27 feb 2015
An op-ed piece written by Hagai El-Ad, Executive Director of B’Tselem, FIDH member organisation in Israel.
The Gaza Strip is the most silenced issue in the current election campaign. Silenced ? Apart from certain politicians vying for credit for discovering the tunnel threat, Gaza is completely absent from this election – erased, along with this summer’s unpleasant war. Gaza is gone. Its residents do not exist. Our future, our suffering, isn’t interlinked with theirs. The Gazan neighbors of Sderot, Ashkelon, Nahal Oz, and Tel Aviv are invisible.
Only six months ago, and for 51 days, Gaza was the hot topic. Countless talking heads on television chattered incessantly between one rocket attack alert and the next, until, suddenly, everything fell silent. Only the suffering of those who lost loved ones and the pain of those wounded and left disabled haven’t died down, even if no one is listening.
One might imagine that in an election that takes place so soon, not even six months, after a national trauma like this, there would be at least some politicians who insist on addressing it. You might imagine that even if all politicians tried to distance themselves from it, the public wouldn’t just take it and would insist on getting explanations for what happened and information about what’s to come. Why did we kill more than two thousand people ? Why have more than seventy Israelis been killed ? What are those who seek our trust planning other than the cruel inevitability of the next war in two years’ time ? How many dead are planned for the summer of 2016 ?
Continue reading at Foundation for Middle East Peace
If we’re not going to demand that Gaza be front and center in this election because of the hundreds of children we killed in Gaza this summer, then maybe we should for 4-year-old Daniel Tragerman’s sake. If we’re not going to talk about Gaza because of the tens of thousands still living in tents, schools or on the street, then maybe because of the 51 days of rocket attack alerts? If we don’t demand our politicians address Gaza in this election campaign because of the poverty and anguish, the eternal closure and the despair in the Strip, then at least let’s demand it because of the next round of violence, which is getting closer by the day.
Whether we think about Gaza or not when we go to the polls, Gaza isn’t going anywhere. The Israeli power, of which we are citizens, will continue to neighbor Gaza and the residents of the impoverished piece of land that is internally controlled by Hamas and externally controlled by Israel will continue to be our neighbors. Their future is our future is their future.
The fact that this future is inextricably bound together by the chains of history, geography, politics and violence is out of our control. What is under our control, ours and theirs, is how this future plays out. It’s difficult, complicated even, to imagine a different future for Gaza and Israel, but those who avoid imagining it and taking action to make it happen, are sentencing us all to more loss and suffering, to a future of more bloodshed for both Israelis and Gazans.
Israelis aren’t fools. Those who have had to run to shelter with their small children time and time again have a better understanding, a better recollection, of what their decisions rally mean, certainly more than silent, deceitful or cowardly politicians. Gaza is the most silenced issue in this election, and the silence speaks volumes. But things that are repressed reverberate with much more force than ones that are objects of constant banter. Every time they talk to us about the cost of living, our subconscious is thinking about Gaza, the rocket attack alerts, the shelter… the next time. Politicians will keep doing what they’re doing, but it doesn’t matter. When we go to the polls, we’ll take Gaza with us.
Because Gaza is the most talked about issue in this election.
Hagai El-Ad is the Executive Director of B’Tselem – the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. This is the English version of an op-ed originally published in Hebrew, on the Walla! Elections channel.
The Gaza Strip is the most silenced issue in the current election campaign. Silenced ? Apart from certain politicians vying for credit for discovering the tunnel threat, Gaza is completely absent from this election – erased, along with this summer’s unpleasant war. Gaza is gone. Its residents do not exist. Our future, our suffering, isn’t interlinked with theirs. The Gazan neighbors of Sderot, Ashkelon, Nahal Oz, and Tel Aviv are invisible.
Only six months ago, and for 51 days, Gaza was the hot topic. Countless talking heads on television chattered incessantly between one rocket attack alert and the next, until, suddenly, everything fell silent. Only the suffering of those who lost loved ones and the pain of those wounded and left disabled haven’t died down, even if no one is listening.
One might imagine that in an election that takes place so soon, not even six months, after a national trauma like this, there would be at least some politicians who insist on addressing it. You might imagine that even if all politicians tried to distance themselves from it, the public wouldn’t just take it and would insist on getting explanations for what happened and information about what’s to come. Why did we kill more than two thousand people ? Why have more than seventy Israelis been killed ? What are those who seek our trust planning other than the cruel inevitability of the next war in two years’ time ? How many dead are planned for the summer of 2016 ?
Continue reading at Foundation for Middle East Peace
If we’re not going to demand that Gaza be front and center in this election because of the hundreds of children we killed in Gaza this summer, then maybe we should for 4-year-old Daniel Tragerman’s sake. If we’re not going to talk about Gaza because of the tens of thousands still living in tents, schools or on the street, then maybe because of the 51 days of rocket attack alerts? If we don’t demand our politicians address Gaza in this election campaign because of the poverty and anguish, the eternal closure and the despair in the Strip, then at least let’s demand it because of the next round of violence, which is getting closer by the day.
Whether we think about Gaza or not when we go to the polls, Gaza isn’t going anywhere. The Israeli power, of which we are citizens, will continue to neighbor Gaza and the residents of the impoverished piece of land that is internally controlled by Hamas and externally controlled by Israel will continue to be our neighbors. Their future is our future is their future.
The fact that this future is inextricably bound together by the chains of history, geography, politics and violence is out of our control. What is under our control, ours and theirs, is how this future plays out. It’s difficult, complicated even, to imagine a different future for Gaza and Israel, but those who avoid imagining it and taking action to make it happen, are sentencing us all to more loss and suffering, to a future of more bloodshed for both Israelis and Gazans.
Israelis aren’t fools. Those who have had to run to shelter with their small children time and time again have a better understanding, a better recollection, of what their decisions rally mean, certainly more than silent, deceitful or cowardly politicians. Gaza is the most silenced issue in this election, and the silence speaks volumes. But things that are repressed reverberate with much more force than ones that are objects of constant banter. Every time they talk to us about the cost of living, our subconscious is thinking about Gaza, the rocket attack alerts, the shelter… the next time. Politicians will keep doing what they’re doing, but it doesn’t matter. When we go to the polls, we’ll take Gaza with us.
Because Gaza is the most talked about issue in this election.
Hagai El-Ad is the Executive Director of B’Tselem – the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. This is the English version of an op-ed originally published in Hebrew, on the Walla! Elections channel.
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British rights organization, Oxfam, stated that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip may take more than 100 years, at the current rate, to complete essential building of homes, schools and health facilities in Gaza unless the Israeli blockade is lifted.
