March 11, 2008 – Sderot, Israel – The American Jewish Committee Board of Governors visited Sderot, the southern Israeli town that lies barely one mile from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, and for more than seven years has endured frequent rocket attacks.
“One cannot fully understand what is happening to the 25,000 people of Sderot without visiting, walking around, talking to the residents,” said AJC Executive Director David A. Harris. “There is no rational reason why Sderot should be in this situation, and no excuse for the indifference the world has generally shown.”
AJC partnered last year with the Sderot municipality and Israeli government to build a “resilience center” that will help the population cope with anxiety and other psychological needs. The AJC group visited the site for the center, slated for completion later this year, and met with the team that will construct and operate the facility.
“Look at your watch and think hard how much one can accomplish in only 15 seconds,” said Harris. “Fifteen seconds is all the time anyone in Sderot has to get to the air raid shelter before a rocket lands.”
For the 8,000 children – more than one-third of the Sderot population – the conditions are especially harsh and stressful.
“Young children don’t play outside, they don’t play in the sandbox, they don’t see the sun,” said Eti Ifrach, director of one of the town’s six day care centers. Ten days ago a Kassam rocket landed in the yard of her facility, leaving a large hole near children’s toys. Fortunately, the rocket hit on a Saturday, when the building was unoccupied.
Mayor Eli Moyal said the rocket attacks have increased since Israel transferred the entire Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority in 2005, and even more after Hamas violently seized total control of the territory nearly a year ago.
“The entire population of Sderot is traumatized,” said a police captain who showed the AJC group the remnants of more than 2,000 rockets that had been collected and stacked behind the police station.
Mayor Moyal thanked the more than 70 AJC leaders for visiting yesterday and for AJC’s consistent support. AJC donated $300,000 last year to build the resilience center, and last month reopened the AJC Israel Emergency Fund to raise additional monies. Donations can be made at www.ajc.org.
“We are not running away from here,” said Moyal. “We are staying here because this time we are right. Sderot is not a settlement. Sderot is in the Green Line. The international community, the UN, recognized in 1948 that this is our place.”
Harris said AJC will increase its efforts to raise awareness about Sderot around the world.
“On the eve of Israel’s 60th birthday in May, it is unconscionable that a major town in Israel should be under assault like this,” said Harris.
|
|
