The Remarkable Resilience of Sderot

22 Tammuz 5776

Friday, July 29 2016

 

UPDATES 8 am Israel time

…Palestinian terrorism not in the mainstream news yesterday…

*Numerous Palestinian terror attacks took place on Thursday, ranging from the firebombings:

of Israeli motorists beside the Jewish community of Nili at 11:34 pm

of the Karmi Tsur security fence in Samaria at 8:47 pm

of an Israeli bus in Gush Etzion at 4:25 pm

to “rock” attacks:

at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hevron at 10:17 pm

at Israeli motorists at Hawara (10:21 pm), Azzun (7:45 pm), Beit Ummar (6:54 pm)

at Abigail at 8:00 pm.

Also, Palestinian terrorists attacked IDF forces with IEDS near Dehaisha.

…The Hevron operation two nights ago…

More on the killing of terrorist Mohammad Fatiq came to light yesterday. You will recall that we described the efforts as a combined effort of ground and air forces–and that the gun battle went on for hours.

Just how ridiculous was this?

Apparently Fatiq held out for 7 hours against an array of 33 armored vehicles, 40 jeeps, 2 planes, 1 helicopter, 750 Israeli soldiers, and 1 tractor.

He held out because the IDF wanted to be politically correct. The terrorist murderer of Rabbi Michael Mark finally died when the tractor demolished his house.

By the way, some of the other members of his terror cell were terrorists who had been released in the Gilad Shalit exchange back in 2011.

…Illegal EU funding of illegal buildings continues in Area C…

Speaking on Israeli television last night, a security officer said that the EU has already erected “tens of buildings” in the Palestinian settlement beside the Jewish community of Carmel in the Har Hebron Regional Council area.

The mayor of Hebron, Yochai Damari declared: “This is a very serious phenomenon; thousands of housing units are being illegally built in Area C. Unfortunately our request to security forces to do something is not responded to promptly. They come too little and too late. We’re losing the land of Israel.”

TODAY’S BLOG:

Regular readers of israelstreet know that Sderot has long been one of my favorite places in Israel. I often take visitors down to the city (it’s only about a 25 minute drive from my house in Ashdod) to show our support for its embattled residents.

And I have been particularly harsh in my criticism during some of the Gaza wars in the last decade at the abject lack of protection offered to Sderot and environs–and the total neglect of the government in doing something to improve life for the courageous and resilient citizens of the area.

However, the last year has seen the government of PM Netanyahu finally do something.

At a cost of 1 billion shekels, the government has fortified 500+ existing bomb shelters, created bomb shelters in apartment buildings that had none, and fortified some 10,000 apartments within 7 km of Gaza–in other words, in the Sderot, Sha’ar Hanagev, Eshkol, Chof Ashkelon, and Sdot Negev regions.

More than this, the government has taken positive actions to integrate the area into Israel.

To mark the end of this one year project, PM Netanyahu came to the city yesterday along with Defense Minister Lieberman and Housing Minister Galant.

The mayor of Sderot, Alon Davidi, spoke at the event and gave this glowing assessment:

“I’m excited to stand here today as we celebrate the completion of a project protecting residents’ homes and buildings in Sderot and the communities around . . 

I invite [all Israelis] to Sderot. Since the end of the 2014 war, all spheres of life have been accelerated and developed in Sderot.  

A new railway station has been opened; industrial zones have been developed; student dormitories have been built; there are dozens of new kindergartens, day care centers, and schools.

Public buildings have been constructed, parks created, and of course there has been a tremendous apartment construction boom, including construction of six new neighborhoods with more than 2,000 housing units–most of which have already been sold. These are unprecedented numbers . . . 

Scenes of destruction and survival have given way to scenes of development and prosperity. Thousands of people: young families, students and the next generation of veterans have come to Sderot.

This victory of the spirit is manifested by the laughter of children heard throughout the city . . .”

Laughter of children is not to be taken lightly. In a city of 25,000 people, in which some 75% of the children suffer from PTSD, your humble servant cannot think of anything that really does show a greater “victory of the spirit.”

Kolakevod to the people of the Sderot and the Gaza border!

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