According to Al Ray's report, less than 0.25 percent of truckloads containing essential construction materials needed have entered Gaza in the past three months. Six months have now passed since the end of the conflict, and the situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly desperate.
Oxfam is calling for an urgent end to the blockade, which has now been in place for nearly eight years.
Gaza needs more than 800,000 truckloads of materials required after repeated conflicts and years of blockade, according to aid agencies on the ground, Catherine Essoyan, Oxfam’s Regional Director, explained on Thursday.
Essoyan also pointed out that the conflict displced about 100 thousand people, half of them children, now living in shelters and temporary housing centers or with their extended family:
"Every day that people are unable to build is putting more lives at risk. Only an end to the blockade of Gaza will ensure that people can rebuild their lives. Families have been living in homes without roofs, walls or windows for the past six months. Many have just six hours of electricity a day and are without running water.”
She added that there has been no progress in the core to reach long-term solutions to the crisis in the Gaza Strip, which was supposed to occur after the announcement of the cease-fire talks.
She noted that the growing tension within the Palestinian unity government would exacerbate the situation in Gaza.
According to Al Ray's report, less than 0.25 percent of truckloads containing essential construction materials needed have entered Gaza in the past three months. Six months have now passed since the end of the conflict, and the situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly desperate.
Oxfam is calling for an urgent end to the blockade, which has now been in place for nearly eight years.
Gaza needs more than 800,000 truckloads of materials required after repeated conflicts and years of blockade, according to aid agencies on the ground, Catherine Essoyan, Oxfam’s Regional Director, explained on Thursday.
Essoyan also pointed out that the conflict displced about 100 thousand people, half of them children, now living in shelters and temporary housing centers or with their extended family:
"Every day that people are unable to build is putting more lives at risk. Only an end to the blockade of Gaza will ensure that people can rebuild their lives. Families have been living in homes without roofs, walls or windows for the past six months. Many have just six hours of electricity a day and are without running water.”
She added that there has been no progress in the core to reach long-term solutions to the crisis in the Gaza Strip, which was supposed to occur after the announcement of the cease-fire talks.
She noted that the growing tension within the Palestinian unity government would exacerbate the situation in Gaza.
30 international aid groups on Thursday afternoon released a joint statement condemning the international continued silence on Israel's unfair siege on Gaza, warning of "a return to hostilities if progress is not made and the root causes of conflict are not addressed."
The statement held Israel, as the occupying power, fully responsible for the serious implications of its siege on Gaza. "It (Israel) must fully lift the blockade, within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1860 (2009)."
The following is the joint statement as published by the Norwegian Refugee Council.
"Six months have passed since a ceasefire on 26 August 2014 ended over seven weeks of fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip. As UN agencies and international NGOs operating in Gaza, we are alarmed by the limited progress in rebuilding the lives of those affected and tackling the root causes of the conflict.
The Israeli-imposed blockade continues, the political process, along with the economy, are paralyzed, and living conditions have worsened. Reconstruction and repairs to the tens of thousands of homes, hospitals, and schools damaged or destroyed in the fighting has been woefully slow. Sporadic rocket fire from Palestinian armed groups has resumed. Overall, the lack of progress has deepened levels of desperation and frustration among the population, more than two thirds of whom are Palestine refugees.
Living conditions in Gaza were already dire before the latest round of fighting. Most residents were unable to meet their food requirements and over seven years of blockade had severely compromised access to basic services, including to health, water and sanitation. But since July, the situation has deteriorated dramatically.
Approximately 100,000 Palestinians remain displaced this winter, living in dire conditions in schools and makeshift shelters not designed for long-term stay. Scheduled power cuts persist for up to 18 hours a day. The continued non-payment of the salaries of public sector employees and the lack of progress in the national unity government further increases tensions. With severe restrictions on movement, most of the 1.8 million residents are trapped in the coastal enclave, with no hope for the future.
Bearing the brunt of this suffering are the most vulnerable, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, women and nearly one million children, who have experienced unimaginable suffering in three major conflicts in six short years. Children lack access to quality education, with over 400,000 of them in need of immediate psychosocial support.
Within this context, the international community is not providing Gaza with adequate assistance. Little of the US$ 5.4 billion pledged in Cairo has reached Gaza. Cash assistance to families who lost everything has been suspended and other crucial aid is unavailable due to lack of funds. A return to hostilities is inevitable if progress is not made and the root causes of conflict are not addressed.
Israel, as the occupying power, is the main duty bearer and must comply with its obligations under international law. In particular, it must fully lift the blockade, within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1860 (2009). The fragile ceasefire must be reinforced, and the parties must resume negotiations to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
All parties must respect international law and those responsible for violations must be brought to justice. Accountability and adherence to international humanitarian law and international human rights law are essential pre-requisites for any lasting peace.
Also imperative, Egypt needs to open the Rafah Crossing, most urgently for humanitarian cases, and donor pledges must be translated into disbursements.
We must not fail in Gaza. We must realize the vision of making Gaza a livable place and a cornerstone of peace and security for all in the region."
The 30 International Aid Agencies:
1. Action Aid
2. Alianza por la Solidaridad
3. DanChurchAid
4. Diakonia
5. Handicap International
6. Helpage International
7. Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
8. Médecins du Monde
9. Medico international
10. Mennonite Central Committee
11. Movement for Peace – MPDL
12. Norwegian Church Aid
13. Norwegian People’s Aid
14. Norwegian Refugee Council
15. Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator and UN Resident Coordinator
16. Oxfam
17. Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale
18. Rebuilding Alliance
19. Save the Children International
20. Secours Islamique France
21. Terre des Hommes Foundation
22. The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
23. The Swedish Organisation for Individual Relief
24. UN OCHA oPt
25. UN OHCHR Palestine
26. UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
27. UN Women
28. World Food Programme
29. World Health Organization
30. World Vision Jerusalem - West Bank - Gaza
The statement held Israel, as the occupying power, fully responsible for the serious implications of its siege on Gaza. "It (Israel) must fully lift the blockade, within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1860 (2009)."
The following is the joint statement as published by the Norwegian Refugee Council.
"Six months have passed since a ceasefire on 26 August 2014 ended over seven weeks of fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip. As UN agencies and international NGOs operating in Gaza, we are alarmed by the limited progress in rebuilding the lives of those affected and tackling the root causes of the conflict.
