Here in Netivot, Israel, 2009 exited with a bang as our neighbours down the road randomly fired two Grad rockets at our small city (of some 27,000 inhabitants), at around 10pm. Many people here were kindof waiting for some sort of New Year's greeting from that direction, as it's exactly a year since their last big spree. Thankfully, no-one was hurt.
A couple of hours later - at midnight - there was a less threatening kind of explosion, as the sky was lit by fireworks celebrating the entrance of a new year. But I know the firework display was limited because of the unnerving effect the sound has on many people here.
Obviously the cartoon below is a statement of Israel's dilemma not a serious suggestion for the solution.
A couple of hours later - at midnight - there was a less threatening kind of explosion, as the sky was lit by fireworks celebrating the entrance of a new year. But I know the firework display was limited because of the unnerving effect the sound has on many people here.
Obviously the cartoon below is a statement of Israel's dilemma not a serious suggestion for the solution.
To the perpetrators of the rocket attack on innocent civilians, and their ilk - and to the hundreds of hate-infested demonstrators who could think of no better way to celebrate the end of 2009 than by gathering at the Erez border checkpoint chanting "Katyushas on Ma'alot, Kassams on Sderot!" - what better New Year wish can I give you than all you wish me?
For the rest of us, may 2010 be a year of peace and fulfilment.
For the rest of us, may 2010 be a year of peace and fulfilment.
1 comment:
Great blog! The boom vibrated our apartment. My daughter lives in Ma'agalim and she heard the boom as if it landed near her. I was on the computer when there was boom, boom and the computer shook. We saw the ambulance from MDA take off and heard the police sirens. The only siren we didn't hear was the warning siren. I called the homefront command [1207] and was told they are checking why the siren didn't go off. It didn't go off because it was turned off. We waited all night for our helicopters to answer..but so far there hasn't been any. Wishing all of us a quiet and peaceful Shabbat!
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