Educating on a Rocket Reality

Jason Holtzman
Sderot Media Center
07 April '11

http://www.sderotmedia.org.il/bin/content.cgi?ID=776&q=3

Citizens in Western Negev towns of Israel have been facing the constant threat of rocket fire from Gaza since 2001. Following Operation Cast Lead, Hamas declared a “ceasefire” with Israel, which has not been maintained because 635 rockets have landed in Israel since then. Throughout that time, much of the media turned a blind eye to the rocket fire and instead only focused on delegitimizing Israel through bias and sometimes untrue reports about Gaza. The recent surge in the firing of rockets into Israel last month makes it of utmost importance to ensure that students on college campuses understand the impact that many years of rocket fire has had on Israeli civilians, along with being exposed to the biased media that ignores these attacks and instead demonizes Israel.

Noam Bedein, photojournalist and Director of the Sderot Media Center, has been traveling across the US on his sixth campus tour to get this message to students. His tour was primarily sponsored by CAMERA with ZOA co-sponsoring a couple of tour dates. Over the past few years, Mr. Bedein has traveled internationally to deliver presentations on college campuses worldwide as well as to the United Nations (UN) and government members in the European Union, and on Capitol Hill.

Bedein moved to Sderot in 2006 in order to get footage of the attacks and chronicle the situation on the ground for the international media. He has often been the first one on the scene at locations that have been struck and has a large collection of footage of live attacks. He is passionate about Sderot and the Western Negev and is dedicated towards putting an end to the incredible injustices that have been perpetrated upon its residents. Bedein strives to deliver a message that provides a humanitarian perspective.

One of the key points that Bedein makes in his presentation is that, “97% of the rockets shot from Gaza are fired from within the civilian population.” This is highly emphasized in the presentation because the media rarely presents the situation between Israel and Gaza in a balanced manner. Bedein describes his mission as, “providing tools for students that will help them counterbalance the PR war.” He continued, “Too often are there reports focusing around casualties in Gaza that don’t even mention the suffering in Israel.” In the presentation, Bedein shows footage of rockets being fired from schools and mosques, which is quite useful for students to see who are unfamiliar with the types of situations that Israel faces when dealing with rocket fire from Gaza.

Bedein also addresses the psychological impact that the rocket attacks have on many of the citizens who are suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder. “People cannot drive with seatbelts on because they have to live with the fear of making it to a bomb shelter in 15 seconds or less” said Bedein. In the presentation, he also points out that much of the weaponry supplied to Gaza comes directly from Iran, which he refers to as, “Israel’s biggest threat.” For that reason, Bedein’s tour is named Iran in Israel’s Backyard.

Last week, in Washington Square Park, near the NYU campus, another event that highlighted the humanitarian situation of residents in Sderot was put together by the group Artists 4 Israel. For a whole day, a replica of a bomb shelter was set up with demonstrations depicting what it is like to have only 15 seconds to run for your life. Additionally, there was live graffiti being done by well-known artists at the mock shelter.

According to Craig Dershowitz, President of Artists 4 Israel, the bomb shelter exhibit was organized for various reasons. Dershowitz said, “Washington Square Park is the home to many anti-Israel protests. Often times, these protests are full of hate and lies and we believe that there is an inextricable link between that sort of malicious information and the eventual firing of rockets.” In addition to this, the group wanted NYU students to gain exposure to the situation throughout Sderot and the Western Negev.

As the day went on, anti-Israel protestors found their way to the exhibit, where they screamed slogans and held signs which they hoped would cause a disruption. Instead, the display continued and the anti-Israel protestors became increasingly hostile. Commenting on the protestors, Dershowitz explained, “We posed a simple question to them - ‘should or should not children in Israel be bombed?’ They could not answer and instead they did nursery school style chants that referenced things, such as Palestine being ‘from the river to the sea’- a not so subtle reference to destroying all of Israel.”

As the protestors continued to create a disturbance, members of the pro-Israel contingency began to address some of their statements. One of the most prevalent signs carried by the anti-Israel protestors said “Free Gaza.” Dershowitz explained to the protestors that Israel is not responsible for the situation in Gaza. He pointed out that, “There hasn’t been a single Israeli or Jew living in Gaza for more than five years. Since then, Gaza has been completely controlled by the terrorist group Hamas.”

