My Personal Account: Rocket on Tel-Aviv

I haven’t written here in a long time. Life, and mostly school, took up too much time and slowly it became harder to write here. It came to the point, where I didn’t find the time to gather all the data for the “Rockets Fired into Israel” monthly account that I usually post. Mainly, because, there was more data than usual.

But now things are different. Tonight I experienced the rockets for myself. And my experience was so small and little compared to what the people of Israel’s south live – actually live with, on a weekly and sometimes daily basis – that I only now understand how all I’ve said about their terrible realities was something I could never understand and could never get across on paper.

I was at my school – the University of Tel-Aviv – tonight at 06:35 PM when a siren was heard. We started barely gathering our stuff and quickly running to the shelter. Waiting there, counting the minutes, hearing the sirens and fearing if it’s okay to walk out were the most terrifying moments imaginable. Walking outside, being outside at a bus station waiting to go home was the kind of fear that truly deserves the words terror. People of Sderot and Israel’s south in general – I applaud you for being able to live with this for so many years.

Maybe I should back up, but I assume you’ve already heard about the operation in Gaza. You might have also heard that it’s because (which it isn’t) Israel taking down Hamas’ military chief of staff (or head of terrorists, if you’d like). The truth is there were 3 round of escalation started by Palestinian terrorists in the last month alone. There were 110 rockets fired into Israel before this operation. Even when Israel didn’t retalite, the rockets kept on coming and hiting Israeli cities.

12,000 rockets have been fired over 12 years onto Israeli population. Today, hopefully for one-time only, two rockets were fired towards Tel-Aviv and thankfully missed populations. If you’ve never felt it before, you don’t know why it’s called terror!

So just to make things clear, here are a few facts about the matter –

In 2005, Israel withdrew completely from Gaza.

More rockets, more often, hit Israel following said withdrawl.
Palestinian Terrorists continued in their efforts to hurt Israeli civilians and attack Israeli soldiers.

In June 2006, one of many cross-border attacks ended with the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier.

In 2007, Hamas took over the Gaza Strip with a violent coup, killing and torturing Fatah members who ran to Egypt and Israel for sanctuary.

Following said events, Israel implemented in 2007 a land blockade designed to seize and capture weapons shipped to Gaza terrorists and used against Israeli citizens daily.

Since Israel’s full unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, about 10,000 rockets were fired onto Israeli citizens.

In December 2008, the situation has become unbearable and Israel launched an offensive against Gaza terrorists (who were walking among civlian population, dressed as civilians and used civlians as human sheilds).

In 2009, following the offensive, Israel implemented a naval blockade as well.

In 2010, most of the land restrictions were lifted and only the naval blockade remained in place as a policy to simply check what enters the strip and prevent shippments of weapons (some of which sent from Iran to Gaza or Lebanon were captured). At any given day, Hamas is using less trucks than Israel offers to bring supplies into the strip. Gaza is inflicted corruption by the oppressors known as Hamas, not a blockade!

Rocket fire into Israel has once again become unbearable.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Popular Resistance Committee and more are the TERROR groups in the strip who force the people of Gaza to live in constant war of Israel for the simple truth –

Their declared ambition is to demolish Israel as a whole!

They are terrorists, with no disregard to lives – the lives of the people of Gaza or the lives of the people they fire upon daily with the hope of killing as much as possible.

My personal hope is that deterance would be reached soon. That the fighting would end. That they’d get the message and realize they’d better take care of their people by supplying them safety, stability and food, rather than hatred, incitement and war;  And that these rocket fire would stop!

The Mega-Terror Attack on Egypt and Israel This Past Sunday

Last Sunday, terrorists attempted a mega-terror attack on Israel. To further their terrorist agenda, they even went as far as to attack Israel’s neighbor – Egypt.

While most of the attack was blocked and there were no casualties on the Israeli side, I kept the title with the saying that a terror attack (and even a mega-terror attack) took place, because what wasn’t foiled was still pretty big.

16 Egyptian Officers were killed, An Egyptian APC was stolen and dozens of terrorists with hundreds of kilograms in explosives inflitrated Israel, in hopes of committing a mass murder.

It has been nearly a year since the big [successful] terror attack through the Egyptian border on Israel last August, which claimed the lives of eight and caused tensions between Israel and Egypt, when during gunshot battles with terrorists, Egyptian security personnels were caught in the crossfire.

