Our Israeli correspondent MC sends this report from his home in Sderot. The town was the target once again of Palestinian rockets, one of which landed too close for comfort earlier this afternoon.
The Boyz are Playing Rough and Tough
by MC
An eventful day here on the Gaza border….
Stalin is holding a conference:
“Two items on the agenda: first, we are killing Jews; second, we are killing cyclists.”
Molotov: “Why are we killing the cyclists?”
Alexis (originally from Ukraine) was telling the joke at the office. As he finished the Seva Adom alarm went off and there was a general rush to the shelter.
Being crippled, I never get there in time anyway, so I went to get a cup of coffee instead. Only to get told off by the cleaning lady, another cynical Sderotian. I explained that I too lived here, and she smiled knowingly…
No BANG — Not unusual. Phoned home, nothing heard there either.
About thirty minutes later I leave the office to walk home. One of the roads near our home is blocked off by police cars and an ambulance.
At home I get on the net to see what is reported. One comment says it was a Grad. If so, it was unusual; they normally go over our heads.
Reports also say that the bomb disposal squad are in attendance. I expect the missile misfired; maybe the primer went off but the explosive failed to ignite — nasty (this is called a ‘hangfire’ and it is the most dangerous type of UXB).
The thing had landed between two houses — no casualties. It was whilst I was walking past that the first Israeli attack went in, planes and a tank, so the reports say. They took out a water tower. That was about 2:50 pm this afternoon.
It is now 11 pm, and for the last 45 minutes there has been a continual bombardment. There are at least two Israeli tanks shooting, and we have heard a large-caliber machine gun from time to time, either a .50 cal or a 20mm cannon (I am not close enough, but the rate of fire is more reminiscent of a 20mm).
As yet I do not know what is going on. The news channels are silent, just mentioning a second attack by the air force, but it is just like Protective Edge at the moment. But hopefully it is all over now.
This is a definite escalation, and something has made our boys play much rougher than usual.
<bitter thoughts on>The Iron Domes are still up North, ready to defend the big cities from the virtual rockets of Hezbollah, but today we were lucky, no physical casualties. Sderotian lives are obviously no longer worth the $40,000 for each replacement missile </unbecoming bitter thoughts>
PS 11:15 and another shell just went over. Looks like we are in for a night of it.
MC lives in the southern Israeli city of Sderot. For his previous essays, see the MC Archives.
Could be that Iron Dome ammo is being held for “later”. It is VERY good predicting where enemy rounds will land–so preventing the blowing up of open fields at $40K per may not be economical.
Popping off at water towers with 105/120MM tank fire is a ‘proportionate’ response, and just good clean fun.
But they don’t just hit the fields they also hit Kindergartens (last time) or between two houses (this one). It is only a matter of time before they once more kill and maim.
All the people of Israel pay high taxes for weaponry, but only some are under constant attack, one would have thought that the missile systems would be protecting those actually under attack, but no, whilst they were field tested here, they are now the ‘bullet catchers’ only for ‘important’ people (politicians) in Tel Aviv.
Is it because of the politicians, or just denser population? I don’t know, but it would make sense, if not to someone in Sderot!
According to Honest Reporting, by the way, the water tower was damaged last September; a recent photo shows no further harm.
Glad you and yours are ok.
Denser population or not, it is utterly stupid to protect a population that is not under fire, whilst leaving those who are actually under fire with nothing…..
A Kassam hit in a Sderot kindergaten will kill the same number of children as hitting a kindergarten in Holon, only the Sderot one got hit last month whilst the Holon ones have never been hit in the last 15 years,
The only blessing was that the Sderot kindergarten was empty at the time.
The only reason that the population is denser in Holon is because nobody in their right mind comes to Sderot because the Iron Domes are all up north.
I was in a conversation yesterday about bringing one of the US experts over to go through some technical stuff with the team. We decided that we could not reasonably ask him to come to Sderot, but that we would have to choose a venue in the protected TA area.
