By Marney Blom
It has been two months since the unilateral Gaza-Israel ceasefire came into effect, yet not much has changed for Israel.
With more than 110 rockets and mortars launched from Gaza since the ceasefire, Hamas terrorists continue their assault on the modern Jewish state.
Middle East affairs analyst Avi Melamed held up one of the 10,000 rockets piled behind the Sderot police station. “You (can) see the small wings that are stabilizing the rocket as it is being launched,” he said. “The front of course is being loaded with the explosives (made from) civilian ingredients … common things provided to the Palestinian Gaza strip by Israel, because (they are) supposed to be used for civilian purposes, like sugar or like pesticides.”
The reality of the situation is sobering for Israel; a tiny sliver of a nation surrounded by countries housing terrorists openly committed to its annihilation.
Yet all of Israel is celebrating.
The yearly Jewish festival of Purim, based on the Biblical story of Queen Esther, remembers a moment in history when the Jews of ancient Persia faced the threat of extinction. Today, Israelis young and old celebrate this holiday by wearing a wide assortment of costumes, even to the synagogue. Here the entire book of Esther, known in Hebrew as the Megillah, is read with great enthusiasm.
But that’s not the only reason some Israelis celebrated this year. A newly constructed $5 million indoor recreational facility opened in the Gaza border town of Sderot on Purim. Conceived and financed by the Jewish National Fund, this rocket-proof indoor playground – the first of its kind in the world – was constructed with the intention of bringing a level of normalcy to the lives of children living in a town pounded by thousands of rockets.
Sderot mayor David Bouskila said, “This day for us is … to give (back) to our children the childhood they (lost) in the last eight years in Sderot. “(When) I know that 500 … 600 children, instead (of being) outside they are here, I am more relaxed because I know that here they have 100 per cent the answer of how to defend themselves.”
The big blue missile-proof playground will not only serve up to 5000 children during a time of conflict, but the centre will provide respite for various other members of the community.
“I am a bit shocked. It is the first time I have seen this place”, said Maol, a grateful Sderot father. “Wow, just wow.”
“I think it is great that we have something that big and protected,” said Nicole Shlomo, mother of two. “It is the most wonderful thing that happened here … especially for the children”.
Jewish National Fund tour guide Shahar Hermelin believed Purim was the ideal occasion to open the facility. “In Jewish tradition this is a holiday where you give gifts to one another. I think this is the biggest gift we can give to the kids of Sderot and the entire region.”
IDF analysts currently believe that in addition to the intermittent firing of rockets, Hamas terrorists are continuing to re-arm and ready themselves for future conflict.
But Israel is also preparing: fortifying, building and raising the standard of life in the fray. By celebrating Biblical accounts such as the story of Queen Esther, all of Israel is being reminded of moments in history when the God of Israel delivered this nation despite overwhelming odds.
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