It has been nearly a year since I first wrote about Egypt’s declining grip of its’ own territory – the Sinai Peninsula – and how one result of the Arab Spring is the enormous growth of terror cells in Sinai. Only last month, terrorists attacked Israeli construction workers on the border, killing one man.

This past sunday afternoon, Israeli air force attacked and killed a terrorist in the Gaza Strip. Barrage of rockets were fired upon Israel’s citizens “in return”. Later that day, Israeli Prime Minister announced that intel from Israel’s security forces brought forth the attack in an attempt to prevent a major terror attack planned.

A few hours later, a major terror attack began. Estimations are that over 34 terrorists took part in it.

Terrorists in Sinai attacked an Egyptian post. Soldiers of that post were in the middle of having dinner – after a long day of fasting due to Ramadan. They were shot at, their throats slit, and weapons and explosives taken from the empty base, as well as an APC and a truck.

The terrorists then headed towards Israel.

The truck ran into the security fence between Israel and Egypt, towards an Israeli Army post and exploded upon impact. Thankfully, the post was vacant at the time.

The APC infiltrated Israel, south of the Israel-Gaza-Egypt zone. All terrorists inside were wearing explosive belts and held guns. Their objective was to reach the nearest Israeli population (probably Kerem-Shalom) and commit a mass murder, a slaughter. The APC was repeled by Israeli forces, including tank fire and shots from the air.

IDF’s footage of the aerial attack on the APC from a UAV

Who knows what would have happened if that APC wouldn’t have been repeled. The body count, the horror, and quiet possible (and mainly this was also an objective) completely destroy the diplomatic relationships between Israel and Egypt, forcing Israel to handle the rise of terror cells in the Peninsula.

Once the APC was taken down, terrorists ran towards the nearest field – an agriculatural field near Yuval. Israeli soldiers shot at them and tracked them. A shootout took place until all terrorists were subdued. Dead.

The remains of the APC

Weapons carried by the terrorists

Israel has closed the land crossing Kerem-Shalom with Gaza as a response. Egypt closed Rafah – its’ land crossing with Gaza. Kerem Shalon has been repoened on Tuesday morning. Rafah is still closed.

It seems the gruesome death of 16 Egyptian soldiers finally shook something – Egypt’s newly elected president Mursi declared three days of morning and the country is in shock. Egyptian Army moved forces (in coordinance with Israel) and began trying to expose terror cells. After shots at Egyptian personnel at the city of Rafah last night, choppers entered Sinai and bombed terrorists from the air. They even bombed several smuggling tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.

Egypt’s military personnel have even been quoted in the media saying these terrorists emerged, whether physically or idelogically, from the neighboring Gaza Strip. Hamas – the de-facto governing power in Gaza – denies all connections. At the moment, since Egypt’s president – a member of the Muslim Brotherhood movement doesn’t seem interested in publicly accusing Hamas for involvement.

Whether or not Egypt is capable, both in military power and financial capacity, to handle the terror which has risen in Sinai and the weapons flowing freely from the remains of post-Arab-Spring Lybia remains to be seen.

However it is clear, though the cost to the Egyptian nation has been grave, something far worse and with far more catastrophical consequences has been prevented.

Summary of Rockets Fired Into Israel, July 2012

Last July (of 2011) was the first time I posted a monthly track of how many rockets are fired into Israel (actually, the number represents the number of rockets that landed in Israel. More have been fired).

Since then – meaning Since August 1st 2011 to July 31st 2012 – 778 rockets and mortars shells have landed in Israel. 778 in the span of one year. 778 and in 365 days (give or take a day because a leap year).

July was a “calm” month – “only” 14 rockets and mortar shells landed in Israel.

In addition, on July 9th two rockets were fired and landed inside the Gaza Strip area. The Third rocket fired landed in an agriculatural field in Israel.

Also on July 9th, a sniper shot at a stop station on the road near the border. The stop station has a restaurant. Cars parked outside were damaged severely and it seems if anyone were outside at the time, he would have been hit for sure.

Also, in the past week the Egyptian-Israeli border hasn’t been very quiet. Shots have been fired from inside the Sinai Peninsula several times – once directly at an Israeli patrol on the border. Another time, an Israeli army bus was hit in a crossfire between Egyptian soldiers and Beduin Egyptian smugglers trying to smuggle drugs and Efrican refugees into Israel. No one was harmed on the Israeli side in those accidents.

