“No damage was done, and nobody was hurt” – The falsification of the
fictitious ceasefire: 377 missiles were launched towards Israel during
the “relaxation” period.
This Friday, the 19th of December, is the last day of the ceasefire
between Israel and the Hamas.
This is the second declared ceasefire in the past two years. It began
in June 19th 2008, and is destined to end in December 19th of this
year.
According to the IDF’s spokesperson, approximately 377 missiles were
launched from Gaza towards Israel. More missiles than “just” the 315
that were fired during the first ceasefire, which lasted from the 26th
of November 2006 to the 15th of May 2007.
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According to the Intelligence & Terrorism Information Center’s
estimation, there are approximately 7,000 – 10,000 missiles in Gaza,
and there are approximately half a million Israeli citizens who are
under their threat; 7 cities, including south Ashdod, Kyriat Malachi,
Kyriat Gat, Netivot, approximately 100 settlements and moshavs, and
even Gedera and Be’er Sheva, are under the missile threat.
In the past 6 months, during the period of “ceasefire”, the Hamas
succeeded in repairing its military bases, and the terrorist
organizations have provided military training for women, adolescents,
and even children.
In addition to that, according to various sources, the thriving tunnel
industry in Gaza includes approximately 400-600 tunnels under the
Philadelphi Route.
Among its various uses, this border between Gaza and Egypt is used for
smuggling war materials, ammunition, and missile parts from Iran.
Terrorists are using the tunnels to enter Gaza, and the extent of the
smuggling market is around 30 to 50 million dollars per month, not
including the enormous amounts of money which Israel transferred to
Gaza: 100 million shekels on December 9th, and 72 million shekels last
August.
While Israel is interested in the relaxation, Iran is at Sderot’s backyard.
The Western Negev is the only place in the entire western world, in
which missiles are being fired towards civilian population.
The missile terrorism which takes place at the southern western part
of 21st century Israel is targeting civilian population, and the
missiles are being fired from within the civilian population of Gaza.
According to the IDF Air Force’s commander, 97% of the missiles are
fired from within the civilian population.
This reality has become legitimate.
The international media seldom speaks of the fired missiles towards
Israel. However, how can we expect the international media to provide
an objective coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, when
Israel’s Broadcast Authority dedicates only a few seconds for the
coverage of a missile attack in Sderot, and it sounds like this: “No
damage was done, nobody was hurt, and two anxiety victims were
evacuated from the scene. Now, to the primaries…”
Can we understand terms such as “anxiety victims”, “trauma” and “fear”
when we’re listening to the radio, watching television or reading the
newspaper?
Or, to put it in the words of Shula Sasson, a mother of 5 from Sderot:
“Could the 5 seconds of radio rating, which updated the listeners
about an anxiety victim, describe the 6 days I spent hospitalized in
the E.R of Ashkelon’s Brazila’s hospital, due to suspected brain
damage that resulted from the trauma?”
Can we comprehend the statistical data of Natal (Israel’s Trauma
Center for Victims of Terror and War), claiming that 70%-94% of
Sderot’s children are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress syndromes?
How many decades will it take to rehabilitate the next generation of
Israelis in Sderot. As Ziva Daha, a mother of 4 puts it:
“We, the parents, hardly realize what’s going on. My children, who
were born into the “Red Color” reality, are starting to realize it,
but the ones who are really going to suffer are the grandchildren…”
There are a few wise guys who would say, like Mr. Uzi Dayan said at a
convention in Ben Gurion’s University (which was initiated by Sderot
Media Center): “The Qassam missiles do not impose an existential
threat on Israel… During my times, there was no such thing as an
‘anxiety victim’…”
Is there any other western democratic country in the world that would
allow a reality of fired missiles to take place in its sovereign
territory?
There is a missile reality, and it has been accepted. The terrorism
has remained legitimate for 8 consecutive years..
When the Israeli media coverage doesn’t portray a human face on each
Qassam attack, and fails to illustrate the meaning of 15 seconds in
the Russian Roulette game, favoring only ratings, how can we expect
the general public to understand the situation? And when the
broadcasting time dedicated to describe such dramatic and
consequential terrorist attacks lasts for 5 seconds, how can we expect
the decision makers to make those critical decisions regarding the
security of Sderot and western Negev residents?
Noam Bedein, CEO of Sderot Media Center
www.SderotMedia.com
