Re “Living Nervously in a Stairwell, Safe from Hamas’s Bombing”
[Editor’s Note: As Hamas terrorists continue firing rockets into Israel, sending frightened residents underground, our correspondent resumes her daily update.]
Dateline Jerusalem — Rockets are getting too close. G-d is working overtime with His miracles.
Yesterday morning, thunderous booms. But no Code Red Alert siren. Nearby cities getting the brunt of the barrage of rockets.
I spoke too soon. Sirens. Just returned from the shelter of my stairwell. Multiple booms while we waited inside it. As of noon yesterday, Israel had 65 Code Red Alerts. There were only 75 the entire day before. By 11 last evening, there had been 101 sirens.
This morning I woke up to the buzzzzzzzz of my computer informing me of rocket fire. If it had been in my area, the sirens would be blaring. That would be a rude awakening. Still, it is a disquieting feeling, knowing that Israel continues to be bombarded with Palestinian rockets and missiles – and yet Israel is condemned for trying to survive and eliminate them.
How would you like to go to your dining room, sit down for breakfast only to discover your guests are Hamas terrorists. They have dug a tunnel from Gaza to Israel, and the tunnel exit opens up into your dining room? It almost happened yesterday morning. A Palestinian terror tunnel was found in Israel, underneath the dining room of an Israeli kibbutz. Thank G-d, it was found before the terrorists could kidnap or kill innocent families. Not exactly “Breakfast at Tiffany's.” More like “Breakfast at Tyranny's.” For Hamas is a tyranny, a cruel and oppressive rule using its citizens as human shields so that death statistics will make their murderous behavior more sympathetic to the gullible world.
How the U.N. Behaves
On Sunday the United Nations “found” rockets in a U.N. school in Gaza. What did they do? They gave the rockets to Hamas. When Hamas uses its civilian population as human shields by firing rockets from schools, mosques, hospitals and civilian homes, that is a war crime. When the U.N. allows its schools, ambulances and facilities to hide rockets and Hamas terrorists, that is aiding and abetting perpetrators of war crimes. When the U.N. returns rockets in its schools to Hamas to shoot at Israel, the U.N. has become an active participant in the war against Israel's civilian population.
Sirens again in my area. Heard lots of booms while standing in my apartment house stairwell, filled with children waiting for the rockets to stop. On a higher floor there must have been a party. I could hear children singing “Happy Birthday,” one of the few songs I know in Hebrew. Back in my apartment, I still hear booms in the distance.
Too Close
A miracle! While I was in my stairwell a rocket landed on the next block over. The street is off-limits to vehicles in the area as police have cordoned it off. A rocket, allegedly the real thing, not debris from a rocket, landed on the roof of a home on the next street. Miraculously, it did not explode. Where was the Iron Dome? This is getting so close to home. The Iron Dome may not be 100 percent effective, but G-d has kept us safe.
I do not know who the Emergency Committee for Israel is, but they put out a statement I totally agree with: “Israel does not need a mediator. Israel needs an ally. Pressuring Israel to agree to a ceasefire that rescues Hamas from defeat and leaves it in possession of its missiles, tunnels, and terror infrastructure is foolish and wrong. If President Obama and Secretary Kerry want to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East, they should support Israel and its campaign to end the terror threat from Gaza.” Well said.
No one listens to me. We will be entering into another ceasefire today. This allows Hamas time to rebuild destroyed tunnels, re-arm, and who knows how many other pre-conditions Israel is being forced to agree to. A busy night lies ahead. It is 11:05 as I write this. In the last five minutes, 11 more Code Red Alert sirens, making for 112 so far.
L'hitraot. Shachar