On July 28th, a woman was injured while running to find shelter when a “Red Color” alarm was heard, warning of a rocket that was fired. Due to the proximity and short-range of the rockets, the “Color Red” alarm gives only a 15 seconds warning at most to find cover for a rocket that’s been fired!

And also in July – The terror attack in Burgas.

A few days ago, India’s police officially accused Iran for the bombing in New-Delhi last March against an Israeli convoy.

Related Posts:

• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, June 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, May 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, April 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, March 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, February 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, Janurary 2012
• Summary of terror, 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, December 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, November 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, October 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, September 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, August 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, July 2011

Summary of Rockets Fired Into Israel, June 2012

June has been a very bad month!

On June 1st, a terrorist from the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Nassir, inflitrated Israel and opened fire on soldiers, killing 21 years old Staff-Sergent Netanel Moshiashvili. Terrorist was later killed.

Two weeks later, a sniper of the Islamic Jihad began shooting from Gaza into Israel, towards Israeli farmers. One farmer was wounded, in one of the shootings.

That weekend, rockets were fired from the Sinai Peninsula at Israel.

Two days later, on June 18th, terrorists inflitrated the Israeli-Egyptian border and ambushed construction workers on the border (building a security fence). A contractor, 35 years old Said Fashapshe, was killed.

Along with Israeli airstrikes that killed the sniper from the previous week, this led to a round of escalation.

When i reported earlier that the escalation seems to be dying out, I was proven wrong. Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip forced the people of Gaza (as well as the people of Israel) to live in war and amplified danger for a few more days. Hamas, as usual, did not manage to enforce any kind of truce or governance on these terror groups.

In fact, even after a cease-fire has been declared, almost a dozen more rockets were fired. 4 were intercepted by the Iron Dome security system, before they hit residentail communities.

Overall, In June of 2012, 218 rockets and mortar shells were fired into Israel (216 from the Gaza Strip) !!!!!!

Notice the peak of escalation. The other areas of the graph, where citizens of Israel are being shot at, is what the world calls “calm”.

(Note: Last month I reported of 3 mortar shells being fired upon on June 1st. I was relying on current news which soon [but after I’ve posted] changed to acknowledge only one landed inside Israel, as you can see in the graph above. My apologies).

Related Posts:

• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, May 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, April 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, March 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, February 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, Janurary 2012
• Summary of terror, 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, December 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, November 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, October 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, September 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, August 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, July 2011

Escalation Dying Out; Over 130 Rockets Total in 3 Days Were Fired

The escalation round that began earlier this week, after a few terror incidents, seems like it’s starting to die out.

The city of Ashkelon would even hold school days tomorrow, for the time being, after today schools were out due to two rockets fired at the city late last night.

Now, here’s the really annoying part – at the end of every one of these escalation round, and in order to seek relative “calm“, Israel must sustain, refrian from retaliating, and be in somewhat of restraints – at every end of this round, there are numerous rockets still fired that Israel does not respond for. Why? Because Israel seeks peace and not war!

The palestinian terror organizations, for some reason (I’d try to find logic, but everything their methods of “fight” is illogical to begin with, so…), can’t end an escalation round without firing more rockets. Sort of “saying the last word” or something stupid like that.

Usually, even when there’s a brokered understanding of a cease fire, rockets continue to fire and Israel does not responding, so that these will be the last rockets. If their intensity is quickly slowed down and if no real harm is done, Israel does not retaliate and relative calmness is temporarily retorted (see rocket counts in time of calm to see what relativity means!)

[Last round of escalation ended with a rocket hitting a parking lot of residential building in Netivot a few hours after the cease fire was in effect! Israel did not retaliate since there were no casulaties and again: it seeks peace, not war!]

In the meantime, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Ron Pros’or, wrote again to the security council. One of many many letters frequently sent that have zero effect, and bring not even a single discussion of the council.

Terror attacks escalate Israel’s South Borders; Over 50 Rockets Launched into Israel

Due to school, I didn’t have much time to write here this month. But some things force you to make the time.

Israel is currently within another round of escalation. Another one which I’m sure the many countries calling for “calm” would have handled with a lot less elegance than the one they’re requesting (In fact, I’m sure they would have reacted much harsher and with more casualties).

