Palestinians Shell Infants, Claim Victimhood

In the convoluted world of Palestinian-speak any response by Israel, no matter how restrained, to any provocation, no matter how foul, is automatically Israel's fault. Hence today, when the Palestinians fire a rocket that hits right next to a crowded daycare center with 15 infants inside, Hamas is screeching that they are the victims. In advance of any retaliation, of course. Call it preemptive victimhood.

SDEROT, Israel - A Palestinian rocket landed in a courtyard next to a crowded day care center on Monday, sending panicked mothers scrambling to take their screaming toddlers to safety and bringing warnings of retribution from Israeli leaders.

None of the 15 children at the center was hurt. But frantic parents in Sderot — already furious over the government's failure to protect them and their children from the near-daily rocket fire — pulled their children out of schools on the second day of the academic year. It was unclear when studies would resume.

The army said seven rockets were fired Monday morning at Sderot, a frequently targeted city just a mile from the Gaza Strip. Islamic Jihad, a radical Palestinian militant group that has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel in recent years, claimed responsibility.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel would show no restraint in its efforts to stem the attacks from Gaza.

"We will not limit ourselves" he told a news conference in Jerusalem, adding that Israel would "do everything to provide better security for the residents (of Sderot)."

The military carries out almost daily ground and air strikes aimed at rocket-launching squads in northern Gaza, but the crude rockets continue to baffle the high-tech military.

Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu called for the international community to prevent Israeli reprisals.

"We are taking this new threat by Olmert seriously," he said. "We are warning of coming massacres against the people in Gaza."

They shell children but it's Israel's fault if they strike back. Yeesh. This time, however, even the European Union is not staying silent. Shelling babies is a war crime even by their "blame Israel first" standards:

Visiting EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana condemned the attacks on Sderot, adding that on a previous trip to Israel he had been in the town as rockets fell.

"I'd like to show my solidarity with the people of Sderot," he said at a news conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

"I know what it means, and to see today again the same experience for the people, in particular at a time when kids are in school, I think it's something that I have to condemn," he said.

The Daily Mail describes the scene at the day care center:

Soldiers scrambled to evacuate babies from a day care center in rocket-scarred Sderot today after a projectile fired by Palestinian militants thudded into the courtyard.

None of the 15 babies at the center was hurt. But frantic parents across the city - already furious over the government's failure to protect them and their children from the near-daily rocket fire - pulled their children out of schools on the second day of the academic year.

The army said six rockets were fired at the southern Israeli city, which lies just a few kilometres from the Gaza Strip, and at least one landed. The Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility for firing three.

Israel has been unbelievably restrained in responding to this non-stop aggression by the Palestinians. At some point patience and restraint will vanish.

Other Links to this Post

1. Public Secrets: from the files of the Irishspy — Monday, 3 September , 2007 @ 4:48 pm