Sderot at war

Rockets fall on the city of Sderot. Its been happening since 2002, but few have paid attention. Terrorists have made life there extremely difficult for residents of Sderot, a small Israeli city in the Western Negev desert, a few miles from the Gaza strip. Some shelters and an early warning system have helped to reduce casualties. Yet, life remains extremely difficult. Many have fled; many who have stayed suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Israel has had a difficult time deciding what to do. Wanting to engage in a "peace process," Sderot has largely been ignored until recently and the people have suffered. The goal of the terrorist organizations has been to draw a major military incursion from Israel. Israel has refused to send in the army to avoid international criticism. This leaves the people of Sderot alone to face the terrorist onslaught.

However, things are slowly beginning to change. Evangelical Christians have noticed and are trying to help. The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem have organized Operation Lifeshield, the goal is to build 57 bomb shelters and reinforced bus stops at a cost of nearly one million dollars.

Israel has decided to increase the number of targeted actions against terrorists. A few dozen have recently been killed, but has had no effect on the rocket attacks. Despite the fact that Israel has limited its actions to precise surgical attacks that have killed very few civilians, PA President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to resign.

It is unlikely that the targeted attacks will be able to stop the rockets. Unless all the terrorist leaders are killed, the attacks will continue. The situation is no different that it was in Lebanon, where despite a month long military campaign, Israel was unable to stop Hezbollah from firing rockets on the North of Israel.

The Islamicists are engaged in a holy war. It is not simply a matter of negotiating borders. They will accept nothing less than the destruction of Israel. They are waiting for a modern day Saladin, the Kurdish military leader who expelled the Christian Crusaders from Jerusalem more than 700 year ago. They are absolutely confident in their eventual victory.

The truth is, most Palestinians, even those who are not Islamicists have never accepted the existence of Israel. They are willing to accept temporary halts (hudnas) in the fighting and will negotiate for separate Palestinian State; they will never give up on their desire to destroy Israel.