Guarding Israel from Gaza

An IDF tank stands sunset guard at a break in the security barrier with northern Gaza at the Israeli farming community of Nativ Haasera. Thousands of Palestinian-launched Kassam rockets and mortars have rained down on residents here and at cities, towns and farms like this one throughout the area in recent days and years, with lethal results, and extensive damage to buildings and structures. The several hundred residents, here, however - most former evacuees from the Israeli pullout from the Sinai in 1982 - say they're holding fast to the land, their homes and agricultural businesses, and are not considering another evacuation - this time from Israel proper.

Still, Life with Kassams

This is the view from Pnina Rogolsky's front porch at the farming community of Nativ Haasera, looking southwest towards the security wall with the northern edge of the Gaza Strip, seen just above the car.

The remainder of the, then under construction, now-completed barrier continues to the left, about 100 meters away from a shed in her backyard, where an Israeli woman was killed in a Kassam attack detailed in the following posts.

Israeli Security Chief: 'Turn Beit Hanun into a ghost town'

Pnina Rogolsky surveys the damage from a Kassam missile strike on her son's small apartment in a shed, near her home. The projectine killed his girlfriend, 22-year-old Dana Galkowitz in July of 2005. Five Israelis, including two toddlers have been killed in such attacks, and dozens more wounded from shrapnel in several thousand strikes in recent years.

Hamas threatens new, longer range rocket

Hamas is developing a new, electronically guided missile that will place most major Israeli population centers within firing range,

Until then, here is another view of the results of the "primitive" Kassam missile strike at the Rogolsky family home in the Israeli community of Nativ Haesara, adjacent to the northern Gaza Strip.

The rocket killed 22-year-old Dana Galkowitz in July, 2005. Galkowitz was Pnina's son's girlfriend. Several hundred like this one have slammed down in Israeli cities, towns and farms near Gaza since the August, 2005 pullout, in which some 10,000 Israelis were forecibly moved back into Israel proper. The Palestinians fire many of the projectiles from atop the rubble of razed Israeli settlements. IDF artillery return fire has shelled some 5,000 rounds at what surveillance identifies as the firing areas, sometimes killing and wounding Palestinians. The army says some 100 Kassam and mortar crews have been killed or put out of commission in this manner. A recent early morning Kassam strike hit close to Defence Minister Amir Peretz's home in the nearby development town of Sderot, damaging a neighbor's house. Palestinian terror groups said they were, in fact aiming for Peretz's home.

The attacks have continued nearly unabated, on a near-dailybasis for years, despite the IDF's efforts.

Standing there, talking with Rogolsky at length late last year about her anguished experiences with such terrorism, it was agonizing to realize that she and her farming family were themselves evacuees from a previous Israeli pullout from Yamit in the Sinai Peninsula in 1982, where they ran a flower nursery similar to the one they have now. Rogolsky says that this time, they're staying put.

I shot this image, "Walk the Land," during a hike on Mt. Gilboa, looking eastward towards the lush farmland just south of the Sea of Galilee, and the mountains of Jordan in the far distance.
 

View of "Jerusalem Envelope" wall, patrol road and security fence between Beit Jala and Jerusalem's southern Gilo neighborhood. 

Elderly man resting against the edge of the security barrier protecting Jerusalem's southern Gilo neighborhood from gunfire from Palestinian Beit Jala, in the distance. He appears unaware of the images on the wall behind him, one of a long mural along the barrier painted by schoolchildren and art students.  

Jerusalem's "envelope" folding, closing

"Jerusalem Envelope" barrier wall facing Beit Jala alongside capital's southern Gilo neighborhood.

Jerusalem Separation Barrier

Just a quick pic or two of an article I am preparing for The Jerusalem Post's In Jerusalem local Friday edition about the "Jerusalem Envelope" being more hurriedly established around the city in the wake of the suicide bombing in the vicinity of the old bus station in Tel Aviv over Passover.

Apparently, as I wrote in a blog entry at Little Green Footballs immediately after the attack, the terrorist, who originated in a village near Jenin in the northern West Bank gained entry to Israel via gaps in the still unfinished wall and fence surrounding Jerusalem's eastern bout, at least according to initial reports by Israeli security officials. Maybe here, maybe further north at the capital's northern tiers.

The veteran neighborhood of close to 40,000 inhabitants, situated on Jerusalem's southern edge facing, what was at least, once-Christian Palestinian Beit Jala across a green ravine a about a mile-plus away, was also the target of sporadic mortar and sniping attacks from Palestinian Authority areas over the last few years - with a recent attempt about a month ago to fire some eight mortars into the area foiled by Israeli security forces.

I took a walk through the area this morning 27/04/06 and noted the bulletproof glass installed in one-room-per-apartment to provide refuge against the shooting from the Palestinian areas.

I live close by, and note the daily stream of Palestinians coming into Jerusalem for work, commerce, etc, as they trudge their way up the hill and take the early No. 30, 31 and 32 morning buses into town with Gilo residents.

Police and Civil Guard patrols regularly cover area, but commonly do not bother the Palestinians, except for time-to-time ID checks. I ride with them regularly on those bus lines.

Pics of the area in the next blog entry...

Anti-Idiotarians list at Little Green Footballs

Massive thanks to Charles Johnson over at Little Green Footballs for listing this blog on the (infamous?) anti-idiotarians list.

Much more to say, but let this be a brief note until personal things settle down. Thanks for clicking over, in any case...

This is a warm spring evening view in Jerusalem from near the Supreme Court looking east towards the center of town, Photoshopped 'n' chopped.