Sderot: A people in turmoil
By Meghan Michael
The Boston College Heights
April 10, 2008
Fifteen seconds. That's how long Jeremy Maissel's four children have to jump out of their beds in the middle of the night and race to the protected room in their home; the length of time between the sounded alarm and when a kassam missile finds its target in communities along the Gaza border.
Maissel lives in a community near Sderot, Israel, less than three miles from the Gaza border, and on Tuesday night, he spoke about living in the shadow of Hamas rockets in a lecture titled "Life on the Gaza Border." The lecture was sponsored by the Boston College Coalition for Israel, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Jewish studies program, and the departments of Slavic and Eastern languages and literature and of Romance languages and literature.There are about 12,000 people living in Sderot, a shrinking community that has received the brunt of the 3,000 mortar bombs and 3,150 missiles fired since the attacks began, Maissel said. Every day, they listen for warning sirens that call, "Tzeva Adom," or "color red," indicating that another missile has been fired.
"Sderot is the favorite target for the terrorist," Maissel said. "The aim is to cause terror and panic to as many people as possible, and if any one is injured or killed, that's just a bonus."
Maissel said the people of Sderot must be constantly alert and prepared to find safety should the siren sound. They don't wear nice clothing because they may have to dive into a ditch for cover, and they drive with the radio off, the window open, and the seatbelt unbuckled.
"The people are very traumatized there. They have no refuge. It's not like they can be home and be safe," Maissel said. "The vast majority of houses in Sderot don't have a protected room. If there is a direct hit, there's not much they can do."
Despite the difficult conditions, many people have stayed in Sderot, some because they simply cannot afford to move. Businesses have been shutting down and property values are very low because no one wants to come to Sderot, Maissel said. There are some, however, who remain out of principle.
"Every Friday morning, thousands of Israelis come to Sderot to do their shopping. It's tremendously encouraging for the residents to see that people care about them and want to support them," Maissel said. "The people who come on Friday are making a choice. Not everyone is willing to put themselves at risk."
The sirens have become a part of daily life for those on the Gaza border. To help the children cope, children in Sderot learn a song about what do when the alarm sounds, what will happen, and how they will feel.
"It allows them to process what's going on, that it's normal to be running and have your heart pounding, and that things continue afterwards and it's over now, so we pick up and carry on," Maissel said.
Maissel said that the living conditions for Israelis in Sderot and for Palestinians living in Gaza were difficult on both sides, and that the missiles fired into Israel presented the government with a dilemma that was not easily solved. Maissel explained that militants in Gaza often fired from centers of civilian population, making it more difficult for Israel to avoid harming civilians if they respond to the attackers.
"International law allows Israel to fire back with accurate weapons," Maissel said. "It doesn't erase the moral questions that have to be considered though."
Maissel said that Israel wants to protect its citizens, but there is no easy answer as to what is the best way to respond to these attacks.
"If Israel does target terrorists, it is open to interpretation that Israel is breaching the ceasefire," Maissel said. "But a lot of people would interpret restraint as inaction. A lot of people in Sderot have a feeling of abandonment by the government."
Maissel said that while there have been a limited number of casualties in Sderot from the missiles, the conditions there are very stressful and affect the quality of life for those living on the border, and must also be taken into consideration.
According to The BBC, as of February, 3,000 people had left Sderot. Maissel remains in his home in Kibbutz Alumim, just a few miles from Sderot, and said he does not plan on leaving.
"I'm not going to move even if the terrorist try to shoot Kassan missiles at me," Maissel said. Besides, he said, the range and accuracy of the missiles continues to increase, and currently, the missiles can cover up to 20 kilometers, leaving 200,000 Israelis within target range.
"The question is when do I stop running? Sometimes you have to make a principle, and I'm not going to move," Maissel said. "I'm not going to capitulate to the terrorists."
