further back to not make it over the border into Sderot or some other Israeli site.

That was the climax of a week of rockets that were fired.  Last week one rocket again fell short of the border of Ashkelon from Gaza. First the warning siren blared.   The population were driven to take cover in bomb shelters.  The rocket fell just a little way from the border but landed on the Gazan side.

Last Tuesday, a Palestinian Arab managed to get into Israel from Gaza and was caught by the Israeli security forces.  He didn't come over as an immigrant wanting a better life, though.  He had grenades in his pockets.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented that there have been only 35 incidents of rocket fire since then, so this showed a 98% drop of rocket fire since last year's operation.

Will Kerry be successful in bringing about peace between the Palestinians and Israel?  He's dealing with Abbas from Fatah right now.  They have no connection with Gaza, the section that Israel left, lock, stock and barrel in the name of peace that has turned into a launching pad of rockets, mortars and missiles against them.

Hamas's charter shows no sign of ever making peace.   The charter is a 30 page document and as long as it remains their guiding dogma for Hamas or the Palestinian people in mass, the dream of peace remains impossible.  Land is elemental in this problem.  It is religion that is guiding the Palestinian Arabs.  From the Hamas Covenant, we read that "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."  (said by The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory.)  The name "Hamas" means  strength and bravery according to Al-Mua'jam al-Wasit: c1.  They write, "Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious.  It needs all sincere efforts."

That religion is the driving force, from article 6 in their charter, says, "The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees.  The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.  Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem).

I have asked several Muslims about this section often quoted by Westerners who have studied the Koran and it has been explained to me in a very confusing way that either it's not there or its meaning is different and must be studied from another one of Islam's writings.  I get the feeling that it is not interpreted correctly but is often used by less educated Muslims to be the banner for their land fight against Jews in the Middle East.  However, when Muslims of little education read it, it is a very blatant statement and sounds like a dictum to be very aggressive against Jews and to do them harm.

Therefore I see in article 13  that there is no solution in Palestinian thinking  about the  Palestinian question  of a 2 state solution except through Jihad.  Initiative, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors.  Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences  are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement.

Article 32 threatens Muslims that today Jews are taking Palestine and tomorrow it will be one country or another and that the Zionist plan is limitless.  They warn that the Zionists aspire to expand from the Nile to the Euphrates, and then want to take more land.

I find this laughable because our problem is keeping Israel with a majority of Jews to keep it a Jewish state.  The last thing we need is again to live among the world as we have been, a minority without any rights of our own as has already happened in the past.  It is the Muslims who have been expansionists, forcing everyone to convert to Islam and taking their land and holy sites.  So what they really are fearing is that Jews will suddenly act like they have with the same kinds of goals.  Once they realize we are not about to ape their behaviors, perhaps they will accept us.  Hamas must be educated with some of these more enlightening and realistic ideas to solve this world problem.

 Has John Kerry, Secretary of State of the USA, found out if Hamas has changed its charter yet?  How about Fatah?  Why should Israel make peace with one who is under the spell of the other and will cooperate with fighting against Israel?  Shouldn't that twosome be worked on by the USA first before even thinking of creating another state?  Could they be thinking that this will give Fatah power over Hamas?

Resource:  http://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-fire-three-rockets-at-israel/
Excerpts from the Hamas Charter, produced by StandWithUs.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/police-find-third-body-on-ashkelon-beach/

Hamas Rocket Launchers Got A Direct Hit by Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Israel IAF hit 2 concealed rocket launchers in northern Gaza late Monday morning.  They were direct hits.  This was in response to the 2 missiles Hamas had fired from Gaza that morning; one coming into Ashkelon that the Iron Dome stopped.

"“This targeted strike, based on IDF intelligence and advanced air force capabilities, is an immediate response to the terrorist aggression and its infrastructure in Gaza," Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said. 

This is what must happen every time Israel is attacked.  There must be an immediate response and snuff out the origin of the attacks.  

Resource:  http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=12891

Last Week, This Week, Israel Faces Attacks

Nadene Goldfoot                                                               

Last week there was a shootout, not at the OK corral, but in Judea-Samaria.  The IDF had the shootout with Mohammed Aazi who they wanted to arrest for the Tel Aviv bus bombing that caused injury to 20 people aboard the bus.  Instead of coming along quietly, he risked shooting and lost.

Also during that time, the IDF found a bomb placed in the security fence meant to go off when IDF military vehicles drove past.  They dismantled it.

