“Why do snails have shells?” asked the kindergarden teacher.
“It’s a bomb shelter to keep it safe!!!” shouts the kindergarden kids, whom are laughing playing and seem like they prefer to be running around outside on the playground and not listening to the teacher.
Then all of a sudden the voice of a woman loudly reverberates over a speakerphone in which the children in school and the whole town of Sderot can hear warning everyone to run to the nearest shelter- in 15 secs. the kids are seen being escorted by the teacher into the bomb shelter in the school. It repeats over and over and over until the 15 seconds is up, and then you pray to God that the Qassam rocket doesnt land where you are at.
Scary huh? Well I was there on Day 3. I visited an empty playground, but was pleased to see 3 little boys age 6 or 7 running around with a peace of mind entertaining us as we listened to Thomas of Sderot Media Center (google/youtube this) tell us that many children/adults suffer from psychological problems, in a constant fear that rockets from the Gaza will harm them or someone close to them…everyday….any hour….on constant alert. as we stand outside in the heat, on the playground he shares with us his experiences of instead of runnign to a bomb shelter he runs to help a mother who couldnt unbuckle her newborn baby out of the baby seat…in which he has to jus tcut the seat belt and carry the baby in the seat. The bomb hit just aroudn the corner from where they were at. Countless stories can be told over and over and over.
Sderot is right next to the border of the Gaza where they encounter 1-20 homemade rocket attacks a day. The story I began this blog with above is actually live footage that took place around the corner from where we were in 2008. The teacher allowed them to come into her classroom as she was showing how she teaches them of what to do when the warning goes off…and the she uses the snail as an example…to run to a bomb shelter. This is the life of a young child that is threatened by terror everyday… only in Israel a child is taught to compare a bomb shelter to the shell of a snail.
World wide media is biased and spinned…any media is…and its important that you not just take what you hear on the radio or see in the newspaper or see in the news on tv, because there is always someone behind the camera calling the shots, directing the show and will reveal to you their perception of what they want you to know.
So why don’t you hear much about Israelis being bombed by arabs in the Gaza strip? Why will only media try to deligitimize Israel as a state in need to defend itself and yet not reprimand those that are intentionally harming innocent people.
Terror plays on the mind. Terrorism is a form of intimidation, bullying, and also a form or bringing fatal death to a person or group of people. Justice is making sure that each person, group, or organization is held accountable for their actions, and very little is being done to bring justice to those in Sderot and other surrounding communiities in danger.
If anything I ask you to do your research. HEAR both sides before you determine to be against Israel as our media, some of our universities and many other vehicles of influence may encourage you. That’s all I ask, because that is what I am doing. I have embarked on a journey to see the truth. I have love for both the Israeli and Palestinian people, and I charge myself to find truth through personal encounters and experience. No I will not get all of it here and now in 3 weeks…it will be a lifetime journey, but as long as I do not back down from seeking the truth then I continue to grow and be enlighted and to see what I couldnt see before…and then go there again and see something new…and then again…and how many more times need be.
This was my second going to Sdertot, seeing the Qassam rockets at the Sderot Police Station which are made up of materials that Israel personally sends to the Gaza light lamp posts, food, boxes, and the list goes on. These very items are ‘recycled” and used not to be used again for its original purpose (as we do in America) but to be used to bring terror on the Israeli people whom are just a 2-4 miles away from each other borders.
Just think, you see “bustops” all over Sderot and streets that don’t have a bustop are considered to be a dangerous street to drive on…why? Because the bustops are bombshelters. Apartments have an extra room on the side which serve as the bombshelter. Old apartments now are building on bombshelter attachements. There is a law that allows the people not to where seatbelts, because that will hinder them from getting to a bomb shelter when needed.
We all cry out Darfur…well lets cry out Sderot too. Dont take it from me…come here and see it for yourself…this is my second time here just to let you know.
Yes there is so much more to the story on both sides…. but I invite you to seek it out for yourself. I can only speak of anything from my personal experience.
-Ms Netlz