Is it a matter of technology or funding?
I mean does the govt simply not want to spend the money or is the I.D. not big enough to harden all of Israel’s towns. It would seem that *any* border town would be a priority.
Maybe I wasn’t clear enough, MC. When Britain was under aerial attack in WW2, defences were concentrated, natually enough, around military and strategic targets, but also cities, simply because they contained more civilians by area than the countryside; a question of the most efficient use of resources. I daresay the same priorities apply in Israel today?
A bit off topic, perhaps, but the allied bombing of Germany (especially of Hamburg by the RAF in 1943) so incensed the German population that the Nazis, aware of the revolution against the Kaiser in 1918, did completely the wrong thing (as one might expect of a regime led by a lunatic); instead of increasing defensive forces, especially day- and nightfighter aircraft, they squandered resources on “revenge” weapons, the V1 and V2.
So glad you and yours are safe MC.
Thanks @Joan, life goes on – thank-you Yah
Just like here, the rich places get the attention. The poor get mostly ignored.
I do like the way Israel responds to attacks. Perhaps someone could show the U.S. how it’s done. And how to keep airports safe.
We live in a poor place too… so who needs trash collection or a municipal sewer system (when you don’t have a municipal) or a cell phone tower or broadband? In exchange, the zoning laws are permissive, though the only outhouses permitted now are those that are grandfathered in.
A surprising number of healthy grandfathers around here, too. Eating the tail ends of things turns out to be surprisingly good for longevity.
A town near us just got espresso and tiramisu! They still don’t have a traffic light, though.
It sounds as though they are pounding on the shield again, as it were, in their ongoing test of your resolve. Childish, but that’s Is-lamb, or was that Is-pork?
They will not, and cannot give up until you and everyone else are dead. Yah has some surprises in store for them. Stay tuned, film at 11:00.
BTW, I had some Halal lamb that was on sale at Sprouts, no not the one in Brussels. 🙂 It was greasy and fatty, which is probably why it was on sale. It’s back to vegetables and no more Halal meat.
Our thoughts are with you MC.
Bad as things are in Sderot, at least your have a government willing to respond *some* of the time. That’s better than a lot of the other readers have, unbelievable as it may sound.
Perhaps sending a warning to Hamas re the upcoming PA elections, in which Hamas looks likely to fare well. My sources are http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4844196,00.html and http://jcpa.org/pa-based-ramallah-faces-opposition-towns/
Also, we need to take into account (a) Lieberman’s carrot-stick policy re the W. Bank and the recent Egyptian-Israeli talks about peace talks, along w/Putin’s announced desire to host peace talks.
This is multi-dimensional chess, and perhaps Israel feels now is the time to send Hamas a strong message.
I think you have a profound grasp of the situation, all sorts of annoying little things, and Lieberman who particularly wants to be the big tough guy.
It is not a good fight recipe, it needs a firm steady punch where it hurts, not a flamboyant slap in the face
Firm-steady-punch would be best, but unfortunately Emperor Burak, the EU-nuchs would not be on board. Sisi would also be placed in a delicate situation. I don’t think Putin would much object, nor the Turks — right now — except verbally. In short, the consequences might not be worth it just now.
Side point: I just looked on Twitter for “Gaza Under Attack.” If the fotos aren’t lies — which they well might be — it looks like a large attack but not the decapitation that’s needed.
Is this account correct? http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-gaza-target-that-israel-didnt-hit.html
if so, the attack was largely symbolic and the palis and their henchmen are telling their usual lies.
Yes, it sounds typical, Israel bashing is very fashionable amongst the socialista of this world, regardless of what the real truth is, when in doubt; fabricate!
Israel is no different than any other country in the Middle East, Europe etc. The US Constitution is quite clear. When will the US mind its own business?
Ridiculous you say? George Washington’s farewell address is arguably the most important speech ever given on US soil. Read it!