Israel announced early Monday morning the names of the 26 prisoners they were letting out of prison in order for the peace initiative to go forward as demanded by the Palestinian Arabs.  They are all convicted murderers.  5 are from Gaza.  This was enough reason for Hamas in Gaza to fire off 2 rockets into Israel to show their unwillingness to go along with any Fatah-produced peace with Israel.  One of the rockets was aimed toward Ashkelon which the Iron Dome stopped  The 2nd fell nearby in an empty lot.

Israelis were quick to see the connection.  I wonder if Kerry and his contingent will understand the meaning of  the rockets.  Is this peace talk around the table now in a stalemate?

Resource:  http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/rockets-rain-israel-eve-prisoner-release/?utm_source=Breaking+Israel+News&utm_campaign=1771a1b26e-BIN+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d3627f72-1771a1b26e-83518689
http://virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?Itemid=11131

Not a Peaceful Weekend: Met with Missiles and Stones

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                            

Ashkelon; 31 miles south of Tel Aviv and 8.1 miles west of Gaza's border on the Mediterranean Coast

Shabbat, September 28, is not coming in with a lot of peace.  There was a  rocket that hit Ashkelon.  A few hours after the terrorist groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad,  called for a 3rd Intifada uprising,   Palestinians from Abbas's camp started throwing stones at Jews and injured 6 in Jerusalem and Judea-Samaria.

On Saturday IAF fighter jets scrambled 2 times, usually an event that happens if there is a foreign aircraft invading Israel's airspace.

Did someone say that Abbas was at a peace table?

Resource:  http://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-mark-intifada-anniversary-with-stones/
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/172269#.Ukc5pNKOQ8o
http://www.timesofisrael.com/rocket-fired-from-gaza-lands-near-ashkelon-port/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashkelon

Sunday NightCame With 7 Rocket Attacks

Nadene Goldfoot
Gaza was at it again shooting 7 rockets into southern Israel Sunday night.  Before midnight, 3 rockets fell into the Bnei Shimon region and exploded in an open area.  People knew about it first with the siren sounding.  It broke the silence of 40 days.

By 1:am 4 rockets had fallen in the Ashkelon region.  One must have been caught by the Iron Dome as 3 exploded in open areas.

There had been 12 rockets attacks   in April and 3 in May of which 2 were rockets and one was from small arms shooting.

Though no one was inured, this does wake everyone up including children.  It is unnerving and simply angers most people.  It lets people know that the neighbors are neither friendly or peaceful and cannot be trusted.

http://virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?Itemid=10160
Update: 6/24/13: Ha'aretz newspaper reports that Israel took out 4 targets in Gaza in reply to the 6 rocket attack.  

Southern Israel Struck by Rockets

Nadene Goldfoot                                          

Three rockets hit southern Israel near the Hof Ashkelon regional council area Wednesday morning, setting off the alarm system in Ashkelon and probably shocking everyone.  That broke the calm of 2 months.  So far this year, 20 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza.  There was an attack when Obama was visiting.

Since November 2012's Israeli Operation Pillar of Defense,  things had been a little better.  Israel had been hit ever since 2001 by Gaza.  Eleven years of living under such attacks was too much.  No government except the attacked Israel was complaining about it.  The  UN did nothing about it.  Neither did all the Human Rights Nations.  Only when Israel responded with Pillar of Defense did we hear any comments, and that was to complain about Israel's retaliation of sorts.  Even that was different from the Palestinian attacks.  Whereas the Palestinians aimed at the populace hoping to hit civilians, Israel went in by air and pinpointed targets with the goal of stopping their ability to continue firing at Israel.  They went out of their way not to hit civilians.  Of course, their militants hide behind women and children in schools and mosques when the going gets rough.

An example of this lopsided attitude which condemns Israel so easily is found in today's news about soccer.

 "A call by 62 top football players, many from English Premier League and first division teams in Europe, condemned Israel’s recent attack on Gaza and the decision by UEFA, the European football federation, to hold its 2013 Under 21 tournament in Israel.  Petitions calling for the boycott of the tournament have been organised by, among others, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK, and former Tottenham Hotspur footballer Frédéric Kanouté "  Kanoute ended his international career in 2010.  The 35 year old 6'4" striker now plays in the Chinese League.  

Where was this group when Israel was being attacked for 11 years?  Now the attack is starting up again.  But the soccer game will be held in Israel on time as scheduled.  Notice that it is the Palestine group leading the boycott.  

The result of this morning's attack was the immediate closure of the Kerem Shalom border crossing.

