[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img] Dateline Jerusalem — In less than a full week during most of what was considered a “cease fire” period, over 300 short-range grad and katyusha rockets have been fired by Palestinians from Gaza into southern Israel. But these so-called short-range rockets are no longer so short in range. Their radius now extends as far north as my town of Rehovot in central Israel. Although sirens blaring from the cities of Gedera and Yavne could be heard in Rehovot, thank G-d Rehovot has not been attacked yet.

Thank G-d for the Iron Dome portable anti-rocket mobile air defense system invented by Israel to protect its citizens. With over 90 percent accuracy in intercepting missiles and rockets, the Iron Dome has enabled thousands of Israelis to survive these Palestinian attacks. Yet 90 percent is not enough to protect us from an Iranian nuclear attack. The system is ingenious in that its computers can detect whether a rocket aimed at Israel will land in a populated area or a vacant field. It intercepts only the ones threatening populated areas. However, the debris falling from the skies when the Iron dome intercepts the rockets and missiles has injured Israeli citizens.

Thank G-d for the bomb shelters and built-in “safe” rooms in homes and buildings throughout Israel where 1 million Israelis huddled with their families during Shabbat last weekend. “Shabbat shalom,” translated as “a peaceful Sabbath,” was not so peaceful after all. For Israelis living in older buildings who are not fortunate to have safe rooms in their individual apartments, there is a great fear of not making it downstairs to the building bomb shelter in time. Those who live closest to Gaza have only 15 seconds to find safety before impact! Those of us living in Rehovot have one minute. That means in only one minute I have to be out my door and down four flights of stairs in my old building to reach the bomb shelter that usually is locked and used as a storage area. I think my odds of survival are better not going anywhere.

Thank G-d for the Home Front Command who issued orders to close all schools in Southern Israel this week, since the Palestinian rockets were aimed at and landed in Israeli schools. However, they then ordered the schools to be re-opened because “just a few rockets” were continuing to be fired by the Palestinians during the alleged cease fire (which I translate to mean a time when not quite as many rockets are launched while the Palestinians re-arm themselves). A true cease fire would mean no more rockets launched into Israel.

Thank G-d for the mayor in Be'er Sheva who defied the order of the Home Front Command to re-open the schools because on Thursday of this week, during the cease fire, a katyusha rocket that the Iron Dome intercepted blew apart over the largest school in Be'er Sheva with bomb fragments landing in the school. The mayor stated that “just a few rockets” were “unacceptable,” and he would not allow the city's school children to be on the “front lines” while there still was rocket fire.

Although the rest of the country is not under constant barrage of rocket and missile fire, violence has escalated. Just this morning a 19-year-old female soldier riding the new light rail train in Jerusalem was stabbed in her chest, close to her heart, and in her stomach and arm by a knife-wielding Arab who then fled as the train's doors opened. She was taken to a trauma unit and where doctors are trying to save her life.

Where is the outcry from the world? Why hasn't the U.N. condemned the attacks and rocket fire? Why doesn't cease-fire mean cease-fire? Why must Israel use restraint when its children's lives are threatened?

It has been a miracle that more Israeli lives have not been lost. Thank G-d that He is watching over Israel. Yet, because Israel protects its citizens with bomb shelters, safe-rooms, Iron Dome systems, and does not use Israeli women and children as human shields like the Palestinians do, the rest of the world thinks the “minimal” casualties suffered by Israel are insignificant. Or is it a mentality that Israeli lives are insignificant?

L'hitraot. Shachar.