There has been much written about the terror in the south of Israel and residents living under terror. Each and every time there is a report of a kassam, mortar or grad missile, the first question asked. "are there any physical injuries”.
I would like to write about a different type of injury. Not physical or emotional, but ‘injuries’ that are almost never mentioned in the media, the injury to our children’s education and the economy of the south. Today once again there isn’t any school because of rocket fire.
Southern Israeli Parents Begin Week with School Chain Calls...http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/161935
Let me start by saying keeping residents safe is without a doubt, the number one priority for the Mayors and Rashei Moetza of the South. They have many very difficult decisions to make. One difficult decision is whether or not to close schools. On one hand, in closing schools, we are allowing Hamas to dictate our lives. On the other hand, many children will be at home alone unsupervised or roaming the streets and malls. It is a damn if you do, damn if you don’t decision.
Children have to go to school on a daily basis. This is something we can all agree on. Routine is very important for their emotional health. They are the future leaders, business and professional citizens of our country. Every missile Hamas shoots at us causes an ‘injury’ to our children’s education, when it is not safe for them to attend school.When the city mayor or regional Rosh Moetza announces schools are closed, we automatically have a domino effect.
Parents of young children can’t go to work. This means that production in the workplace slows down. It doesn’t matter if parents are professionals, work in an office, factory workers or store employees. There are mothers who have lost their job because they chosen to stay home with their children. This is an ‘injury’ to their livelihood. What about parents who go to work but hire a babysitter for the day. The extra expense is something that many young families can not afford.
When missiles are flying and striking southern communities, people are afraid to go out. They don’t take the bus, run errands, go to appointments, go shopping, in other words daily life stops. Stores rely on customers and sales to stay in business.
When we purchase a product, clothes or groceries the price includes the vat tax that the government collects to help cover essential services that they are responsible for: the military, health care, education and the list goes on. Each ministry receives part of their working budget from the vat tax. No sales plus no tax revenues, equals the government will be short necessary money to run the country.
Our country’s economy is hurt when missiles fly. This is another ‘injury’! Just today, 'Sedrot closes its Marketplace'. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/254389
One more injury that we don’t hear anything about is the ‘injury’ a kallah [bride] suffers on her wedding day, when rockets are flying everywhere. This is the day she has dreamed about all of her life. Will her wedding be cancelled? Will her guest be too afraid to attend the wedding?
Last year we saw a miracle in Netivot. The chuppa [ceremony] had just finished. The guest, were going into the wedding hall for the reception, when there was a siren. The grad missile landed in the parking lot next to where the chuppa had been set up. Baruch Hashem, 5 minutes earlier and we would have seen a real tragedy.
For sure, there are many very anxious kallot today.
It will take the mind of a Solomon to fully understand why our government has been so reluctant to attack the war on terror head on and why they have chosen to leave over a million Southern residents living in fear, never knowing when and where the next missile will strike.
Last night the IDF did several air strikes deep with in Gaza. They must be allowed to finish the job, even if it means sending ground troops and put an end to the terror permanently!
Until next time. Please feel free to comment and share.
Miriam