It looks like the Salafist group are the ones doing the shooting.  They have stated that they will not abide by the rules.

Resource: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Palestinians-launch-rockets-toward-Ashkelon-shattering-calm-317015?rz=n_19June13
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/169083
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Kanout%C3%A9

From Riots to Rockets: Ashkelon Hit

Nadene Goldfoot
Ashkelon, Portland's sister city, was just hit Tuesday morning from Gaza by an improved  Grad rocket breaking  silence since November.  It was from al-Aqsa Maryrs Brigade who are connected to Fatah in Judea-Samaria (West Bank), supposedly the moderate ones.

Why?  It was instigated by leaflets sent out urging harsh reprisals for Arafat Jaradat, the Israeli prisoner who died suddenly while incarcerated.  An autopsy showed heart attack, and bruises on the body were from trying to recusitate him, said the Israeli doctors whom the Palestinians will not accept.  Israel has now asked the international community's doctors to review their autopsy records on this man.  He has been buried already.  The UN is also probing the incident.

In a group such as this, where Palestinian mothers offer their children's life in any act that will harm Israel, and with Israeli's who's main word is L'Chaim (to life), who do everything to save lives, whose country is made up of bomb shelters, one can only expect that the autopsy report will be the final answer.  In the meantime, the Palestinians are making as much out of this episode as they can.  Their main goal is to do anything to bring down Israel.

"In October 2011, Israel freed more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners -- including hundreds serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis -- in exchange for one person: Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held by Hamas for more than five years."  

Resource: http://makeadifference.cufi.org/?p=2644
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4349447,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/25/world/meast/israel-palestinians-prisons/index.html

First Hand Account: Letter From Ashkelon - Conditions in Barzilai Hospital

I OFTEN WONDER……………

21st June 2012
Rhoda Goodman
Lea Malul
Forwarded to me from Golda

I often wonder how people in New York would feel if residents of New Jersey were lobbing rockets into their city every day?  Well, going on our experience here in Ashkelon, they wouldn’t like it very much.  Last night at 2 o’clock the siren sounded and, woken from sleep, we rushed into the ‘safe’ room in our house.  The challenge is that most of Ashkelon’s population do not have such facilities and have to make their way to communal shelters.  A small problem being that we only have about 20 seconds after the siren sounds before the missiles land.  No time really, none at all.

During the middle of the night there were four rockets and, thank the Lord, they were shot down by the Iron Dome Israeli defense system.  We counted the explosions before we crawled back to sleep.  In all, more than 150 missiles have been fired at Ashkelon from Gaza in the last two days.  Two days when the people of Ashkelon have once again been thoroughly traumatized, the children particularly, and even our pets show signs of strain.

Particularly difficult is being outside the home.  To some extent, you feel protected in the safe room.  However, in the past, a missile pierced the roof of one of Ashkelon’s main malls, seriously injuring a doctor and the patient she was treating in her surgery on the top floor of the mall.  Given circumstances such as these, we are not entirely at ease even within our designated ‘safe’ areas.  On the other hand, driving around the city is a whole other story.  When the traffic lights turn red you will them to change.  Who wants to be stuck at a traffic light when the siren wails?  What do you do?  You feel an idiot lying down in the middle of the road, but lying down is what you should do.  Driving along, you are constantly looking for south facing walls.  Why south facing?  Well, Gaza is situated 6 miles to the south of Ashkelon and, in the event of a rocket attack, you would want to find such a wall to crouch behind.

Our children are now on holiday but they cannot go out.  They cannot go to the beach to play or visit friends or go to the mall.  They hear only sirens and explosions.  Barzilai, Ashkelon’s local hospital, serves over  .  Even whilst our doctors are treating injured and traumatized civilians and military personnel in our emergency room, they too are anxious about the safety of their own families.  Ashkelon is not a big city and the missiles that are fired at us indiscriminately fall on residential areas, on schools and, yes, on our hospital too.  For this reason Barzilai is rapidly completing a program of fortification of many of the vulnerable areas of the hospital, such as the maternity delivery suite and the children’s wards.  Leading up to and during the war three and a half years ago, 80% of the hospital was closed down because of the bombardment.  At a time when the local population desperately needed Barzilai, the hospital could not function because the safety of patients was compromised.

