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For Israelis on Edge of Battle, Rockets Put On a Show For Israelis on Edge of Battle, Rockets Put On a Show
(about 1 month later)
SDEROT, Israel — The women and children trudge up the dusty hill between dusk and sunset, some with dogs. The men stay long after dark, some with binoculars. It is the closest thing to a front-row seat for the war between Israel and the Gaza Strip, short of combat. Better than being stuck in a safe room somewhere watching those talking heads on television. SDEROT, Israel — The women and children trudge up the dusty hill between dusk and sunset, some with dogs. The men stay long after dark, some with binoculars. It is the closest thing to a front-row seat for the war between Israel and the Gaza Strip, short of combat. Better than being stuck in a safe room somewhere watching those talking heads on television.
Overhead, they can see Israeli drones and planes beaming light onto the darkened battlefield. Below, across the road, Israeli tanks and troops are staging for entry. Beyond, an orange glow — could that be Shejaiya, the Gaza City neighborhood where fighting has raged for three days? No, too far north: Probably Beit Hanoun, the border town that has faced intense artillery shelling since the invasion began.Overhead, they can see Israeli drones and planes beaming light onto the darkened battlefield. Below, across the road, Israeli tanks and troops are staging for entry. Beyond, an orange glow — could that be Shejaiya, the Gaza City neighborhood where fighting has raged for three days? No, too far north: Probably Beit Hanoun, the border town that has faced intense artillery shelling since the invasion began.
Suddenly, shouts of “Ooh, ooh!” and everyone pointed up at two rockets soaring from Gaza into Israel about 9 p.m. on Tuesday. “Jerusalem,” a veteran hill-watcher said knowingly. They checked the Red Alert apps on their cellphones: Turns out it was Gedera, a town closer to the coast. When the Iron Dome system intercepted it, applause came from the crowd of perhaps 50.Suddenly, shouts of “Ooh, ooh!” and everyone pointed up at two rockets soaring from Gaza into Israel about 9 p.m. on Tuesday. “Jerusalem,” a veteran hill-watcher said knowingly. They checked the Red Alert apps on their cellphones: Turns out it was Gedera, a town closer to the coast. When the Iron Dome system intercepted it, applause came from the crowd of perhaps 50.
“It’s like we’ve been having a very bad toothache with a pain that’s been accumulating for years,” said Shmuel Dahan, 51, a gardener who lives near the hill. “And we want to come and see the tooth being taken out.”“It’s like we’ve been having a very bad toothache with a pain that’s been accumulating for years,” said Shmuel Dahan, 51, a gardener who lives near the hill. “And we want to come and see the tooth being taken out.”
Mr. Dahan and other residents of Sderot, the town of 22,000 about a mile from Gaza, have been coming to what they call Koby Hill — named for Sderot’s security chief, Koby Harush — since the first crude Qassam rockets were fired in 2001. President Obama visited Sderot while a candidate in 2008, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a news conference atop the hill two years later.Mr. Dahan and other residents of Sderot, the town of 22,000 about a mile from Gaza, have been coming to what they call Koby Hill — named for Sderot’s security chief, Koby Harush — since the first crude Qassam rockets were fired in 2001. President Obama visited Sderot while a candidate in 2008, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a news conference atop the hill two years later.
Israelis from around the country have flocked here, along with international news crews, since July 9, when a Danish journalist posted to Twitter a photo captioned “Sderot Cinema,” of spectators on the hill cheering the military while munching popcorn. A CNN reporter was pulled from her post last week after she used the word “scum” in a Twitter post to describe Israelis on the hill who she said cheered airstrikes on Gaza and threatened to destroy her car.Israelis from around the country have flocked here, along with international news crews, since July 9, when a Danish journalist posted to Twitter a photo captioned “Sderot Cinema,” of spectators on the hill cheering the military while munching popcorn. A CNN reporter was pulled from her post last week after she used the word “scum” in a Twitter post to describe Israelis on the hill who she said cheered airstrikes on Gaza and threatened to destroy her car.
The prime seats, on a white sofa, were saved for the so-called Sderot Parliament, about a dozen middle-aged men who carved pieces of watermelon with a paring knife and passed them around. Others brought beach chairs, or stood on the beds of pickup trucks for a better view. Uzi Gahan, 42, a furniture painter who lives in nearby Ashkelon, perched on a milk crate.The prime seats, on a white sofa, were saved for the so-called Sderot Parliament, about a dozen middle-aged men who carved pieces of watermelon with a paring knife and passed them around. Others brought beach chairs, or stood on the beds of pickup trucks for a better view. Uzi Gahan, 42, a furniture painter who lives in nearby Ashkelon, perched on a milk crate.