The Israeli-imposed blockade continues, the political process, along with the economy, are paralyzed, and living conditions have worsened. Reconstruction and repairs to the tens of thousands of homes, hospitals, and schools damaged or destroyed in the fighting has been woefully slow. Sporadic rocket fire from Palestinian armed groups has resumed. Overall, the lack of progress has deepened levels of desperation and frustration among the population, more than two thirds of whom are Palestine refugees.
Living conditions in Gaza were already dire before the latest round of fighting. Most residents were unable to meet their food requirements and over seven years of blockade had severely compromised access to basic services, including to health, water and sanitation. But since July, the situation has deteriorated dramatically.
Approximately 100,000 Palestinians remain displaced this winter, living in dire conditions in schools and makeshift shelters not designed for long-term stay. Scheduled power cuts persist for up to 18 hours a day. The continued non-payment of the salaries of public sector employees and the lack of progress in the national unity government further increases tensions. With severe restrictions on movement, most of the 1.8 million residents are trapped in the coastal enclave, with no hope for the future.
Bearing the brunt of this suffering are the most vulnerable, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, women and nearly one million children, who have experienced unimaginable suffering in three major conflicts in six short years. Children lack access to quality education, with over 400,000 of them in need of immediate psychosocial support.
Within this context, the international community is not providing Gaza with adequate assistance. Little of the US$ 5.4 billion pledged in Cairo has reached Gaza. Cash assistance to families who lost everything has been suspended and other crucial aid is unavailable due to lack of funds. A return to hostilities is inevitable if progress is not made and the root causes of conflict are not addressed.
Israel, as the occupying power, is the main duty bearer and must comply with its obligations under international law. In particular, it must fully lift the blockade, within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1860 (2009). The fragile ceasefire must be reinforced, and the parties must resume negotiations to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
All parties must respect international law and those responsible for violations must be brought to justice. Accountability and adherence to international humanitarian law and international human rights law are essential pre-requisites for any lasting peace.
Also imperative, Egypt needs to open the Rafah Crossing, most urgently for humanitarian cases, and donor pledges must be translated into disbursements.
We must not fail in Gaza. We must realize the vision of making Gaza a livable place and a cornerstone of peace and security for all in the region."
The 30 International Aid Agencies:
1. Action Aid
2. Alianza por la Solidaridad
3. DanChurchAid
4. Diakonia
5. Handicap International
6. Helpage International
7. Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
8. Médecins du Monde
9. Medico international
10. Mennonite Central Committee
11. Movement for Peace – MPDL
12. Norwegian Church Aid
13. Norwegian People’s Aid
14. Norwegian Refugee Council
15. Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator and UN Resident Coordinator
16. Oxfam
17. Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale
18. Rebuilding Alliance
19. Save the Children International
20. Secours Islamique France
21. Terre des Hommes Foundation
22. The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
23. The Swedish Organisation for Individual Relief
24. UN OCHA oPt
25. UN OHCHR Palestine
26. UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
27. UN Women
28. World Food Programme
29. World Health Organization
30. World Vision Jerusalem - West Bank - Gaza
Israeli forces, Thursday afternoon, opened gunfire on Palestinian houses in the central Gaza Strip, according to WAFA correspondence.
Soldiers deployed and stationed along the border to the east of the blockaded strip indiscriminately opened fire on Palestinian houses.
No casualties were reported in the cross-border attack which constitutes a flagrant violation of the ceasefire deal that ended the latest deadly Israeli onslaughtassault on the war-torn coastal enclave.
Soldiers deployed and stationed along the border to the east of the blockaded strip indiscriminately opened fire on Palestinian houses.
No casualties were reported in the cross-border attack which constitutes a flagrant violation of the ceasefire deal that ended the latest deadly Israeli onslaughtassault on the war-torn coastal enclave.
26 feb 2015
Top Israeli official responsible for coordination with PA tells Palestinian journalists that Israel will ease restrictions only when Hamas stops commandeering building supplies to use in terror attacks.
"Hamas presents Israel with severe obstacles in creating direct, vibrant commerce with the Palestinian Authority, its representatives in Gaza, and with the Palestinian people," said Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, the coordinator of government activities in the territories, at a press conference on Wednesday with Palestinian media.
The reconstruction of the Gaza has been meandering, donor nations which pledged billions for the project have yet to fulfill their promises, and the rivalry between Fatah and Hamas all contribute to the sluggish pace of recovery in the Strip. Meanwhile, Egypt has not announced any intention to open the border crossing in Rafah and continues its expansive military operation on its side of the fence. Hamas, on the other hand, has been investing all its resources gearing up for another conflict, despite the economic difficulties.
The terror group's members are spending their days rebuilding the attack tunnels and stocking up on homemade artillery – including near-daily rocket trials towards the sea, with the last incident occurring this morning. The impending feeling of another conflagration in Gaza among the residents led Maj. Gen. Mordechai to gather representatives of Palestinian media outlets in order to explain the situation.
"Hamas reaches it out to Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood and uses reconstruction supplies to create a new balance of terror, in spite of the distress felt by the people of the Strip, many of whom sleep under a temporary roof," he said.
The COGAT blamed Hamas for discouraging the will to reconstruct the Strip. "Israel wants to rebuild the Strip and improve the conditions of those who live there, but every action by Hamas against Israel leads to a response and a deterioration of the situation." Maj. Gen. Mordechai presented the Palestinian journalists with figures claiming that every day 550 trucks enter Gaza to transport goods like fabric, natural gas, and other products – providing some relief to residents.
He said that through Wednesday, the Strip received 65 thousand tons of cement and more than 45,000 residents purchased the material to rebuild their homes. Despite the best efforts of international observers, Ynet revealed several weeks ago that some of the cement makes its way to Hamas' hands, as part of a black market which developed in the Strip.
The COGAT did not directly address the black market, but said Hamas prevents the reconstruction by collecting taxes and violently taking building supplies in order to rebuild its terror tunnels. According to Maj. Gen. Mordechai, the social and economic situation in the Strip is essential to the reconstruction project. He added that when conditions change and the Palestinian Authority is granted responsibility for receiving the supplies, a variety of civil steps will open up for transferring commodities to and from the Strip.
"Under current conditions in the Strip, in which Hamas tries to 'eat up' as much of the goods entering the Strip and collecting large taxes intended for its terror regime, passage will be permitted only in coordination with the State of Israel in order to prevent terrorists from attacking Israel," he concluded.
"Hamas presents Israel with severe obstacles in creating direct, vibrant commerce with the Palestinian Authority, its representatives in Gaza, and with the Palestinian people," said Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, the coordinator of government activities in the territories, at a press conference on Wednesday with Palestinian media.
