A lot of my friends on the left side of politics often complain about Israel and point out what Israel Defense does as if unprovoked or not in defense at all.
Every day, civilian children women and men in Israel are under attack from Palestinian and Lebanese terrorists. If we were to endure even one day of this, I feel we would react in a much stronger way than Israel does. Shelling, bombing, sniper gun fire are all common.
The truth isn't very popular when it comes to the anti-Israeli/anti-Christian forces in the world...and sadly, some of the blindest of all are right amongst us.
For example:
• Gaza Rockets Hit Major Israeli City, Injure Child
• Large increase in rocket attacks from Gaza
• Israel Air Force retaliates to protect civilians
• Radical groups, affiliated with Hamas, spread violence Plese click on the map for details of recent Gaza rocket attacks.
http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=4183369&ct=8971893
Jerusalem, Dec. 21 – A Qassam rocket fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza landed in Ashkelon today near a kindergarten, injuring a young girl. At least 13 rockets and mortar rounds were launched from Gaza since Sunday (Dec. 19), according to Israeli officials.
More than 200 Grad and Qassam rockets and mortar shells have been fired from Gaza this year. Iran-backed Hamas has controlled Gaza sinceIsrael withdrew from the area in 2005.
"The children were arriving at school this morning, at quarter to eight, when the siren blared. There was a code-red warning and everyone panicked and rushed for the safety of the bomb shelters," Aviva Fold, Ashkelon's kindergarten department manager told The Israel Project.
"You can wake up in the morning and feel happy and suddenly within a second everything changes. It is terrible and frightening," Fold added.
Gaza has stepped up its launching of projectiles over the past few weeks. In response, Israel launched pinpoint strikes against terrorists and their infrastructure in order to defend the residents of southern Israel.
There are several reasons for the recent rise in terrorist activity coming from Gaza, according to Ely Karmon, counter-terrorist expert at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya, Israel.
"Hamas is in a bind. It is trying to reconstruct Gaza to take more responsibility over the quality of civilian life. Yet there are reports that Iran is providing Hamas with more sophisticated weaponry, including long-range missiles," said Karmon.
"More radical members of Hamas are pushing for increased violence against Israel and Hamas is trying to keep the fire burning to appease those elements. It is very complicated,” he said.
When Israel withdrew from Gaza, Jerusalem hoped that would jump start the peace process and lead to atwo-state solution.
Expert Comment Available: Ely Karmon
Affiliations: Senior Researcher, Institute for Counter-Terrorism (IDC Herzliya)
Fields: International terrorism, Strategic issues in the Middle East and beyond, Weapons of mass destruction
Fluent in English, French, Spanish, Italian
Tel: 09-952-7277
09-951-3768
Cell: 052-265-3306
E-mail: ekarmon@idc.ac.il
Lt. Nili Aharon
Coordination & Liaison Administration, Gaza Strip,
Tel: 08-674-1414
Cell: 050-624-6417
Major-General Ya’akov Amidror
Affiliations: Program Director of the Institute for Contemporary Affairs; former head of the IDF’s Research and Assessment Division; served as the military secretary of the Defense Minister.
Fields: Contemporary guerrilla warfare; Hezbollah; Lebanon security dilemmas; Gaza security dilemma
Contact via Adam Shay, JCPA Project Coordinator
Tel: 02-561-9281
Leah Malul
Spokesperson for Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon; Barzilai Hospital currently treating Palestinians injured in Gaza and Qassam rocket attack victim
Tel: 08-674-5766
Cell: 057-767-8766
Paz Reuven
Affiliations: Director, The Project for the Research of Islamist Movements (PRISM) (IDC Herzliya)
Fields: Ideological, cultural, political, and social roots of Islamic movements and terrorism, Impact of Islamic radicalism on Palestinian politics, Financing of Middle East terrorist organizations, Iran’s sponsorship of international Islamic terrorism
Home: 09-950-7317
Cell: 054-469-1777
E-mail: reupaz@netvision.net.il
pazlek@aol.com
http://www.ict.org.il/
http://www.e-prism.org/
Mark Regev
Prime Minister’s Office - Foreign Press Adviser,
Tel: 02-670-5555, 02-670-5354
Mobile: 050-620-3264
Maj. Avital Leibovitz
Head of IDF International Media Branch
To contact: 011-972-03-608-0238 (office)