In his first outing as the NY Times correspondent in Israel, Ethan Bronner turns in a reasonably good effort with A Town Under Fire Becomes a Symbol for Israel about life in Sderot.My only real quibble with the article is this:
As much as Sderot is a symbol, it is also a kind of Rorschach test — a screen onto which various political factions project their hopes and fears. For the right, it is evidence that only force will stop the rockets; for the left it is evidence that force is not the answer and that the rockets cannot be stopped without a new approach.One attempt at a new approach involves a group in Sderot that has started holding discussions with Palestinians in Gaza via speakerphone. The group, Another Voice, is urging a cease-fire. There is also a new blog, a discussion between a resident of Sderot and one of Gaza, both anonymous.
To break this down as political is an odd choice. Bronner, himself reported earlier:
The sense that Sderot is actually Israel’s front line in its battle for legitimacy and self-respect has gained real currency, just as in the Arab world the suffering of Gazans has taken on a special significance. For Israelis, the conviction of Sderot’s importance began growing with the huge increase in rocket fire since the 2005 Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and after the 2006 war with Hezbollah, which sent thousands of rockets into northern Israel.
(emphasis mine)That observation alone underscores that the lesson of the political right is the correct one. Political concessions haven’t earned Israel the peace that was predicted. And the end of the item emphasizes this point:
Avi Farhan, who was a settler in the Sinai before it was returned to Egypt and then in Gaza before the Israelis withdrew, said he agreed with Rabbi Fendel that the withdrawal was a mistake. Standing on a bluff near his new apartment, he can see what remains of his former Gaza settlement, now a staging ground for rocket fire.“From my old house, they can now shell my new house,†he said ruefully.
Israel withdrew from the Sinai, and then Gaza and the Arab world still treats it as hostile. Will more withdrawal bring peace closer or encourage Israel’s enemies? It’s not an issue of right and left but an issue of whether Israel learns from experience.
Crossposted at Soccer Dad.
I agree that this is a nice article to read in the NYTimes, especially after all the years of stories from Myre, Bennett, et al.
One thing that still bugs me is the continuing use of the words “crude” and “homemade” to describe the Arab rockets. It only serves to downplay the seriousness of the situation – “crude” and “homemade” rockets sound like what Cub Scouts build for fun at summer camp. Or, like I said before, “homemade” describes the type of cookies your mom bakes.