The reconstruction of the Gaza has been meandering, donor nations which pledged billions for the project have yet to fulfill their promises, and the rivalry between Fatah and Hamas all contribute to the sluggish pace of recovery in the Strip. Meanwhile, Egypt has not announced any intention to open the border crossing in Rafah and continues its expansive military operation on its side of the fence. Hamas, on the other hand, has been investing all its resources gearing up for another conflict, despite the economic difficulties.
The terror group's members are spending their days rebuilding the attack tunnels and stocking up on homemade artillery – including near-daily rocket trials towards the sea, with the last incident occurring this morning. The impending feeling of another conflagration in Gaza among the residents led Maj. Gen. Mordechai to gather representatives of Palestinian media outlets in order to explain the situation.
"Hamas reaches it out to Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood and uses reconstruction supplies to create a new balance of terror, in spite of the distress felt by the people of the Strip, many of whom sleep under a temporary roof," he said.
The COGAT blamed Hamas for discouraging the will to reconstruct the Strip. "Israel wants to rebuild the Strip and improve the conditions of those who live there, but every action by Hamas against Israel leads to a response and a deterioration of the situation." Maj. Gen. Mordechai presented the Palestinian journalists with figures claiming that every day 550 trucks enter Gaza to transport goods like fabric, natural gas, and other products – providing some relief to residents.
He said that through Wednesday, the Strip received 65 thousand tons of cement and more than 45,000 residents purchased the material to rebuild their homes. Despite the best efforts of international observers, Ynet revealed several weeks ago that some of the cement makes its way to Hamas' hands, as part of a black market which developed in the Strip.
The COGAT did not directly address the black market, but said Hamas prevents the reconstruction by collecting taxes and violently taking building supplies in order to rebuild its terror tunnels. According to Maj. Gen. Mordechai, the social and economic situation in the Strip is essential to the reconstruction project. He added that when conditions change and the Palestinian Authority is granted responsibility for receiving the supplies, a variety of civil steps will open up for transferring commodities to and from the Strip.
"Under current conditions in the Strip, in which Hamas tries to 'eat up' as much of the goods entering the Strip and collecting large taxes intended for its terror regime, passage will be permitted only in coordination with the State of Israel in order to prevent terrorists from attacking Israel," he concluded.
25 feb 2015
Israel on Monday rejected allegations by the government in the Gaza Strip that authorities had released storm-water into the coastal enclave. In a statement, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said Israel did not operate dams in the south, contrary to claims that it had opened them deliberately to alleviate flooding. “The claim is entirely false, and southern Israel does not have any dams,” the COGAT statement said. “Due to the recent rain, streams were flooded throughout the region with no connection to actions taken by the State of Israel.”
Israel does not have any dams, so they said. Except for the Degania Dam, located on the Jordan River at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. Israel also has instead a “system of reservoirs”. According to wikipedia, reservoir (etymology: from French réservoir a “storehouse” [1]) is a natural or artificial lake, storage pond, or impoundment from a dam which is used to store water.
The photo below is of the Nir Am Reservoir that lies near the town of Sderot, in southern Israel. This view of the reservoir shows the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun in the background.
Be it an impoundment of water as a result of a dam, or artificially created pond; the result is the same- a large lake of water that can flood or be flooded.
Below is an article published in January 2014 exploring the myth of “no dams” and the system of Reservoirs that exist in Israel.
Israel does not have any dams, so they said. Except for the Degania Dam, located on the Jordan River at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. Israel also has instead a “system of reservoirs”. According to wikipedia, reservoir (etymology: from French réservoir a “storehouse” [1]) is a natural or artificial lake, storage pond, or impoundment from a dam which is used to store water.
The photo below is of the Nir Am Reservoir that lies near the town of Sderot, in southern Israel. This view of the reservoir shows the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun in the background.
Be it an impoundment of water as a result of a dam, or artificially created pond; the result is the same- a large lake of water that can flood or be flooded.
Below is an article published in January 2014 exploring the myth of “no dams” and the system of Reservoirs that exist in Israel.
A System of Reservoirs and the Israeli National Water CarrierBy Richard Edmondson. January 5, 2014
As it turns out, however, there are other dams in Israel, including in the Negev. The desert region also has reservoirs. A click here will take you to a location on Google Maps showing you the town of Sderot in southern Israel. Directly to the west of the town lies the Kibbutz Nir Am, and due west of the kibbutz you will see the Nir Am Reservoir. It sits on a point overlooking Gaza. Move the map to the south and west and you will see four additional reservoirs, all lying along Israel’s border with Gaza.
With a capacity of 1.5 million cubic liters of water, the Nir Am is the largest of these five reservoirs, but all are connected. The image shows what is known as the National Water Carrier of Israel. It is a system of giant pipes, canals, tunnels and pumping stations, by means of which water is pumped from the Sea of Galilee in the northern part of the country, down to the coastal areas surrounding Tel Aviv, and finally to the Negev Desert in the south. The system is operated by Mekorot, Israel’s national water company.
You’ll note that the blue lines represent fresh water, while the red line leading down around Gaza and into the Negev contains treated sewage. The water in this line is used for agricultural purposes.
The National Water Carrier began pumping water in 1964. Here is what the system looked like as it was being constructed.
As it turns out, however, there are other dams in Israel, including in the Negev. The desert region also has reservoirs. A click here will take you to a location on Google Maps showing you the town of Sderot in southern Israel. Directly to the west of the town lies the Kibbutz Nir Am, and due west of the kibbutz you will see the Nir Am Reservoir. It sits on a point overlooking Gaza. Move the map to the south and west and you will see four additional reservoirs, all lying along Israel’s border with Gaza.
With a capacity of 1.5 million cubic liters of water, the Nir Am is the largest of these five reservoirs, but all are connected. The image shows what is known as the National Water Carrier of Israel. It is a system of giant pipes, canals, tunnels and pumping stations, by means of which water is pumped from the Sea of Galilee in the northern part of the country, down to the coastal areas surrounding Tel Aviv, and finally to the Negev Desert in the south. The system is operated by Mekorot, Israel’s national water company.
You’ll note that the blue lines represent fresh water, while the red line leading down around Gaza and into the Negev contains treated sewage. The water in this line is used for agricultural purposes.
The National Water Carrier began pumping water in 1964. Here is what the system looked like as it was being constructed.
Also perhaps of interest, especially to those who claim there are “no dams in the Negev,” is the system of limans — small, manmade bodies of water throughout the desert that were created for irrigation and also as a means of combatting soil erosion and desertification.
