Air raid!

[MicroBalrog]

The operation in Gaza started as of today. The Palestinians are firing their rockets in return, and the army instructed everybody all the way up to Ashdod to stay indoors. Nobody really cares about the warning, and people keep with their daily shopping and so forth.

That said, me and 2swap were outside when we heard an actual air raid alarm. We wanted to continue our walk because we saw nobody was really caring for it, but my parents called us and insisted that we at least come back home (not even my parents actually went for the bomb shelter or safe room).

So far it seems safe. Nothing actually reached my town. We'll be posting more if more stuff comes up.

[grislyatoms]

Glad y'all are okay.

I can't imagine being that complacent under the circumstances, but I've never been exposed to it, either.

Definitely keep us posted.

[Manedwolf]

The operation in Gaza started as of today. The Palestinians are firing their rockets in return, and the army instructed everybody all the way up to Ashdod to stay indoors. Nobody really cares about the warning, and people keep with their daily shopping and so forth.

That said, me and 2swap were outside when we heard an actual air raid alarm. We wanted to continue our walk because we saw nobody was really caring for it, but my parents called us and insisted that we at least come back home (not even my parents actually went for the bomb shelter or safe room).

So far it seems safe. Nothing actually reached my town. We'll be posting more if more stuff comes up.

What kind of safe room do you have? I've seen photos of everything there from double-thick concrete to a bunch of old wornout flak vests stuffed in walls.

And what the HELL is with Fox's headline? "Bloodiest Day for Palestinians in 20 Years" First captioned photo is:

Dec. 27: Palestinian children and a man wounded in Israeli missile strikes are seen in the emergency area at Shifa hospital in Gaza City.

...hello? Quit firing rockets at civilians and this won't happen? Are they supposed to keep tolerating, what, 100 rockets in a single day, wasn't it?

Did Murdoch give new marching orders to follow with the Obamatons, or what?

[ilbob]

what I cannot understand is why there is any sympathy left for the Palestinians who despite signing a truce keep lobbing mortars and rockets into Israel.

[Manedwolf]

what I cannot understand is why there is any sympathy left for the Palestinians who despite signing a truce keep lobbing mortars and rockets into Israel.

We want peace! *fires rocket into civilian area, trying for casualties*

Peace! *fires more rockets*

Peace! *fires more rockets*

Peace! *fires more rockets, mortars*

*Israel finally smacks back* 

"Zionist aggressors are slaughtering us, unprovoked!"

 

[Scout26]

[Taps feet waiting for obligatory excuses/rationalizations from SinS]

[Hawkmoon]

We want peace! *fires rocket into civilian area, trying for casualties*

Peace! *fires more rockets*

Peace! *fires more rockets*

Peace! *fires more rockets, mortars*

*Israel finally smacks back* 

"Zionist aggressors are slaughtering us, unprovoked!"

That seems to pretty well sum it up. One article I read was critical of Israel for "violating" the cease fire -- which expired a week ago, and which Hamas wasn't respecting anyway.

So Hamas has vowed "retaliation." Reality check, Hamas ... what Israel did was "retaliation," for your unprovoked missile attacks.

[Tallpine]

Being inside anything other than a reinforced concrete bunker is likely to be more dangerous than just walking around outside.

[MicroBalrog]

What kind of safe room do you have? I've seen photos of everything there from double-thick concrete to a bunch of old wornout flak vests stuffed in walls.

Well, a safe room is probably an exaggeration. This is an old Amigur construction house, so the bedrooms are supposed to be convertible into NBC saferooms with ease (by taping the tiny window shut or replacing it by a steel shutter. However, failing that (the bedrooms have ACs and stuff now), we're supposed, according to the instructions, to go into the corridor linking the appartment's rooms together (which has no external windows) and sit on the floor with our heads covered. It's probably safe against shrapnel and stuff like that, and it's not like we can reach the bomb shelter within 45 seconds (it's four floors below).

[Manedwolf]

It's probably safe against shrapnel and stuff like that, and it's not like we can reach the bomb shelter within 45 seconds (it's four floors below).

Needs remodeling! Add one of these!

[Scout26]

Needs remodeling! Add one of these!

Multi-functional also !!!

1) Quick route to safety during rocket attack.

2) Stripper Pole when all clear sounded.

 

[Uncle Bubba]

We want peace! *fires rocket into civilian area, trying for casualties*

Peace! *fires more rockets*

Peace! *fires more rockets*

Peace! *fires more rockets, mortars*

*Israel finally smacks back* 

"Zionist aggressors are slaughtering us, unprovoked!"

 

Illustrated:

[seeker_two]

We want peace! *fires rocket into civilian area, trying for casualties*

Peace! *fires more rockets*

Peace! *fires more rockets*

Peace! *fires more rockets, mortars*

*Israel finally smacks back* 

"Zionist aggressors are slaughtering us, unprovoked!"

 

Some days, I find Israel's restraint in handling the Palestinian problem admirable....

Other days (like today) I find it hard to understand....

[MicroBalrog]

While I was away touring Old Jaffa with 2swap , several rockets hit near our town.

Mom&Dad actually heard the explosions and had to deal with phonecalls from worried relatives abroad. Some foreign news-sites have fudged the geography and claimed rockets fell IN Ashdod, so people were understandably concerned.

[Viking]

Multi-functional also !!!

1) Quick route to safety during rocket attack.

2) Stripper Pole when all clear sounded.

 

You forgot something: You can also pretend you are Batman!

[erictank]

Multi-functional also !!!

