Pillar of Defense Update

Israel got a lot smaller today. 

(Larger graphic here)

As the calm of Shabbat swept over Jerusalem, a siren went off. Not the siren that rings Shabbat in every week in the country’s capital, but a siren of war.  For first time since 1970, a rocket fired at Jerusalem landed in an open area in Gush Etzion, directly south of Jerusalem (according to Haaretz).  Hamas claimed they shot at the Knesset.

 

As noted by the New York Times: “Jerusalem, a city holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians, had been previously thought off-limits to rocket attacks by militant Palestinians and others who reject Israel’s claim to the city as its capital. Even Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader, had avoided targeting the city when he aimed Scud missiles at Israel during the first Persian Gulf War in 1991. The city is about 48 miles from the Gaza border.”

However Saddam did fire at Tel Aviv in 1991, and Tel Aviv is again under attack, being the target of Hamas rockets for two consecutive days.  As I write this, nearly 400 rockets have landed in Israel since November 14th based on the IDF’s ‘Rocket Counter’.  Though, as you can tell, numbers are changing at a rapid pace.

Today Israel approved the call up of 75,000 reservists - in contrast, only 10,000 were called up during Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009 and 60,000 were used in the Second Lebanon War in 2006.  This seems as a preparation to an inevitable ground battle, but I still hold hope that that is not the case. The Air Force strikes have been precise and reduced the amount of civilian casualties thus far.  I just spoke with my good Israeli friend who when asked how he was he replied, “Hoping not to be called for reserve duty… hoping there’s no ground operation… hoping it’ll end soon.” Amen.

Lastly, I want to echo a lot of Jeff Goldberg’s thoughts in his article on Atlantic today. (Just in case you don’t want to read it.)

1. Iron Dome (Israel’s missile defense system, partially funded by the US) is kicking ass.

2. The loss of civilian life thus far is much less than Operation Cast Lead. 

3. Media is outrageously biased against Israel. Sometimes I forget how bad it is. It’s bad. “The press almost axiomatically roots for the underdog. There is much greater sympathy for the Palestinian cause than before, which is partially Israel’s fault — if Israel didn’t appear to be a colonizer of the West Bank, it would find more sympathy.”

4. “Barack Obama hasn’t turned against Israel. This is a big surprise to everyone who has not paid attention for the last four years, or who had decided, for nakedly partisan reasons, to paint him as a Jew-hater.”

5. Israel’s media campaign - which has been ‘Gamified’ - is taking flak for celebrating its enemies death. As Goldberg puts it, “All death is tragic, even the deaths of your enemies.”

6. Though this offensive is justified, what is Israel’s long term strategy? Goldberg suggests by giving “Palestinians hope that Israel is serious about the two-state solution. And how do you do that? By reversing the settlement project on the West Bank.”

I want to wish everyone a peaceful Shabbat and send all my love from Jerusalem.  You’re love and support means the world.

Alex

*Disclaimer on above graphic*

Rocket names are being thrown around and I cannot verify that this image is entirely accurate, or that there aren’t rocket names missing.  However, the range is accurate - and that is what is most important.

Information to Continue Following:

Live updates from the IDF

Haaretz Live Blog

JPost Coverage

More information:

The Reform Movement Stands with Israel

Letter from Rabbi David Ellenson, the President of HUC (My School)

PBS Story on the Use of Social Media in the War

Preventing Further Escalation in Gaza