Limans catch runoff from wadis when they occasionally flood. Each liman has a small dam. According to the Jewish National Fund, there are approximately 420 limans in the Negev. Below is a photo of one:
Limans catch runoff from wadis when they occasionally flood. Each liman has a small dam. According to the Jewish National Fund, there are approximately 420 limans in the Negev. Below is a photo of one:
But limans, as you can see, are rather small. Likewise the dams, referred to as “check-dams,” that are built into them. They’re also scattered out over a wide area, and the chance they may have been a factor in the flooding of Gaza is remote. But also at the Jewish National Fund website is a proud history of the work it has done in developing various parts of Israel, including the Negev, and including apparently dams. In the following passage, the letters “JNF-KKL” are the English and Hebrew acronyms for the organization spliced together. It is how the Jewish National Fund refers to itself in this article. Here is an excerpt:
JNF-KKL spread out to the south, to the edge of the Arava. Some 25 percent of all tree plantings in the 1980’s were carried out in the Negev, bringing its forest area to a total of 45,000 acres. Army camps that had been set up in the Negev after the evacuation of the Sinai were planted with JNF-KKL trees to create shelter from the burning sun, shield soldiers and equipment from dust storms, and provide some respite for those soldiers stationed in the harsh desert.JNF-KKL began to focus a large part of its attention on the burgeoning water crisis during this period. Towards the end of the 1980’s, JNF-KKL carried out a number of large-scale water conservation projects, building dams and reservoirs. These vital projects allowed JNF-KKL to capture rainwater run-off when the infrequent rains did fall, water which would have otherwise been lost to the sea. Reservoirs were built in the Arava Valley, at Reshafim in the Beit She’arim Valley, and at Kedma near Kiryat Gat. An artificial lake was built in Timna Park in the southern Negev.Additional references to dams in the Negev — and particularly adjacent to Gaza — can also be found in a book entitled Water and Peace in the Middle East, edited by J. Isaac and H. Shuval and published in 1994 (hat tip to “Lana”, commenter number 25 ). Here is an excerpt :
Wadi Gaza which flows during the winter season, originating from the Hebron mountains in the east and ends at the sea shore south of Gaza, has been blocked by Israel. Several dams were built along the way preventing the water from flowing into the Gaza Strip which otherwise would have provided a valuable source of water to be used for irrigation and for compensation for the lost pumped out water. There are no known figures of the amount of water this wadi brings, but it would have been a great help to the irrigation in the middle zone of Gaza.Note, of course, the words “the middle zone of Gaza.” Recall also that both Press TV reports, from 2010 and 2012, described the flooding as occurring in the central area of Gaza. Hearken back also to the announcement by Shanti this past December 13, as reported by Ma’an:
He warned that residential areas within the Gaza Valley would be flooding within the coming hours.Flooding in central Gaza, and the opening of dams there, is also mentioned in this report, posted December 15, from the Palestine Information Center:
GAZA, (PIC)– Hundreds of houses in central Gaza Strip were flooded as the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Saturday afternoon opened the earth dams east of the town of Wadi Salaqa in Deir al-Balah.The IOF established many earth dams east of the Gaza Strip to collect rainwater to use it; however in case the levels of water increase they open these dams and water flows to Gaza.Palestinian sources told Quds Press that the rescue teams and civil defense have evacuated 40 families including 200 people from the town of Wadi Salaqa and brought them to a shelter center.The sources added that 300 families have been moved to the shelter center of Hussein School run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees “UNRWA” in Jabalya north of the Gaza Strip.The Municipality of Gaza appealed to the residents living in low-lying areas in the Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes before the evening for fear their houses will be flooded with rainwater.The town of Deir al-Balah, cited in the lead paragraph above, is mentioned in a lot of other reports on the Gaza flooding as well.
JNF-KKL spread out to the south, to the edge of the Arava. Some 25 percent of all tree plantings in the 1980’s were carried out in the Negev, bringing its forest area to a total of 45,000 acres. Army camps that had been set up in the Negev after the evacuation of the Sinai were planted with JNF-KKL trees to create shelter from the burning sun, shield soldiers and equipment from dust storms, and provide some respite for those soldiers stationed in the harsh desert.JNF-KKL began to focus a large part of its attention on the burgeoning water crisis during this period. Towards the end of the 1980’s, JNF-KKL carried out a number of large-scale water conservation projects, building dams and reservoirs. These vital projects allowed JNF-KKL to capture rainwater run-off when the infrequent rains did fall, water which would have otherwise been lost to the sea. Reservoirs were built in the Arava Valley, at Reshafim in the Beit She’arim Valley, and at Kedma near Kiryat Gat. An artificial lake was built in Timna Park in the southern Negev.Additional references to dams in the Negev — and particularly adjacent to Gaza — can also be found in a book entitled Water and Peace in the Middle East, edited by J. Isaac and H. Shuval and published in 1994 (hat tip to “Lana”, commenter number 25 ). Here is an excerpt :
Wadi Gaza which flows during the winter season, originating from the Hebron mountains in the east and ends at the sea shore south of Gaza, has been blocked by Israel. Several dams were built along the way preventing the water from flowing into the Gaza Strip which otherwise would have provided a valuable source of water to be used for irrigation and for compensation for the lost pumped out water. There are no known figures of the amount of water this wadi brings, but it would have been a great help to the irrigation in the middle zone of Gaza.Note, of course, the words “the middle zone of Gaza.” Recall also that both Press TV reports, from 2010 and 2012, described the flooding as occurring in the central area of Gaza. Hearken back also to the announcement by Shanti this past December 13, as reported by Ma’an:
He warned that residential areas within the Gaza Valley would be flooding within the coming hours.Flooding in central Gaza, and the opening of dams there, is also mentioned in this report, posted December 15, from the Palestine Information Center:
GAZA, (PIC)– Hundreds of houses in central Gaza Strip were flooded as the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Saturday afternoon opened the earth dams east of the town of Wadi Salaqa in Deir al-Balah.The IOF established many earth dams east of the Gaza Strip to collect rainwater to use it; however in case the levels of water increase they open these dams and water flows to Gaza.Palestinian sources told Quds Press that the rescue teams and civil defense have evacuated 40 families including 200 people from the town of Wadi Salaqa and brought them to a shelter center.The sources added that 300 families have been moved to the shelter center of Hussein School run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees “UNRWA” in Jabalya north of the Gaza Strip.The Municipality of Gaza appealed to the residents living in low-lying areas in the Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes before the evening for fear their houses will be flooded with rainwater.The town of Deir al-Balah, cited in the lead paragraph above, is mentioned in a lot of other reports on the Gaza flooding as well.