However, despite the numerous rockets that have landed in the grounds of Barzilai hospital since Israel vacated Gaza in 2007, Barzilai’s physicians treat everyone who comes to the hospital for help.  Unknown and unacknowledged outside of Israel and strange as it may sound, many of the doctors who work in Israeli hospitals are Palestinians and, among their patients, are Palestinians too.  This situation is replicated at Barzilai where, amongst the patients we treat, are Palestinians who are unable to be adequately cared for in Gaza.  Yes, we even treat the very people who are launching rockets at us.  

We just want to live in peace with our Palestinian neighbours.  We are not politicans,  just ordinary people going about their lives trying to make a living and have some good times with family and friends before we die.  We would just like to die later rather than sooner.

Rhoda Goodman with Lea Malul

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

Ashkelon: Target of Terrorists Thursday Night

Nadene Goldfoot

Two rockets were aimed at Ashkelon by Hamas terrorists with one falling in an open area. It's only 8.1 miles from the Gaza border!   The other was stopped by the new Iron Dome missile defense system.  This happened as a truce was being talked about. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades told Egyptian officials who are trying to bring about a ceasefire that they were ready, but evidently didn't keep to their word.  They are Hamas terrorists.  Israel is very tiny and this brings it to mind just how tiny it is!  

Ashkelon is the sister-city of Portland, Oregon and Baltimore, Maryland.  It is home of the Barzilai Medical Center that serves both Israel and Gaza patients.  Usually it has been Sderot, a town less than a mile from the Gaza border that is hit constantly.  The rockets fired off today are reaching out further and further.

The history of Ashkelon goes back 5,000 years as an ancient port and is one of the oldest cities in the world..  It was mentioned in Egyptian writings back in the 19th Century BCE.  by the end of the 13th Century BCE it was conquered by the Philistines who arrived from the islands.   It was to go to the tribe of Dan, one of the 12 tribes, sons of Jacob.   The problem was that the Israelites couldn't conquer it from the Philistines.  Samson fought and caused them lots of damage in endless fighting, but was unable to overcome them.  King Saul in the 11th century BCE , first king of Israel, son of Kish and from the tribe of Benjamin  and his son  Jonathan fought the Philistines and destroyed their garrison in Geva, but were beaten in the valley.  Saul and his sons died on Mt. Gilboa.  After this David lamented, "Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice." ( Samuel, 11:1, XX1.)


Jews lived here as a community in mishnaic and talmudic times of 220 CE and 500 CE, but it was considered outside the boundaries of Palestine.  The Jewish community survived its capture by the Crusaders in 1153.   It is important to note here that the Philistines have long died out as a country as well as the Canaanites and the Amorites, but that the Jews remain as an entity.

 The modern time starts with the liberation of Majdal, an Egyptian army base in 1948 by Israelis.  On November 5, 1948 the Israelis were on their way to lift the Egyptian siege of the Negev and they conquered Majdal.  It incorporates the former Arab town of Migdal and the Afridar section development by the South African Zionist Federation.

The Negev was the part given to the Jews in the dividing of half the land  which was promised by the English with the mandate  in the Balfour Declaration. It makes up 55% of the Jewish Homeland of 1948 and is a rocky desert.  The northern Negev was originally allotted to the tribe of Judah and the southern Negev to the tribe Shimon. It was a part of the kingdom of Judah.

Today over 116,000 people live in Ashkelon.  It's on the Mediterranean Coast 56 km or about 35 miles south of Tel Aviv  in an agricultural region connected to Israel by modern roads and trains that run the length of the country.

Like Portland, Oregon, it is a green, well-tended residential city with many gardens and woods with plentiful views, sites, but with lots of ancient splendor.  It's on the Sea Road which runs along the coast from Egypt to Syria.

For people living in Portland, Oregon, this means that if you are in Gresham, Wilsonville is  being bombed with rockets and is that close to you.  Another example is that if you are in Portland, Multnomah Falls is being bombed and probably can hear them land.  35 miles is not that far away.  Tel Aviv-Yafo has a population of 393,900 as of 2009, about the size of Portland, Oregon.

  As to the Gaza border, Ashkelon is the same distance as Beaverton, Oregon is to Portland.  The rockets don't have to travel very far to hit Ashkelon.   It is only 13 km or 8.1 miles north of the Gaza border.  Be sure to click on the map to enlarge and see Ashkelon just above the proposed bridge from Gaza to Judea-Samaria.

