Sleepless in Sderot

Noted author, columnist, and colleague Judy Lash Balint just posted a moving, close-to-the-bone report of her visit to beleagured Sderot, and it's residents.

"I remember sitting in the sweltering conference room of the bare-bones municipality building in 1990, as city officials explained where the new neighborhood of pre-fab houses would be built, not far from the burgeoning industrial zone. There was optimism in the air, despite the obvious challenges of integrating such large numbers of people who had little in common with the largely North African Sderot old-timers. The newcomers would revitalize the town and stimulate the economy, we were told, and Sderot would become an attractive regional center. A safe community, secure in its uncontroversial status inside the Green Line.

"These memories came flooding back yesterday as I sat in that same conference room listening to Eli Moyal, the ashen-faced, exhausted and exasperated Likud mayor of Sderot."

Read it all.

And this morning's latest from Ynetnews:

"Defense Minister Amir Peretz knows that in the last few weeks, his big test has become Sderot, his hometown and target of the incessant rocket barrage from northern Gaza Qassam cells. The battle for home, between him and the terror organizations. Residents are waiting to see how a local son, who has reached the highest security rank, will return calm to their lives."

Read it all.