The area seems to have been especially hard hit. If you look at it on Google Maps you will see that it is pretty much smack dab in the middle of Gaza. But just a few miles to the south and west of there lies the town of Khan Yunis, where a 21-year-old girl named Rana lives. Rana wrote the following report…and yes, she too mentions the dams:
My name is Rana. I have lived in the city of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip all 21 years of my life. What is happening in Gaza is not fiction but a bitter reality, which we lack the means to defend ourselves against. In the last few days, an unusually powerful storm has flooded many areas, displacing hundreds of residents from their homes. Children are without shelter from the cold and rain. Entire neighbourhoods are sinking.My family and I spent four days in darkness in below freezing weather: no electricity, no water and no heat. I was so cold, I couldn‘t leave my bed and the small comfort it and my blankets provided. The cold felt like it penetrated my bones. Yet, I am lucky. I witnessed many people as they became homeless, their children desperate for food and warmth.Friends called to tell me about the flooding and freezing in their areas. I felt bad, unable to help.Power lines are down and our streets are filled with raw sewage. Greenhouses have been destroyed, affecting farmers and reducing the already minimal food supply we Gazans are forced to survive on.
Making conditions worse, Israel opened two dams, releasing a torrent of water that inundated many homes. As their houses sank, some of my neighbours nearly drowned. Fortunately, rescue workers came to their aid.
All of this was not enough for Israel. Its soldiers have been shooting at civilians in the village of Khuza’a, to the east of my city. Unarmed residents, women and children, attempting to flee the flooded town, were driven back for fear of being shot.Israel’s action, assisted by the world’s silence, increases our suffering. Where is the international law we hear so many people talk about but never implement? Where is the community that talks about justice and humanitarian support? If my people are prevented from obtaining the basic requirements of life at least we should speak up and raise our voices.Another storm is expected to hit my vulnerable homeland next week, bringing with it more suffering and more homelessness. When will the world wake up and treat us like human beings?Rana Alshami, Khan Yunis, Gaza StripIf you once again go to Google Maps you will notice that Khan Yunis lies in fairly close proximity to two reservoirs. Of the five reservoirs Israel maintains along the Gaza border, these are the two southernmost. They are small, but if water somehow were diverted from them, the effect upon the people in the nearby Gazan villages would probably be not inconsiderable.
But of course, it isn’t only central Gaza that was inundated in the recent flood. In a story posted at Ma’an News on December 13, reporter Alex Shams reports particularly heavy flooding also in the northern Gaza Strip.
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Gaza Strip was pounded by fierce winds and rain again on Friday as flooding reached dangerous levels in many areas, forcing thousands to flee their homes amid widespread power outages as temperatures plunged into the single digits.The flooding was worst in the northern Gaza Strip, where hundreds fled their homes and water levels reached 40–50 cm in some parts, forcing residents to use boats to navigate their neighborhoods.In the same article, Shams goes on to quote Chris Gunness, of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, who also notes heavy flooding in the north:
UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness told Ma’an, “In Gaza there is a significant problem with flooding in the north, specifically in Jabaliya, and UNRWA staff has been working all night,”“An UNRWA staff member reported that there were three meters of water surrounding his house,” he added, pointing out that water had come up to the first floor in some areas.Here’s Jabaliya on Google Maps. Move the map southeast by northeast and you will see the other three reservoirs. Note that all three lie in fairly close proximity to Jabaliya.
My name is Rana. I have lived in the city of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip all 21 years of my life. What is happening in Gaza is not fiction but a bitter reality, which we lack the means to defend ourselves against. In the last few days, an unusually powerful storm has flooded many areas, displacing hundreds of residents from their homes. Children are without shelter from the cold and rain. Entire neighbourhoods are sinking.My family and I spent four days in darkness in below freezing weather: no electricity, no water and no heat. I was so cold, I couldn‘t leave my bed and the small comfort it and my blankets provided. The cold felt like it penetrated my bones. Yet, I am lucky. I witnessed many people as they became homeless, their children desperate for food and warmth.Friends called to tell me about the flooding and freezing in their areas. I felt bad, unable to help.Power lines are down and our streets are filled with raw sewage. Greenhouses have been destroyed, affecting farmers and reducing the already minimal food supply we Gazans are forced to survive on.
Making conditions worse, Israel opened two dams, releasing a torrent of water that inundated many homes. As their houses sank, some of my neighbours nearly drowned. Fortunately, rescue workers came to their aid.
All of this was not enough for Israel. Its soldiers have been shooting at civilians in the village of Khuza’a, to the east of my city. Unarmed residents, women and children, attempting to flee the flooded town, were driven back for fear of being shot.Israel’s action, assisted by the world’s silence, increases our suffering. Where is the international law we hear so many people talk about but never implement? Where is the community that talks about justice and humanitarian support? If my people are prevented from obtaining the basic requirements of life at least we should speak up and raise our voices.Another storm is expected to hit my vulnerable homeland next week, bringing with it more suffering and more homelessness. When will the world wake up and treat us like human beings?Rana Alshami, Khan Yunis, Gaza StripIf you once again go to Google Maps you will notice that Khan Yunis lies in fairly close proximity to two reservoirs. Of the five reservoirs Israel maintains along the Gaza border, these are the two southernmost. They are small, but if water somehow were diverted from them, the effect upon the people in the nearby Gazan villages would probably be not inconsiderable.
But of course, it isn’t only central Gaza that was inundated in the recent flood. In a story posted at Ma’an News on December 13, reporter Alex Shams reports particularly heavy flooding also in the northern Gaza Strip.
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Gaza Strip was pounded by fierce winds and rain again on Friday as flooding reached dangerous levels in many areas, forcing thousands to flee their homes amid widespread power outages as temperatures plunged into the single digits.The flooding was worst in the northern Gaza Strip, where hundreds fled their homes and water levels reached 40–50 cm in some parts, forcing residents to use boats to navigate their neighborhoods.In the same article, Shams goes on to quote Chris Gunness, of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, who also notes heavy flooding in the north:
UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness told Ma’an, “In Gaza there is a significant problem with flooding in the north, specifically in Jabaliya, and UNRWA staff has been working all night,”“An UNRWA staff member reported that there were three meters of water surrounding his house,” he added, pointing out that water had come up to the first floor in some areas.Here’s Jabaliya on Google Maps. Move the map southeast by northeast and you will see the other three reservoirs. Note that all three lie in fairly close proximity to Jabaliya.
Let’s turn our attention once more to the northernmost of these — the Nir Am Reservoir.