Sniper Attacks Last Week– Last week, (at least one) sniper from the Gaza Strip began shooting towards Israeli farmers, working in their fields and green houses. There were three different shooting attacks, one for each of three consecutive days. One the shootings lightly wounded a farmer in the Kibutz Nir Moaz. Rocket Attacks Over the Weekend – For no apparant reason than capability (and some suggest the elections in Egypt), rockets were fired into Israel from the Sinai Peninsula. They hit open fields near the small airport of Ovadia and near Mitzpe Ramon. This isn’t the first, nor the second or third, time terrorists have used Egypt’s Sinai Peninusla to fire rockets at Israel. The deadliest attack in recent years had rockets falling in both Israel’s resort city Eilat, and Jordan’s resort city Aqaba. A Jordanian man had died in the attack.

Google Map of the Israeli-Egyptian border, from which terrorists fired rockets into Israel, hitting among others Mitspe Ramon.

Terror Attack from the Egyptian Border – Monday night terrorists inflitrated Israel from Sinai Peninsula and set up an ambush for construction workers building a security fence between Israel and Egypt.
On Monday morning, roughtly as 6 AM (GMT +03:00), when construction worker came to the area, they opened fire, killing a contractor. Later they fired an anti-missile RPG at the construction workers, which missed. Later, three of the terrorists were killed in a cross-fire with soldiers rushing to the area, due to fire penetrating their explosives (their self-made bombs exploded while still on their backs during the exchange of fire). Two or more terrorists managed to escape back into Egyptian territory, where Israel is left with no means to persue them and must rely on the Egyptian army .

A terror group affiliated with Al-Qaeda has released a video caliming responsibility for this attack. If any, this goes more to show how since then fall of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian army (and de-facto ruler for over a year now) has lost its’ grip on the Sinai Peninsula. Many international inquires have been made showing it’s a hotspot for terror groups, and that many weapons from post-Gaddafi Lybia made their way to Gaza and the Peninsula.

35 year old Said Fashapshe of Haifa, a constractor building the security fence, was killed by the first strike of the terrorists, early Monday morning.

Also on Monday, intelligence uncovered the indentity of the snipers from the previous sniper attacks and the Israeli airforce killed two Jihad Islamic terrorists as they were riding a motorcycle.

Retaliating the last events, Israel took several more airstrikes against terrorists of various groups, mainly Isalmic Jihad and Hamas. The terror groups responded by firing rockets at Israel.

At the time of writing these lines, over 50 rockets and mortar shells have been fired from the Gaza Strip at Israeli civilian population. Sharpnel hit a house last night, critically injuring a man and injuring four others in various degrees.

This is still ongoing.

The terrorists are once again firing into civilian population, be it with guns or rockets.

Hamas, the terror group with took over the Gaza Strip in a violent coup over the Fatah faction, and claims governace over the strip, took responsibility for firing some of these rockets, due to the airstrike that killed one of its’ members.

That’s right – their militant (and for all intent and purpose: their terrorists) killed equals firing onto Israeli civilian population.

Firing blindly with the hope of hiting and killing as many as civilians as possible. As many as men, women and children as they can.

Related Posts:

• The Gruesome Terror Attack on Israel Today
• Hamas is responsible for the Suffering of Gazans
• Terror intesifies: Israeli Man Dies of Wounds, Footage of Thwarted Rocket Attack
• Hamas Boasts Terror and Bloodshed on its’ 24th Anniversary
• Barrage of Rockets On Israel Following a Chief Terrorist’s Assasination

Summary of rockets fired into Israel, May 2012

A new month, a new summary. Still, the number is not zero!

Just like last month, after a period of escalation, the numbers of rockets have subsided (March’s escalation was especially harsh on the terror organizations who lost many men that were mostly unable to hide behind citizens as human sheilds).

Overall, 5 rockets and mortar shells landed in Israel in May 2012.

Rockets landed in Israel, May 2012

As i’m posting this, 3 mortar shells have been fired today as of now, alone. June is off to a bad start.

Earlier today, a terrorist of the Islamic Jihad (who officialy took responsibility) fired from the Gaza Strip onto Israel. He hit an Israeli squad, and killed an Israeli soldier. He was later killed. Israel retaliated and has killed 4 more terrorists in Gaza. The terrorists “retaliated” with firing of mortar shells onto civilians.

Related Posts:

• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, April 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, March 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, February 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, Janurary 2012
• Summary of terror, 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, December 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, November 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, October 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, September 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, August 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, July 2011

The Truths Left in the Shadows: Palestinian Governments are Serial Human Rights Violators

Israel oftenly receives harsh criticism and is accused of systematically violating the Palestinians’ rights and general human rights as well. Now, I’m not saying that everything’s perfect (then again, look at what we know that most modern, western and free countries around the world are doing at the same time), that these claims are 100 percent false (nor am I saying they’re 100 percent right), but as Israel receives less than proportionate global focus, condemnation and criticism, I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about something that is oftenly kept in the dark – the incredible human rights violations committed by the Palestinian governments.