Resource:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4245408,00.html
 http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/newpop.html
Facts from the Municipality of Ashkelon
New Standard Jewish Enclyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashkelon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sderot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negev
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izz_ad-Din_al-Qassam_Brigades

46 Rockets, Mortars Hit Hof Ashkelon Tuesday Night

Nadene Goldfoot
 Four border policemen  were injured, with the officer  seriously injured in a rocket attack on Ashkelon Tuesday night.  A kibbutz building had also been hit.  Southern Israel, including the Negav and Sderot were hit with 45 rockets between midnight and 10:30pm Tuesday night.  Most were the short range Kassam,rockets but 3  Grad Katyushas  were aimed at Netivot.  Hamas has taken responsibility saying they were trying to hit the army Zikim base and the rockets were their response to IAF strikes last night.

This has put hundreds of thousands of Israelis under siege and in bomb shelters.  The result is that the IAF struck 3 times on terror targets in Gaza in the last 24 hours which killed at least 6 terrorists.  One strike on Tuesday afternoon injured a man on a motorcycle.

Monday 2 terrorists had infiltrated and were in the Sinai area and have been identified as a Saudi citizen,  Abu Huthiyfa al-Rathali.  and an Egyptian,  Abu Salah al-Masri who belong to the group "Shura Council of the Mujahedeen at Al Quds.  They made a video showing them to be reading their wills before the attack.  The group said the attack was for the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Arab terrorists held in Israel's jail and Osama bin Laden.  They had managed to kill one Israeli before killing themselves.  

Earlier in the day, another strike hit a motorcycle and killed 2 Islamic Jihad terrorists, Mohammed Shabat and Ismail Odeh.  They were part of a squad of snipers working near the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip that had shot at an Israli farmer working near the fence last Thursday.

There was an explosion in Gaza City that killed a 2 yr old Palestinian girl on Tuesday evening, but Israel said there was no air raid from them in the area then. Update:6/20/12:   It's now found that a Palestinian rocket was the cause of the child's death.  

Hamas said they fired only 10 rockets after 3 Israeli air strikes killed 6 Palestinians.  This was said after Israel hit again over Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and injured the 2 men on a motorcycle.

The terrorists only see things as one-sided.  The Palestinian cabinet condemned "continuous Israeli escalation" and called for "international protection to the Palestinian people", but never mention the fact that they start the attacks and Israel acts in defense and also told them that they would retaliate if attacked.

Israel aid that their 3 air raids in the past 12 hours was not related to the border incident and that they had targeted militants planning or engaging in attacks on Israel.  Example is finding a terrorist squad handling an explosive device near the security fence in central Gaza.  They were trying to fire a rocket at Israel.

Resource: http://news.yahoo.com/two-gazans-killed-israeli-air-strike-085111010.html
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Controls/SendFriend.ashx?print=1&type=0&item=157032
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=274471
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/06/19/Rockets-pound-southern-Israel/UPI-96881340126009/
Update: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=4755, up to 50 rockets 

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

Stalemate Ending of Peace Talks While Gaza Exchanges Fire With Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Supposedly, though  PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was to meet with President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu on the 17th , he did not attend.  Abbas had announced that he would, and seemed to be surprised that he didn't show up.

As it turned out, he wouldn't meet with Netanyahu.  Saeb Erekat, head of the PA negotiating team had told journalists just a few hours before the supposed meeting that he would be there, too.  Erkat had to stand in for Fayyad and was joined by Majed Faraj, PA general intelligence chief.

Netanyahu had his special envoy, Isaac Molho with him and the men talked for one hour 20 minutes.  The time was followed by a joint statement saying they both were committed to achieving peace.  Molho is to meet Abbas in Ramallah in the next 2 weeks and will bring an answer to a letter from the Palestinians about Israel's position on the borders of a future Palestinian state and security arrangements for Israel as part of any peace agreement.  It will no doubt include Israel's expectation that Palestinians recognize the State of Israel.

In the meantime, just 3 hours ago, the IDF and PA terrorists fired at each other on the Gaza border.  One was wounded.  The terrorists fired at the soldiers while they were near the security fence in central Gaza doing routine operational activities of clearing land in the early afternoon along the border.  .

The shooting damaged two armoured cars, so the Israelis answered back.  Israel's military keeps an exclusion zone inside the Gaza Strip along the border and regularly does this chore so that the land is safer and terrorists cannot hide in clumps.

On Tuesday evening, a rocket fired from Gaza and landed in Ashkelon.  This is what they had hoped to prevent.  Things like this that keep on happening.

Resource: http://news.yahoo.com/gaza-militant-killed-israeli-border-firefight-193154283.html

haaretz.com/misc/.../palestinian-delegation-delivers-peace-talks-demands-to-netanyahu-1.424905?trai