The Nir Am Reservoir is pictured in the photo at the very top of this post. Look real closely at it. You are standing on the southeastern side of the reservoir, looking out across it, with the skyline of the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun showing in the background.
Photo is the reservoir as it is shown on Google Maps, with Sderot to the east, Beit Hanoun to the west, and the reservoir lying in between.
The Nir Am Reservoir is pictured in the photo at the very top of this post. Look real closely at it. You are standing on the southeastern side of the reservoir, looking out across it, with the skyline of the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun showing in the background.
Photo is the reservoir as it is shown on Google Maps, with Sderot to the east, Beit Hanoun to the west, and the reservoir lying in between.
And
here is the Google Earth view, though from a slightly different
perspective — with the side of the reservoir facing Beit Hanoun shown in
the foreground.
You can also go here and see a series of 30 photos shot as the reservoir was under construction in 1996. Click on any image to enlarge the photos, and then enlarge themeven further by playing with the zoom controls that show up. The photos are under copyright of the Jewish National Fund and are in repository at the Widener Library at Harvard University.
Question: Was a means of diverting water from the Nir Am Reservoir into Gaza built into the system when it was constructed, or, alternately, has one been added since? And if the answer to that is yes, did someone, say perhaps from the nearby town of Sderot, feeling himself divinely chosen by God and aggrieved over the landing of the occasional rocket, slip out during the Alexa downpour to pull the switch, open the floodgate, and release the tide? It is probably impossible for us to know the answer to this, but very much worth keeping in mind is the National Water Carrier and its lines running parallel to Gaza’s border. Theoretically the release point, if such exists, would not necessarily have to have been to be at the Nir Am Reservoir. It could be anywhere along this line. Or, there could be more than one release point. Which might explain why especially heavy flooding was recorded in both northern and central Gaza.
Or — as I say — there may be no way of diverting any of this water, not so much as a single drop, into Gaza whatsoever…although my own personal hunch is this is unlikely.
But one thing is for certain. The hasbara crowd, ever convinced of Israel’s virtue and goodness, ever convinced also of the inviolability of their own “Jewish values,” are of the mind that a deliberate flooding of Gaza is unthinkable, and moreover seem convinced that only the vilest purveyors of “Jew hatred” could even contemplate such a thing.
“The Damn Dams Don’t Exist”
Most of us have encountered hasbara swarms on the Internet. You get to recognize them after a while. Such a swarm hit Ma’an News following publication of its initial report on the dams on December 13. A total of 77 comments were posted in response to that article. Given that it has been common knowledge for a while that Israel organizes and recruits teams of people to post comments favorable to the Jewish state on the Internet, it is not unreasonable to assume that at least some of those who descended upon Ma’an were being paid to do so. At any rate, the comments began lickety-split. The very first person to respond to the article, apparently only shortly after it was published, was “Abe.” “How far will Hamas go! Now they blame the weather on ISRAEL!!”
You can also go here and see a series of 30 photos shot as the reservoir was under construction in 1996. Click on any image to enlarge the photos, and then enlarge themeven further by playing with the zoom controls that show up. The photos are under copyright of the Jewish National Fund and are in repository at the Widener Library at Harvard University.
Question: Was a means of diverting water from the Nir Am Reservoir into Gaza built into the system when it was constructed, or, alternately, has one been added since? And if the answer to that is yes, did someone, say perhaps from the nearby town of Sderot, feeling himself divinely chosen by God and aggrieved over the landing of the occasional rocket, slip out during the Alexa downpour to pull the switch, open the floodgate, and release the tide? It is probably impossible for us to know the answer to this, but very much worth keeping in mind is the National Water Carrier and its lines running parallel to Gaza’s border. Theoretically the release point, if such exists, would not necessarily have to have been to be at the Nir Am Reservoir. It could be anywhere along this line. Or, there could be more than one release point. Which might explain why especially heavy flooding was recorded in both northern and central Gaza.
Or — as I say — there may be no way of diverting any of this water, not so much as a single drop, into Gaza whatsoever…although my own personal hunch is this is unlikely.
But one thing is for certain. The hasbara crowd, ever convinced of Israel’s virtue and goodness, ever convinced also of the inviolability of their own “Jewish values,” are of the mind that a deliberate flooding of Gaza is unthinkable, and moreover seem convinced that only the vilest purveyors of “Jew hatred” could even contemplate such a thing.
“The Damn Dams Don’t Exist”
Most of us have encountered hasbara swarms on the Internet. You get to recognize them after a while. Such a swarm hit Ma’an News following publication of its initial report on the dams on December 13. A total of 77 comments were posted in response to that article. Given that it has been common knowledge for a while that Israel organizes and recruits teams of people to post comments favorable to the Jewish state on the Internet, it is not unreasonable to assume that at least some of those who descended upon Ma’an were being paid to do so. At any rate, the comments began lickety-split. The very first person to respond to the article, apparently only shortly after it was published, was “Abe.” “How far will Hamas go! Now they blame the weather on ISRAEL!!”
Israeli forces opened fire at farmers in the central Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, according to witnesses.
Locals told Ma'an News Agency that soldiers stationed in military towers on the border, east of Deir al-Balah, opened fire at farmers in the area.
The farmers fled the area, with no injuries reported.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that "two people approached the border fence in a prohibited area and Israeli forces opened fire in the air."
Israeli forces frequently shoot at farmers and other civilians inside the Gaza Strip if they approach large swathes of land near the border that the Israeli military has deemed off-limits to Palestinians.
Israeli forces opened fire at farmers near Khan Younis on Tuesday, as well, while a similar incident was reported near Rafah, on Sunday.
According to UNOCHA, 17 percent of Gaza's total land area and 35 percent of its agricultural land were within the buffer zone as of 2010, directly affecting the lives and livelihoods of more than 100,000 Gazans.
The continuous attacks are also in flagrant violation of the August ceasefire, mediated by Egypt, between Israel and Hamas.
Locals told Ma'an News Agency that soldiers stationed in military towers on the border, east of Deir al-Balah, opened fire at farmers in the area.
The farmers fled the area, with no injuries reported.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that "two people approached the border fence in a prohibited area and Israeli forces opened fire in the air."
Israeli forces frequently shoot at farmers and other civilians inside the Gaza Strip if they approach large swathes of land near the border that the Israeli military has deemed off-limits to Palestinians.
Israeli forces opened fire at farmers near Khan Younis on Tuesday, as well, while a similar incident was reported near Rafah, on Sunday.
According to UNOCHA, 17 percent of Gaza's total land area and 35 percent of its agricultural land were within the buffer zone as of 2010, directly affecting the lives and livelihoods of more than 100,000 Gazans.
