(See new article posted 30 Novemeber 2012 on Miriam's Topical Topics)..---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This letter was written before the truce arrived finally. But it is still relevant as in that part of the world, nothing is permanenet nor can it be taken for granted. Michele is an English-born member of our extended family and a teacher living in the Southern part of Israel within range of Hamas' Gazan rockets.
MM
Dear all,
I
feel that I must do my bit and explain how I, a simple citizen and known to you,
see the current situation. I must admit
that this time many foreign media reports and governments have actually been talking
about Israel's right to defend itself and have been satisfied with the army's
successes at " surgical bombing" i.e damaging Hamas infrastructure
with care taken to avoid harming its civilian population. However, the pictures
of civilians and wounded children, even children who are not theirs, are coming
through, and that changes the whole picture as seen by outsiders.
The
Gaza Strip has been a subject of controversy for so many years. For the last 12
years or so the Palestinians have been sending missiles (some home-made, many
from Iran) into Israeli settlements both in the Strip itself (before the
disengagement and evacuation) and outside it, the population in these
settlements and towns living a life of sirens and shelters and exploding bombs.
Not normal. Seven years ago Israel took
a unilateral step and evacuated thousands of its citizens from The Strip
, people who had made their permanent homes there for 25 years after the land had been
taken in a previous defensive war,
building homes, working the land , creating small industries and building everything
a social and economic infrastructure requires. This step caused a lot of bitter
controversy in Israel (I was in favour of the step - anything that might and
should bring peace) and there were demonstrations and heart-breaking pictures
of residents being torn from their homes and lives - but all this was supposed
to be for the good of both sides. The Palestinians came onto the land and did
nothing to try to make use of it - instead they set up military camps there and
continued bombarding Israel from an even better vantage point than before. Why?
There's no reason - really - except if you count their desire to destroy
Israel. Why didn't they cultivate the land, build houses and infrastructures and
show the world that they want to live a peaceful life? Instead they continued
aggression and the Hamas, an extreme terrorist organization, took control and
became their legal governing rule. When they became more
"adventurous" firing into towns further afield (Ashdod is a 15 minute
drive away from us), there was no choice but to defend our country and this
desire to defend ourselves led to Operation Cast Lead four
years ago. Many think the government should have done this even when one
settlement was attacked - but who wants war? Much of the Hamas infrastructure
was wiped out and there were bitter hand to hand battles in the streets of Gaza
resulting in much damage and heart-breaking loss of life on both sides. The
bombing was massive and, of course, not without victims - both innocent and
not. And we are all sad to see innocent people being hurt. But have you ever
heard of an army who does its utmost not to harm innocent people? We targeted then
and are targeting now government buildings, military installations, tunnels
through which arms are brought in (the Egyptians must be turning a blind eye,
because the only way to get arms in is through the Egyptian border, which is
actually closed to the Gazans) and infrastructure. Do you know the Israeli
fighter pilots call the residents of the houses to tell them to evacuate, they
throw down fliers telling residents to stay clear of the targetted areas.Where
they see the minaret of a mosque they try not to cause damage. The Hamas uses
mosques, schools and residential buildings to store and produce their weapons
putting innocent people, who are probably too scared to oppose, at risk, using
them as human shields. They don't place value on human life. (Most countries keep their weapons well away
from civilian populations)
If
there is a "humanitarian" problem in Gaza, why aren't medicines and
food brought in the same way as weapons are? Because they are obviously
interested in sustaining their image of a sorry population., the underdog. When
Israel needs funds for things, money is often raised in Jewish populations
around the world. Why don't the wealthy Arabs help their own? Why don't Turkey
or Iran send in food, medicines and fuel instead of arms or ships on "peaceful
support missions" (more arms and aggression).The incredible thing is that it
is Israel who sends humanitarian aid into Gaza! Just today I read the following report
Despite
continued rocket fire over Israel, the Kerem Shalom crossing was reopened on
Sunday, November 18, to allow the transfer of humanitarian aid. 124 trucks of
goods entered the Gaza Strip carrying medical supplies, food, milk, and gas.
The
irony of it. Indeed, many of the sick requiring specialist treatment are
treated in Israeli hospitals.
Israel
provides Gaza with electricity (and could just easily cut it off, but don't of
course for humanitarian reasons.) Some of this electricity is channelled from the
Ashkelon power station, the very place that is being bombarded non-stop. Why
don't Turkey or Iran help build power stations, modernize hospitals etc. enabling
independence instead of prolonging aggression and enhancing its infrastructure?
Why don't they want peace?
Israel
has no reason to go on the offensive other than to protect its civilian
population. It's certainly not to conquer Gaza. The problem is that no one seems
to want Gaza not even the Arab countries. The Palestinian Authority had decided
to recognise Israel as a sovereign state but the Hamas are terrorists.
I
realise that all this sounds pretty militant but, on the contrary, I am a "leftie",
if anything. This does not stop me from understanding that this is a fight for
survival. Those of you who have been here or have read about Israel know that
it is a modern, democratic, thriving, dynamic society with the same problems
and challenges as any other country - social, economic etc. Can you imagine
that it still has to fight literally for existence? Can you imagine having
missiles thrown at you from over the Scottish border for no reason? Would the
government have waited years to respond? There should be no mistake this
recurring warfare takes its toll on the moral fibre of our youth.
On a
personal note. We live within the 40 kilometer radius from Gaza (within missile
reach), hear sirens occasionally, go into our shelters. There's no going to
school within this radius, no events with large numbers of people. We have
strict instructions to get to a safe area the second we hear the sirens (here
we have a minute to do so, in other areas it's seconds)
or to lie down on the ground and cover our head with our hands. Adi has been
called up into the reserves and has had to leave his wife and two small
daughters. We are left to hope and pray for his safety and a reasonable end to
all this.
Another
irony. Seven years ago, during the Second Lebanon War, we hosted a family of four,
not known to us previously, who had fled their homes and the bombardments in
the north. Last week on hearing that we were in the "war zone", they
phoned us up offering their hospitality!!!!
Looking
forward to quieter, peaceful, normal times.
Michele http://www.youtube.com/watch?
