Are you with Israel?

On a visit to Israel earlier this year we were able to visit Sderot which sits on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Sderot has experienced over 20,000 missile attacks since 2005 and faced continuous rocket fire from the Gaza Strip since 2001. The situation deteriorated after the “disengagement,” in 2005, when Israel under Ariel Sharon forced the Jewish residents of Gaza to leave their communities which were subsequently destroyed. Sderot was attacked on the infamous day of October the 7th, 2023. Terrorists broke through the security border fence there, penetrated the town of Sderot and occupied the police station. Near the border there is a small hill which provides a lookout into Gaza and over the town of Sderot. Next to the viewing platform is a new visitor center, named, “Israel survived to tell,” which relays the story of October the 7th. Indeed, Israel has “survived to tell,” time and again, since it was born as a nation and survived the onslaught of well equipped Arab armies in 1948. It survived in 1967, it survived in 1973, it survived two intifadas, terrorist attack after terrorist attack. It survived to tell the miracle of Israel.