On another note, just this past weekend, Judge Richard Goldstone, who chaired the UN fact-finding mission regarding Operation Cast Lead, retracted much of his anti-Israel report. Although damage has already been done, the UN Human Rights Council should act now to rescind the report that practically stripped away Israel’s rights to self defense. The Council should begin to focus on the grave violations of human rights occurring right now in places, such as Darfur, Iran, Libya, Syria, and many other countries between Bahrain and Morocco.

Unfortunately, it is likely that the Council will continue to dedicate a great portion of their time towards condemning Israel. As pro-Israel and Zionist activists, we must continue to educate and inform the public on the humanitarian situation facing over a million Israelis living between Sderot, Be’er Sheba, and Ashdod. Their stories must be heard, rather than silenced.

Jason Holtzman, Campus Coordinator for the Zionist Organization of America, is a political activist with a passion for Israel advocacy.

Link: http://blogs.jpost.com/content/educating-rocket-reality

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Sderot Media Center’s impact on Australian policy-maker

Sderot Media Center
24 June '10

"Dear Noam,

We met briefly last year when your and your SMC colleagues organised a tour of Sderot for the visiting delegation of federal Liberal MPs and Senators and then again during your brief visit to Australia when you came to Canberra.

At the time you said you would be interested in any use of the material we learnt from you on this trip. Below is a speech I gave in the Senate last night on the issue of Israel’s relations with Hamas and Gaza in light of the so-called ‘peace flotilla’ incident.

Please feel free to contact me if you require further information. I hope you and your family have been safe since we had the opportunity to meet.

Kind regards,

Scott Ryan."

Scott Ryan│ Liberal Senator for Victoria

“Several weeks ago we were informed that Israel had allegedly outrageously intervened to stop a so-called peace flotilla, with commandos launching themselves at a peaceful armada seeking nothing more than to take humanitarian aid to Gaza. Excuse me if I was a little cynical when I first heard the news, for despite days of a highly orchestrated media campaign to vilify Israel and her defence forces, the truth subsequently came out. These were not peace activists; they were agents of provocation, radicals seeking a violent confrontation as they broke the legal maritime blockade of Gaza. I did not realise that peace activists were so well armed, in this case, with knives, chains, firearms, molotov cocktails and pepper spray. By viciously attacking the soldiers, they quickly betrayed their true agenda with their anti-Semitic cries, as they did by their refusal to cooperate with the UN, Israeli or Egyptian authorities, who could have facilitated the entry of the humanitarian materials to Gaza. This was no peace flotilla; it was part of an orchestrated campaign to vilify the state of Israel for doing nothing more than would be expected of us in this place: to protect her own citizens.

The blockade of Gaza is well founded in law, but it is also well founded in the entirely legitimate need for a state and government to take reasonable action to protect its citizens—for Gaza under Hamas cannot be treated as if it or they were a reasonable neighbour, and in no way can it be considered a partner for peace. This blockade has been undertaken to prevent terrorist at- tacks on Israeli civilians, no matter their race or creed. For some reason, certain people, NGO’s and so called human rights organisations expect Israel to tolerate a much higher level of violence than in Manhattan, Melbourne or Manchester.



To those who do not understand what Hamas does to the innocent civilians of Israel, I urge you to go to Sderot. Look at the remains of the rockets that have been fired from Gaza into that neighbourhood by Hamas—intentionally fired from amongst civilians in Gaza so as to make detection and prevention more difficult. Visit the children’s playgrounds in Sderot that are made from reinforced concrete. Bomb shelters are painted as coloured snakes in lieu of a playground, as children need to be within seconds of safety as the sirens blare ‘code red’ as another rocket is launched. Speak to the mothers of the children to whom the word ‘red’ provokes fear because of these sirens and amongst whom mental illness—particularly anxiety, stress and depression-related disorders—are at un- precedented levels. Go and look at the schools which have concrete slabs above their roofs in an attempt to limit the carnage caused by terrorists firing rockets from only a kilometre away, to whom a school is noth- ing more than a target. This is the situation for Israeli towns along the border with Gaza.

(Read full speech)

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