Neve Dekalim has been hit with thousands of mortars fired from the neighboring Palestinian Authority-controlled Khan Younis over the past three years. “It sometimes feels as though the rest of Israel forgets about us— a mortar hitting a house in Neve Dekalim is barely registered on the news," said Mrs. Sheled, a member of the local council.
Israel National News asked Moshe Saperstein to describe what life was like living under attack in a Gaza community:
“I go outside some evenings and marvel at the scene – the sky is lit up with tracer bullets and illumination flares – a massive war is being fought 50 feet above our heads. And yet a bubble of calm prevails below all of the pyrotechnics, with people pushing baby carriages and children riding their bicycles.”
When asked what gave residents such calm resolve Saperstein answers without a second thought. “Faith. Real faith and trust in the G-d who gave us the Land of Israel and who decides where missiles fall and what they hit.”
Moshe Saperstein speaks about such faith from firsthand experience. He was injured twice, first losing an arm fighting in the Yom Kippur War, and then shot in his other hand over a year ago while running down a terrorist who had murdered a young couple minutes earlier. He has never considered leaving Neve Dekalim.
“The people of Israel are such a mighty, heroic nation – and yet there is an admiration pecking order of perceived courage today,” mused Saperstein when asked if he considered himself heroic. “When I go to the bank in Jerusalem, the clerk tells me how brave I am to live in Neve Dekalim; back at home we look to the residents of Kfar Darom and they are our heroes; over in Kfar Darom they admire those who live in Netzarim – the truth is that every place in Israel requires an amount of optimism, bravery and faith to live in today. Gazans are certainly not unique in their bravery – which is to be found in all parts of Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza) and across all of the Land of Israel, but we are a community of people who openly admit that miracles are a part of life and that gives us strength.”
The residents of Gush Katif (the group of Jewish communities in southern Gaza) overwhelmingly describe their experiences with the incessant mortar attacks as ‘miraculous.’ Of the 3,497 mortars fired to date “nobody here has ever been killed by one,” says Rachel Saperstein, Moshe’s wife.
Moshe agrees strongly. “There are always those who claim we’ve just gotten lucky, or that the Arabs have lousy aim – but if all the terrorists were blind and firing wildly into the air in the general direction of our homes – logic dictates that we would experience numerous casualties. Now, I understand those whose worldview precludes their admitting that anything is miraculous – but I am frustrated by those are religious – and will talk all about all sorts of miracles in our history but refuse to recognize what goes on here every day.”
“I do not fear the Arabs,” Moshe explains, “I do not fear the United Nations, the European Union, or the American State Department that has always plotted our destruction. Rather, I am terror-stricken that because fear of man is so much more of a dominant force than fear of G-d, today, we continue to ignore what is happening. The secular waste our substance in futile negotiations with our enemy under the auspices of our pretend-friends overseas. The religious will satisfy themselves with the saying of Psalms, and the belief that increased charity and an extra page of Talmud studied may bring salvation. But salvation is at hand. G-d is already protecting us. G-d simply asks that we be active participants in determining our fate. As always, if we do our part, G-d will grant us salvation. If we go forth to destroy our enemies, G-d will grant us victory.”
As of today 3,497 mortars have been fired at the Jewish communities of Gaza. Residents have started an online petition demanding that the Israeli government respond in a way that will put an end to the attacks may be found at:
http://www.katif.net/patzmar/en_bpatzmar.php
Israel National News asked Moshe Saperstein to describe what life was like living under attack in a Gaza community:
“I go outside some evenings and marvel at the scene – the sky is lit up with tracer bullets and illumination flares – a massive war is being fought 50 feet above our heads. And yet a bubble of calm prevails below all of the pyrotechnics, with people pushing baby carriages and children riding their bicycles.”
When asked what gave residents such calm resolve Saperstein answers without a second thought. “Faith. Real faith and trust in the G-d who gave us the Land of Israel and who decides where missiles fall and what they hit.”
Moshe Saperstein speaks about such faith from firsthand experience. He was injured twice, first losing an arm fighting in the Yom Kippur War, and then shot in his other hand over a year ago while running down a terrorist who had murdered a young couple minutes earlier. He has never considered leaving Neve Dekalim.
“The people of Israel are such a mighty, heroic nation – and yet there is an admiration pecking order of perceived courage today,” mused Saperstein when asked if he considered himself heroic. “When I go to the bank in Jerusalem, the clerk tells me how brave I am to live in Neve Dekalim; back at home we look to the residents of Kfar Darom and they are our heroes; over in Kfar Darom they admire those who live in Netzarim – the truth is that every place in Israel requires an amount of optimism, bravery and faith to live in today. Gazans are certainly not unique in their bravery – which is to be found in all parts of Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza) and across all of the Land of Israel, but we are a community of people who openly admit that miracles are a part of life and that gives us strength.”
The residents of Gush Katif (the group of Jewish communities in southern Gaza) overwhelmingly describe their experiences with the incessant mortar attacks as ‘miraculous.’ Of the 3,497 mortars fired to date “nobody here has ever been killed by one,” says Rachel Saperstein, Moshe’s wife.
Moshe agrees strongly. “There are always those who claim we’ve just gotten lucky, or that the Arabs have lousy aim – but if all the terrorists were blind and firing wildly into the air in the general direction of our homes – logic dictates that we would experience numerous casualties. Now, I understand those whose worldview precludes their admitting that anything is miraculous – but I am frustrated by those are religious – and will talk all about all sorts of miracles in our history but refuse to recognize what goes on here every day.”
“I do not fear the Arabs,” Moshe explains, “I do not fear the United Nations, the European Union, or the American State Department that has always plotted our destruction. Rather, I am terror-stricken that because fear of man is so much more of a dominant force than fear of G-d, today, we continue to ignore what is happening. The secular waste our substance in futile negotiations with our enemy under the auspices of our pretend-friends overseas. The religious will satisfy themselves with the saying of Psalms, and the belief that increased charity and an extra page of Talmud studied may bring salvation. But salvation is at hand. G-d is already protecting us. G-d simply asks that we be active participants in determining our fate. As always, if we do our part, G-d will grant us salvation. If we go forth to destroy our enemies, G-d will grant us victory.”
As of today 3,497 mortars have been fired at the Jewish communities of Gaza. Residents have started an online petition demanding that the Israeli government respond in a way that will put an end to the attacks may be found at:
http://www.katif.net/patzmar/en_bpatzmar.php