Palestinian Rocket Barrage on Israeli civilians in Sderot

By Endre Mozes,  (Editorial of 21 May 2007 - Updated 9 Sept 2008)

Is the 'occupation' really the Palestinians' main problem? There are no Israelis in Gaza for three years now, but intra-Palestinian violence has only increased there. A year ago Hamas and the Fatah killed 60 of each other's people in a week. Then Hamas eliminated Fatah in a surprise attack with unimaginable cruelty. While this Palestinian military chaos joins their existing political and economic chaos and while most foreign aid intended to help the Palestinian people end up in gang wars or illegal military actions, the question arises whether the Palestinian society and particularly its leaders are mature enough for self-rule.

Since Israel totally left Gaza, the ruling Hamas and other extremist PalestinIan organizations fired more than 3500 Kassam rockets at the Israeli civilian population, in Sderot city and its vicinity. However, their attempt to draw Israel into Gaza for a major military ground operation - failed.  

While Hamas demonstrates again that it has remained a terrorist organization - as it was classified by the US, UK and the whole UN in the past - Israel on the other hand has demonstrated remarkable constraint and proved to be a moderate even in front of  such harshest Hamas violations of the previous truce.

Schools have been closed in Sderot several times and more sensitive parts of Sderot's civilian population have been evacuated. Israel's PM, Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff all agreed not to launch a major ground operation to Gaza, but to target from the air directly the Hamas perpetrators of the Kassam rocket attacks, and them only. The Israeli government declared that until the Hamas continues the indiscriminate bombing of the civilian population in Sderot and elsewhere in Israel, no Hamas leaders can feel safe either.

Read further writings about Sderot. Read 2 relevant Readers' Letters right below: ‘2503 Children Don't Go to School in Sderot and Gaza' and: 'Gaza - Confronting is Not "Joining"' - on our English page http://www.take-a-pen.org/english/index.html or Click the 'English' button above).

Wherever you see a distorted description of the situation in Gaza or in Sderot - Write your own Letter to the Editor - or to a relevant VIP!