The continuous attacks are also in flagrant violation of the August ceasefire, mediated by Egypt, between Israel and Hamas.
World Bank warned of the poor health conditions and critical financial status in Gaza, stressing that what is being provided to the Strip is below the required level.
Anis Barich, the World Bank envoy for health and humanitarian affairs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), declared in a press conference held in al-Shifa medical complex on Tuesday that the World Bank offered a 2-million-dollar project to support the health sector in the Gaza Strip. He added that this project was signed on Monday by Dr. Jawad Awwad, the Palestinian health minister in the consensus government, during their meeting in Ramallah.
He underlined that the financial situation in Gaza is very critical, and clarified that the money provided for this project is not enough to solve all health care problems in the Strip.
For his part, Yousuf Abu al-Reish, the Palestinian Ministry of Health undersecretary, thanked Barich for his visit and pointed out that they thoroughly explained to him the deteriorating health situation in Gaza, the lack of supplies, and the closure of crossings.
Gaza health sector faces increasing crisis as the government of national consensus refuses to pay any operating expenses to the ministry, hospitals, and the cleaning staff who have recently gone on strike to demand overdue salaries.
After the war on Gaza last summer, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated 55 million dollars to support the health sector in Gaza, but only $100,000 reached the Strip, whereas the money was inserted in the Palestinian Authority budget under condition of supporting the health sector in Gaza.
Anis Barich, the World Bank envoy for health and humanitarian affairs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), declared in a press conference held in al-Shifa medical complex on Tuesday that the World Bank offered a 2-million-dollar project to support the health sector in the Gaza Strip. He added that this project was signed on Monday by Dr. Jawad Awwad, the Palestinian health minister in the consensus government, during their meeting in Ramallah.
He underlined that the financial situation in Gaza is very critical, and clarified that the money provided for this project is not enough to solve all health care problems in the Strip.
For his part, Yousuf Abu al-Reish, the Palestinian Ministry of Health undersecretary, thanked Barich for his visit and pointed out that they thoroughly explained to him the deteriorating health situation in Gaza, the lack of supplies, and the closure of crossings.
Gaza health sector faces increasing crisis as the government of national consensus refuses to pay any operating expenses to the ministry, hospitals, and the cleaning staff who have recently gone on strike to demand overdue salaries.
After the war on Gaza last summer, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated 55 million dollars to support the health sector in Gaza, but only $100,000 reached the Strip, whereas the money was inserted in the Palestinian Authority budget under condition of supporting the health sector in Gaza.
Maj. Gen. Turgeman awards citations to 18 soldiers for acts of valor and bravery during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, as well as one officer and one trooper who fell in combat.
GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman awarded commendations on Tuesday to IDF soldiers and officers who participated in Operation Protective Edge over the summer.
Eighteen soldiers received citations for their heroic actions along with two fallen friends – Lt. Col. Dolev Keidar and Staff Sergeant Avi Grintzvaig. The families of the fallen were invited to the ceremony to receive their commendations in their names.
The 20 named in the ceremony were part of the 53 IDF officers, NCOs, and soldiers recognized for their bravery during the 50-day operation. "From the beginning of our struggle for our right to exist here we have been fighting for our independence and the freedom to live here in peace," said Maj. Gen. Turgeman at the beginning of his remarks.
GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman awarded commendations on Tuesday to IDF soldiers and officers who participated in Operation Protective Edge over the summer.
Eighteen soldiers received citations for their heroic actions along with two fallen friends – Lt. Col. Dolev Keidar and Staff Sergeant Avi Grintzvaig. The families of the fallen were invited to the ceremony to receive their commendations in their names.
The 20 named in the ceremony were part of the 53 IDF officers, NCOs, and soldiers recognized for their bravery during the 50-day operation. "From the beginning of our struggle for our right to exist here we have been fighting for our independence and the freedom to live here in peace," said Maj. Gen. Turgeman at the beginning of his remarks.
"For 50 days and nights the IDF fought during Protective Edge. There were days of fighting for our home, days filled with confidence in the righteousness of our way, days of striving for contact, days of unrestricted public support, and days of courage and bravery," he recalled.
The GOC Southern Command noted that he met the combat soldiers during their preparations ahead of the ground operation and that they understood the scale of the responsibility on their shoulders. "I saw mental fortitude and deep affection; I saw inter-unit cooperation, and the sentiment of the people of Israel."
Addressing the brave soldiers, Turgeman said that "from your beliefs and your sense of duty you have added another chapter to the legacy of the IDF, which we will talk about for generations. You honor the citation with your character, your might, your levelheadedness, and your fortitude, even more than the commendation honors you."
The GOC Southern Command noted that he met the combat soldiers during their preparations ahead of the ground operation and that they understood the scale of the responsibility on their shoulders. "I saw mental fortitude and deep affection; I saw inter-unit cooperation, and the sentiment of the people of Israel."
Addressing the brave soldiers, Turgeman said that "from your beliefs and your sense of duty you have added another chapter to the legacy of the IDF, which we will talk about for generations. You honor the citation with your character, your might, your levelheadedness, and your fortitude, even more than the commendation honors you."
During Operation Protective Edge, 67 IDF soldiers and five civilians lost their lives; the GOC Southern Command took a moment to honor their ultimate sacrifice. "I salute you, brothers in arms, our national heroes who are no longer with us. I salute to you, the parents and the siblings, the wives and the children, the significant others who bear each and every day the price of defending our people and our country."
"Sadly, not all those who we wished to recognize are with us here today; there are two who did not make it to this stage. Staff Sergeant Grintzvaig (killed while rescuing wounded colleagues) who received a commendation for his valor and for acting courageously and living the values on which he was raised at home; Lt. Col. Keidar (killed while charging at suspicious figures carrying anti-tank missiles) who received a citation for his courage – for leading his force, neutralizing the enemy, and preventing a disaster," said Turgeman at the end of his remarks.
"Sadly, not all those who we wished to recognize are with us here today; there are two who did not make it to this stage. Staff Sergeant Grintzvaig (killed while rescuing wounded colleagues) who received a commendation for his valor and for acting courageously and living the values on which he was raised at home; Lt. Col. Keidar (killed while charging at suspicious figures carrying anti-tank missiles) who received a citation for his courage – for leading his force, neutralizing the enemy, and preventing a disaster," said Turgeman at the end of his remarks.
Truce violations List of names Pictures of martyrs
Days: Aug: 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
July: 31 - 30 - 29 - 28 - 27 - 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8