You see, unlike many nations and people under opression throughout the world (and of course in the Middle East region, as we’ve come to see in the past year and a half), the Palestinians have active governments. Two, in fact. Because of the Palestinian fued, de-facto there are two seperate Palestinian governments in power. One in the West Bank (the Fatah government) and one in the Gaza Strip (the Hamas government).

Many people who enjoy (this is my verb of choice and I am sticking to it!) criticising Israel, like to quote from Amnesty reports. And while the report clearly shows that there are millions of people around the world who need international help and support and get ingnored while the Palestinians receives ho so many spotlight, and there are much harsher human rights violations going ignored by most of the world’s attention everyday, the people who like to quote Amnesty reports, neglect to account for the Palestinians own violations.

Personally, I have mixed feelings regarding these reports. But for those who quote them, you might as well quote them in full!

Anyway, when Amnesty released their annual report today, I found it important to remind these people that they are advocating not for the relief of the suffering of the Palestinians, but for them to stay under constant rules that systematically violates thier human rights.

What are the Palestinians violations, according to Amnesty? Well, for instance –

• The Palestinian governments don’t allow freedom of assembly, freedom of press, freedom of speech.
• Journalists, bloggers and other critics of the Palestinian governments are prosecuted and sentenced to jail.
• The Palestinian factions make arbitrary political arrests of the other party’s people (according to the report, the number of arbitrary arrests is roughly 1,700).
• Palestinian people trialed in Palestinian courts are only put to trial in military courts with judges that have poor to no understanding of the law.
• They have no seperation of power. The justice system has no justice in it.
• Many prisoners are tortured and abused. Among the tortures mentioned in the report are savage beatings, hanging by the wrists and ankles, forced to stand in painful positions for long periods of times and so on.

And there’s more. The report cites four deaths in Gaza prisons the organization find to be suspicious. The previous annual report of Amnesty, by the way, also details 8 journalists who were tortured in Palestinian prisons.

So for those who blame Israel and only Israel for the suffering of the Palestinians, there’s another truth out there. Another villian.

If you truly want to help the Palestinians, you should aim your work for the benefit of the Palestinian people, rather than against Israel.

Because even though it’s extremely hard for some to acknowledge this, Israel is not the only problem and the only side in this conflict. It simply isn’t. There’s another side. Who is refusing to enter any kind of negotiations for more than two years now. A side that tortures its’ people. Forcing them to live in war. Taking away their freedoms. And that side ain’t Israel.

Related Posts:

• Palestine & Human Rights: Praising Gaddafi, Supporting Death Penalty for Homosexuality

Israeli Prime Minister Forms Unity Government, Reminds me of the Non-Unity of the Palestinians

Israel has been buzzing the past few weeks with the speculations regarding the intent to disperse the current Israeli Knesset and hold early elections in the coming September (rather than allowing the Knesset and government to stay in tact for one more year, bringing its’ term to a total of four years). Since Sunday, it was official and a bill to for dispersing the Knesset was in motion, as well as several “no confidence” votes, which weren’t successful.

Then, late into last night, the elections which seemed so close (set for September 4th), now seem much further away, maybe even in their scheduled date of October 2013.

Israeli leading government party, Likud, has formed a unity government with the leading opposition party, Kadima. Together, they hold 55 of the total 120 seats of the Knesset. Kadima has joined the current Israeli coalition (in power since the 2009 elections), making it the widest coalition Israel has ever had.

The chairwoman of the Labor party, Shelly Yachimovich, is expected to be nominated the new opposition leader, now that she’s the chairwoman of the biggest opposition party (after Kadima’s entrance to the government).

The unity was formed with several key issues in store, and whether or not it will hold remains to be seen.

Israeli prime minister and Likud party chairman, Benjamin Netanyahu, [left] and former Israeli opposition leader and Kadima party chairman [and now Vice Prime Minister], Shaul Mofaz, [right] at a press conference declaring their coalition agreement, today at noon.

Why am I even writing a post about this and why should you care?

Because Israel is in focus in worldview on two issues: Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And while some speculate what this may mean regarding Israel’s stance over Iran’s nuclear program, and will this spark new negotiations with the Palestinians (the Palestinians themselves seem very unimpressed. Kadima was the ruling party in government before this current government and has conducted the offensive in Gaza. Its’ former chairman, Ehud Olmert, made the Palestinians the most advance offers ever made by Israel in order to reach peace!).

