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Report from Israel  Mission members with Sha'ar HaNegev Mayor Alon Schuster (center), Ramat Hanegev Regional Council Mayor and Chairman of the Israel Regional Councils Centre, Shmuel Rifman, and Sha'ar HaNegev High School Principal Aharele Rothstein. -- with Shmuel Rifman, Shmuel Sisso, Shelley Rosengard Fagel, Avi Ganon, Dan Green Ort and David Suskauer at Shaar HaNegev (High-school). Hello everyone, I lived in Israel for six years and visited during both Intifadas. It is often the case that the media does not accurately portray the situation on the ground, making Israel appear to be far more dangerous or extreme than reality. Before leaving for Israel on Saturday night, it was not easy to get a handle on the situation. On the one hand Hamas missiles are reaching further than ever before. Israelis in the center of the country were going to shelters much like people in the south. On the other hand, Israelis seemed to be going about their normal routines. The uncertainty was a bit unsettling and I found myself with the unusual realization that I would not understand the conditions until I got here. Things were different on the flight. I don't ever remember flying in the summer with empty seats on the plane. In my estimation the plane was only sixty percent full. We were advised that for the last thirty minutes of the flight everyone would have to remain seated. The plane then entered Israel near Netanya heading inland before turning south toward the airport. Presumably these actions were due to rocket fire from the south. Upon clearing customs, my friend was delayed in picking me up due to missiles in Tel Aviv. Sunday night we watched the World Cup final. The evenings have been especially active with rocket fire; the Ramadan fast ends and Hamas fires rockets. Israeli TV shows which communities are under attack and footage of the Iron Dome defense system that has been so successful against the rockets. There was quiet during the match, broken at the end of regulation time and again after Germany won. On Saturday night Hamas announced that they would launch rockets at 9:00 PM—and they did. It was an effective way of increasing Israeli anxiety. On the other hand Hamas has been trying desperately to show their people success with their rockets, going so far as to broadcast Israeli TV to demonstrate casualties and panic that never occurred. Israel is paying a price, especially for southern residents and with the accompanying fear, but it is clear that so far Israel is as prepared as possible. The most moving thing that I have heard this week is that since Israel and Hamas last fought in 2012, Hamas worked to increase their military reach and Israeli casualties. Israel worked on its ability to protect its citizens. Hamas is using human shields to protect its leadership and weaponry while Israel has improved, but not perfected, the safety of its citizens. The contrast in priorities could not be more stark. Israel has gone to great lengths to limit civilian casualties in Gaza, warning residents to evacuate their homes, calling them, and dropping fake warning bombs, even going so far as to count the number of people evacuating their homes while Hamas has told them to stay. If you compare the casualties in Gaza with the violence in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and elsewhere, it is clear that Israel has made an effort to limit Gazan casualties. I am not minimizing the casualties on either side, but rather pointing out that this could be worse. Tomorrow (Tuesday) we are heading south to see firsthand some of the damage caused by the Hamas rockets and the impact upon Israel and ORT projects. I am grateful for Israel and the opportunity to participate in this mission. There is much work to do here to enable Israelis to go about their daily lives, particularly for kids in the south who are living in fear and unable to participate in their normal summer activities. Together we will rise to the challenge. We can be proud of the work that we do and how Israel is conducting itself in a time of war. David Suskauer |
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