Carolyn Hathaway
Seattle – Be'er Sheva Sister City Association
Be'er Sheva schools are back in session and the Docu Be'er Sheva film festival is playing all week. Ben Gurion University's Medical School welcomed 40 new students from North American. And the Be'er Sheva Soccer team was trounced by Tel Aviv. Israelis in Be'er Sheva are living normally once more.
Close to 1000 rockets were fired from Gaza towards southern Israel during the Pillar of Defense campaign.
While the majority of rockets were intercepted by Israel's sophisticated “Iron Dome” anti-ballistic system, about 300 did reportedly hit in Be'er Sheva, Ashdod, Ashkelon and other population centers, causing deaths, damage, injuries, and great anxiety. Most people spent days indoors or in shelters. Those who are not in shelters must take cover frequently during the day and night with only seconds to find safety.
Among the victims was Mirah Scharf, the pregnant wife of the rabbi who replaced Mumbai Chabad terrorist victims Gabi and Rivka Holtzberg. Mirah was visiting Israel to attend the Holtzberg memorial service and died on the anniversary of their murders.
Israel targeted ammunitions warehouses and rocket launch sites used by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, all in response to the incessant rocket fire directed at Israel. If civilians are detected in the area, air strikes are halted. The IDF sent thousands of text messages, dropped leaflets, and placed recorded calls to Gaza civilians with warnings to stay away from Hamas operatives. The goal is to restore peace on Israel's borders and protect Israeli citizens.
The U.S. Senate unnaimously passed a bipartisan resolution that it was showing “unwavering support” for the Jewish state. The resolution passed on Thursday 15th November in the evening, less than 48 hours since the conflict escalated. The House of Representatives also passed a similar resolution.
Locally, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn sent a letter to Mayor Ruvik Danilovich, showing the strong support of Be'er Sheva's sister city in the Northwest.