Major Events in Israel and the Middle East
A Daily Analysis
By Marc Schulman

Civilians Evacuated from Sderot

Thursday May 17, 2007

How much more complicated can the situation become? The Qassams continue to rain down on Sderot. The major question facing Israel today seemed to be whether to evacuate citizens from Sderot or not? This morning evacuations began and then were stopped when it became difficult to find enough places to send the evacuees. I listened to an exchange between Amos Malka, former Head of Military Intelligence and former Knesset member Yossi Sarid, on whether to evacuate residents. Malka was strongly opposed to evacuation, saying we must stop the rockets instead. Sarid stated we have not been able to stop the rockets for the last 7 years, how are we going to do it now? Furthermore, how can we expect the residents of Sderot to continues to suffer.

What Saird did not say, was how unfair it is that the residents of Tel Aviv who could afford it during the first Gulf War went to Eilat as did many Northern residents the same last summer, but the poor who can not afford to go anywhere, need to suffer. This really is a no brainer, whoever wishes to should be provided with a place to go- by the government.

Prime Minister Olmert visited Sderot tonight. While he was there, missiles landed. In a addition, a missile landed on the synagogue that just celebrated the arrival of a new Torah.

In Gaza itself the situation has worsened further, with violence getting so bad that reporters were no longer able to report. Now, no one truly knows what is going on. Israel is more vigorously going after Hamas operatives involved in any aspects of rocket productions and delivery. Hamas has responded by threatening to resume suicide bombing. We seem damned whatever we do.