1) Quick route to safety during rocket attack.

2) Stripper Pole when all clear sounded.

 

As long as you remember to put something down over the hole before the dancing commences, anyways - otherwise... 

Manedwolf and Uncle Bubba, 100% agreement with your assessments of the Hamas vs. IDF situation. 

Micro, glad to hear you and yours are doing okay so far. 

[Manedwolf]

Oh, what a surprise...

CAIR Condemns Israeli 'Massacre' in Gaza

Obama urged to speak 'in favor of peace and justice for all parties'

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today condemned Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip that left more than 200 people dead and called the death toll a "massacre carried out using U.S. taxpayer-funded weapons." More than 700 people, including women and children, were injured in the attacks.

SEE: Israeli Strikes Kill 229 in Gaza (Reuters) http://tinyurl.com/9xgjxk

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement:

"Despite the public 'green light' given to the Israeli military by the Bush administration, American Muslims join our fellow citizens who respect international law and the sanctity of human life in repudiating this massacre carried out using U.S. taxpayer-funded weapons.

"It must be clear by now that the only future offered to the Palestinian people by the outgoing administration was one of perpetual subjugation and humiliation at the hands of the Israeli occupiers. Unfortunately, our nation's timid response to this tragic episode will only serve to fuel anti-American sentiments in the Muslim world.

"We therefore call on President-elect Obama to demonstrate his commitment to change our nation's current one-sided Mideast policy by speaking out now in favor of peace and justice for all parties to this decades-long conflict.

"We also call on world leaders to take direct action to end Israel's counterproductive and wildly disproportionate attacks and to end the humanitarian siege of Gaza, which led to the recent breakdown of the ceasefire."

CAIR noted that the European Union (EU), Russia, the UN Secretary-General, the Arab League, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and other international bodies are all urging Israel to end it attacks.

Middle East envoy Tony Blair deplored the "tragic of loss of life," while French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned Israel's "disproportionate use of force."

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the Israeli attacks were "inflicting an unacceptable toll on Palestinian civilians and will only worsen the humanitarian crisis as well as complicate the search for a peaceful solution."

CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 35 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-27-2008/0004947113&EDATE=

"Despite the public 'green light' given to the Israeli military by the Bush administration, American Muslims join our fellow citizens who respect international law and the sanctity of human life in repudiating this massacre carried out using U.S. taxpayer-funded weapons.

The irony. How's those suicide belts, human shields and putting missiles on top of occupied buildings working out for you, guys?

[Nitrogen]

We want peace!

(by ridding this area of Israel!)

[Manedwolf]

Fox has officially gone over to the side of all the rest of the liberal, mewling, appeasing media.

Late Sunday, Israeli aircraft attacked a building in the Jebaliya refugee camp next to Gaza City, killing a 14-month-old baby, Gaza Health Ministry official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain said. Early Monday, Israeli aircraft bombed the Islamic University and government compound in Gaza City, centers of Hamas power. Witnesses saw fire and smoke at the university, counting six separate airstrikes there just after midnight.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,473408,00.html

Maybe because, oh, THAT WAS WHERE THEY HAD ROCKET LAUNCHERS SET UP, BOTH PLACES?! Yes, I'm sure they were aiming for the baby. How about reporting that with phrasing not written seemingly by Al-Jazeera's professional obfuscators, Fox?

Because that's what they do, human shields!

Nice work, Murdoch. So eager to be sure that your network doesn't get locked out of Obama press conferences that you've apparently ordered Fox to be Just Like Them. Now there is no source of nooz that is not mewling tripe.

And MB, dude, can you get your old rifle back or something? You might need it.

[Scout26]

Illustrated:

Great pic. 

Give it to liberals and ask them if they can "Spot the Terrorist"......

[MicroBalrog]

Yesterday, a state of emergency has been declared in a zone of 20 kilometers from the border.

Furthermore, the potential impact zone of the rockets has been expanded to cover Be'er-Sheva and Yavne, which is 7 kilometers North of me.

[Zed]

Great pic. 

Give it to liberals and ask them if they can "Spot the Terrorist"......

They will likely point out the lady in the blue dress or the child she is holding.

[Manedwolf]

Yesterday, a state of emergency has been declared in a zone of 20 kilometers from the border.

Furthermore, the potential impact zone of the rockets has been expanded to cover Be'er-Sheva and Yavne, which is 7 kilometers North of me.

And they're going to let all citizens who have served draw a rifle and ammo in case there's reprisals on the ground, right?

I still can't figure out why they surplused all the Galils to be cut up into parts kits. Those should have been stored as simple, idiot-proof rifles to be given to the general population if things really went south in a hurry. What're you supposed to use, someone's grandfather's Mauser?

[MicroBalrog]

And they're going to let all citizens who have served draw a rifle and ammo in case there's reprisals on the ground, right?

Reprisals on the ground? How, precisely?

There is a system of concrete walls and minefields between me and the bad guys, reinforced by multiple infantry brigades, armor, artillery, and the IAF.

When a single person gets past the walls to be shot by border patrol troops, it makes news and heads roll.

Besides, centerfire rifles are prohibited for civilian ownership.

[Viking]

Reprisals on the ground? How, precisely?

There is a system of concrete walls and minefields between me and the bad guys, reinforced by multiple infantry brigades, armor, artillery, and the IAF.

When a single person gets past the walls to be shot by border patrol troops, it makes news and heads roll.

Besides, centerfire rifles are prohibited for civilian ownership.

Wah? No centrefire rifles at all? And I thought I had it bad .