“In Ashkelon, everybody’s hiding in their homes, above my head there’s always explosions,” said Mr. Gahan, who sat next to his 67-year-old father, David, who fought in Israel’s 1967 and 1973 wars. “Here, there’s people. It’s a good atmosphere.”“In Ashkelon, everybody’s hiding in their homes, above my head there’s always explosions,” said Mr. Gahan, who sat next to his 67-year-old father, David, who fought in Israel’s 1967 and 1973 wars. “Here, there’s people. It’s a good atmosphere.”
Infamous as the bomb shelter capital of the world, Sderot has been the target of 2,322 rockets over the years, according to the Sderot Media Project. Residents say they have long been begging the Israeli military for an intense assault like that of the past two weeks. “We are resilient and standing with you,” read banners around town, where many more cars are flying Israeli flags than, say, in Jerusalem.Infamous as the bomb shelter capital of the world, Sderot has been the target of 2,322 rockets over the years, according to the Sderot Media Project. Residents say they have long been begging the Israeli military for an intense assault like that of the past two weeks. “We are resilient and standing with you,” read banners around town, where many more cars are flying Israeli flags than, say, in Jerusalem.
As the sun fell Tuesday, families took snacks and packs of underwear to a bus full of reservists bunking in Sderot overnight before heading into Gaza. Some had beards; a few, small beer bellies. Sagi Cohen, 31, an accountant, said he got the call-up on Thursday night while on a movie date — “Transformers: Age of Extinction” — and had spent the past four days training with his infantry unit.As the sun fell Tuesday, families took snacks and packs of underwear to a bus full of reservists bunking in Sderot overnight before heading into Gaza. Some had beards; a few, small beer bellies. Sagi Cohen, 31, an accountant, said he got the call-up on Thursday night while on a movie date — “Transformers: Age of Extinction” — and had spent the past four days training with his infantry unit.
“We need to refresh,” Mr. Cohen said. As for the date, he said: “It was good. I think she’s worried now. I can’t call.”“We need to refresh,” Mr. Cohen said. As for the date, he said: “It was good. I think she’s worried now. I can’t call.”
Up on Koby Hill, Sarai Yitzhaki said her boyfriend was in Gaza, along with two young men she had known since they were in her mother’s day care center. Ms. Yitzhaki, 22, grew up in one of the Gaza settlements that Israel evacuated in 2005, so it is like watching a war on her own home.Up on Koby Hill, Sarai Yitzhaki said her boyfriend was in Gaza, along with two young men she had known since they were in her mother’s day care center. Ms. Yitzhaki, 22, grew up in one of the Gaza settlements that Israel evacuated in 2005, so it is like watching a war on her own home.
“I’m not afraid from the loud noise, I’m used to it,” she said. “But I’m afraid for my friends who are inside. All the explosions — my heart stops beating in the same second.”“I’m not afraid from the loud noise, I’m used to it,” she said. “But I’m afraid for my friends who are inside. All the explosions — my heart stops beating in the same second.”
Hanan Cohen, the unofficial spokesman of Koby Hill, said his wife thought he was “meshuga” — crazy — for coming. Two days ago, he and others said, two rockets landed nearby. The exit from the tunnel through which Palestinian militants infiltrated Israel on Monday morning, killing four Israeli soldiers, is maybe 200 yards away. But when the local siren sounds, Mr. Cohen keeps his seat on the white sofa.Hanan Cohen, the unofficial spokesman of Koby Hill, said his wife thought he was “meshuga” — crazy — for coming. Two days ago, he and others said, two rockets landed nearby. The exit from the tunnel through which Palestinian militants infiltrated Israel on Monday morning, killing four Israeli soldiers, is maybe 200 yards away. But when the local siren sounds, Mr. Cohen keeps his seat on the white sofa.
Stores in Sderot have been closed for days, he explained, and he cannot stand listening to any more chatter on the news. The hill, he said, offers “nice view, good air.”Stores in Sderot have been closed for days, he explained, and he cannot stand listening to any more chatter on the news. The hill, he said, offers “nice view, good air.”
“In the house you feel suffocated,” he added. “So people come here and they relax.”“In the house you feel suffocated,” he added. “So people come here and they relax.”