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Last update - 02:52 19/06/2008
New dawn for kids who only know Qassams?
By Avirama Golan
Tags: sderot, gaza, truce, israel

Gathered on the lawn of the Adam family's Sderot home Wednesday evening were six children, five adults and two dogs. Ya'ara and Nur, first-graders dying for the summer vacation to begin, hung upside down from the big swing. Aviv, the toddler who learned to walk two weeks ago, made her way courageously from her mother to the dog, and then back to her mother, on to the bowl with grapes, and then, squealing joyously, to the pile of children on the swing. It is hard to tell who would be quicker to respond if the Color Red alert were sounded: the toddler or the dumpy dog.

During the past two days, the children of Sderot ran to the secure areas dozens of times. No one ridicules Color Red, but to the outsider it seems as if they are not really aware that a different reality exists: They leave everything, drop every toy dear to them and every other preoccupation, and rush into the reinforced room (those who have them at home), or another relatively protected area nearby - the closest wall - standing for a few seconds in silence, listening tensely.

When they hear the blast, or even better, don't hear the blast, one of the children, usually the youngest, goes to the door and cautiously, lest he hear the screech of the microphone preceding the next Color Red alert, opens the door. A second later, all the children rush outside, followed by the dogs, who always follow them to the secure areas.
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"I am tired of them writing that there are no casualties or damage," said Bosmat Lapid, a member of Migvan, an urban kibbutz, yesterday. "The psychological damage to the children is a daily phenomenon, and they are hurt."

Lapid made these statements at a public hearing at the Sderot Cinematheque, held to mark seven years of Qassam attacks. A committee of volunteers from academia and the media served as a panel, and spent several hours listening to the testimonies of the people of Sderot.

The testimonies were fascinating in their variety, representing different segments of the community, and offered by impressive, erudite representatives. But their complaint was uniform: Where is the state? In a city that is managed nearly entirely by local organizations funded by contributions (most from international Jewry) the sense of alienation from the authorities is only getting deeper. It has reached the point that it is not certain that on the day after the Qassams, when the donations may lessen, it will be possible to have normal community life in Sderot.

Near the rose bushes that only several months ago had been destroyed by a Qassam, the Adam family did not talk about the future. Neither parent is promising that tomorrow will be calm. For the little ones this has been their reality, and the adults doubt a lull in the fighting is possible. We'll see, they said. It seems that it will take months, maybe years, of quiet, for them to believe.
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