Feature: Life With and Without Rockets' Boom

by Ma Xiaoyan
Xinhua
October 22, 2008

http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/353/feature-life-with-and-without-rockets-boom

Like in other Israeli towns, the main roads in Sderot were fully packed with vehicles on Wednesday morning, the first workday following the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Local residents stepped in and out cafes with gentle smile on their faces, greeting each other.

It's hard to imagine that they had been living under the threat of more than 7,000 rockets launched by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of second Intifada in January of 2001.

LIFE CHANGED

"Our life here in Sderot has improved significantly since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect in June. People are out in the streets and moving around without fear," a resident who titled himself as "hope man" told Xinhua, "I hope the truce could be held as long as possible."

People share the same wish with "hope man," though their good mood is sometimes disturbed by sporadic rocket attacks.

On Tuesday evening, a Qassam rocket from Gaza slammed an open area in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, which is not far from Sderot.

Causing no casualties and no damage, the rocket, even a scarce one, is in violation of the ceasefire.

Following the attack, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed security forces to shut down the crossings to Gaza on Wednesday, as has been routinely done in the past.

VICIOUS SPIRAL

However, the measure of collective punishment can neither disperse the shadow that has been accumulating over the sky of the Gazan-Israeli border area, nor stop the three thousand residents from leaving their homes since the rocket attacks began.

"For eight years we have been shocked so many times. For these eight years we have not wanted to go play outside, because we fear the rockets are waiting for us out there," Yehudit Yifrach, a 12-year-old girl wrote in her diary.

Some people accused the Israeli government of ignoring Sderot's situation, calling for military actions against the Palestinian groups in Gaza to end the rocket fire.

"It's the best way out of the impasse," Dan, a shopkeeper in the center of Sderot, said when he was busy selling chocolate and ice-cream to children.

Anyway, children in Gaza have little chocolate as a result of Israel's blockade to the coastal area. More than 1.1 million Gazans are dependent on food aid and of 110,000 workers previously employed in the private sector, 75,000 have now lost their jobs, according to Amnesty International's report.

Gaza's humanitarian situation is at its worst since Israel seized the territory in 1967, the report claimed.

DOUBT REMAINS

Contrary to Israel's Arab neighbors, people in Sderot are gradually getting used to the improvement of life since the ceasefire.

"My kids are now sleeping outside of the safe room after about a year and a half. They feel safer and are able to play outside without the constant fear of alerts and rockets." said "hope man."

Still, many people are actually skeptic about how long the truce can last, though the recent rocket attacks have not really disrupted it.

Thousands of pieces of rockets shrapnel were gathered and relocated in a corner of the local police station in Sderot.

"Every time I stare at these different types of rockets, I can't help but wondering which would be the last one and when shall we sleep in forever peace," said Oren, a student in Sderot.

"Anyhow, the cycle of violence never help bring the two sides to the peace track. We should create a balance between Israeli society and Palestinian civilians," he added.

"Hope man," who is committed to deepening the understanding between the two peoples, shrugged off the rocket attack, saying that "they did remind us how fragile things are, and how much restraint is needed to keep it going."

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