View from Bet Shemesh: Encroaching Rockets







 


Motsei Shabbat, 20th August, 2011 

We pray and mourn for our brother and sisters in the South, where there are mounting casualities from the terror and rocket attacks in Eilat, Beersheva, Ashdod, Ashkelon..and indeed everything within 40km of Gaza.

From the narrow view from Bet Shemesh, we are also keeping a wary eye on those ranges.

In the Molten Lead campaign, in the winter of 2009/10, Hamas fired a huge quantity and variety of rockets at every Israeli town within 45km of Gaza.

At that point Bet Shemesh, at 50 km from Gaza,  became a refuge for around a thousand school kids from the South; Lema'an Achai took a leadership role, in partnership with the Municipality, Ezrat Achim, Shaalei Torah, the Community Centers, and many schools in Bet Shemesh who took in kids during that one month period of terror.

Bet Shemesh stands ready, should there be a need, to host as many civilians as need refuge here.

However, if the current conflict continues, a more likely scenario is that Bet Shemesh itself will also be a target.

It is public knowledge that Hamas has aquired rockets and missiles with over 50km range, now placing Bet Shemesh within range of Hamas in Gaza.

Lema'an Achai has participated in several excercises during the past 18 months, arranged by the IDF Home Guard, to play its part in keeping the Bet Shemesh population safe, calm, and well cared for, in the event of a missile attack on Bet Shemesh, chas veshalom.

Our prayers are for all those in the South. While our eyes look anxiously to the skies. 
 

Comments

  1. Anonymous21 August 2011 at 15:40

    How does the Iriyah expect L.A to participate in these essential activities if you are not worthy of local government grants? why don't they ask Kupah to do it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Trust Me21 August 2011 at 16:17

    The only danger to the people of Bet Shemesh is Magen and the other apikorsim who defy rabbonim in their quest to protect children.

    Actually I think that it is the efforts of magen that are causing the rockets to begin with.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jonny21 August 2011 at 16:51

    "Trust Me" you are nuts! Magen is an incredibly important organisation that stops people covering up child abuse. The only reason someone could oppose it is if they support child abuse.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous22 August 2011 at 10:26

    Complicated not black and white. You all need to make a distinction - which given the seriousness of crimes involved understandably generates high feeling - between legitimate or reasonable suspicions and blanket gossip. There is no doubt that traditional sources of "guidance" are abject failures. There are unfortunately those in religious authority who do "hide" or "sweep under the rug." This is wrong and hurtful to the children involved and their parents. Such emotional pain may cause punishment. lo aleinu. On the other hand, we are witnessing an over zealous response akin to McArthyism whereby even talking to a child is considered or offering sweets to them is forbidden lest one will be reported for suspicious activity. Furthermore, there are definitely instances where innocents are accused because someone "thinks" or "hears" something. Reporting based on rank speculation should be avoided because even when someone is "cleared" the stigma and embarrassment remains and they are in effect ruined. This can also lo aleinu cause punishment.

    ReplyDelete

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