Labor party chairwoman, Shelly Yachimovich, is expected to be nominated the new opposition leader.

I want to focus on the second – the Palestinian issue. And on their own so-called Unity.

You see, it just so happens to be that not only are we in May, but that last May (of 2011), the Palestinian factions of Fatah (in control over the Palestinian Authority and the West Bank) and Hamas (controling the Gaza Strip since a violent and bloody coup in Summer of 2007), have stood together in Cairo, and later in Doha, and announced they’re putting their “differences” aside, neverminding the fact Hamas was gunning down and punishing by amputations and torture any Fatah member in the Gaza Strip. They announced a unity.

Well, we’re one year past it and no unity in sight.

1. They were supposed to make mutual releases of prisoners. Barely happened. All they can agree upon is that Israel should release all Palestinian prisoners (including the “heros” involved in terror and murders). Nothing about the prisoners they each have of the other faction.
2. Elections – what elections? The so-called “democracy” of the Palestinians (as PA President Mahmoud Abbas described it in his op-ed article in The New York Times on May 16th, 2011) hasn’t held elections since 2006. The unity was supposed to bring forth elections in September of 2011 – did not happen. Moreover, since the last round of election were unaccepted in full by both large parties and led to the violent coup, who’s to say even if such elections were held they would succeed?
3. Hamas was supposed to join the PLO, a supposed body formed in early 1960s in Jordan, to represent all Palestinians (this is the body officialy holding a seat in UNESCO and the UN, although it’s the Fatah and PA that de-facto controls it). It did not happen (which is good, the PLO recieves international recognition while Hamas refuses to follow basic international demands made by the Quartet).

And the list can go on. It seems the only thing the Palestinian factions can agree upon is hating Israel and de-legitimizing it. Each in their own way, of course.

But what do you except? Since Hamas leader Khaled Mashal said in December (in order to enter the PLO) that Hamas will abandon it’s ways of terror, over 300 rockets and mortar shells were fired into Israel. Now true, Hamas wasn’t the one shooting these rockets at Israeli citizens. It was the other 15 terror organizations in Gaza, being armed daily by the Ayatollah regime in Iran. But, and this is a huge but, Hamas made sure to not enforce its’ governace it so claims to have and did nothing to stop these shootings, until Egypt intervened to broker a truce.

Now there’s a lot of reasons why the Palestinians won’t hold any negotiations with Israel regarding peace and ending the conflict (even after this unity government). The non-unity of Hamas is just one of them.

But here’s a key issue –

If Israel’s unity government will fail, Israel will hold fair, honest and open elections as it has done in the past 64 years. Even if the unity will succeed, Israel will hold elections in due time as set by law.

If the Palestinian unity will fail, elections can never be held. The de-facto situation of two states with two people (West Bank and Gaza) will remain. Even if elections could be held, the prior ones clearly show no party is really truly obligated to honor the results. Each faction interpreted the results as was most convient and thus a violent coup, a bloody tear, ensued.

There are many reasons why this conflict continues to exist. Israel is the not the sole, nor necessarily the main, reason!!

Summary of rockets fired into Israel, April 2012

As usual, here’s a summary of the rockets fired at Israel over the last month.

And as usual after a period of escalation, the numbers of rockets have subsided. And as usual they still exist.

Yes, Cathrine Ashton, Ban Ki-Moon, Hilary Clinton and everyone who calls this “calm” – I dare you to live with this kind of calm on your citizens!

Overall, 12 rockets and mortar shells landed in Israel in April 2012.

Rockets landed in Israel, April 2012

On April 4th, a total of 3 rockets were fired into Israel from Egypt to the resort city of Eilat.

On April 7th, Israeli airforce gunned down militants preparing to launch a rocket.

On April 14th, a rocket was fired but didn’t make it past the strip region. According to Ma’an Palestinian News Agency, the rocket was fired by a military branch of Fatah (The fraction declared “moderate” throughout the world and in control over the Palestinian Authority).

And May is going to be a troublesome month, with Nakba coming in two weeks (I’ll write a post on it, surely).

Related Posts:

• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, March 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, February 2012
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, Janurary 2012
• Summary of terror, 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, December 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, November 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, October 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, September 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, August 2011
• Summary of rockets fired into Israel, July 2011