'Palestinians' increase their range
A 122-mm grad rocket fired by 'Palestinian' terrorists landed this morning in an open area near the Holiday Inn in Ashkelon. No one was hurt. Ironically, the hotel is being used to house Jewish refugees who were expelled from their homes in the nearby Gaza Strip two and a half years ago. This was the fifth time a grad rocket - a variation on the Katyushas used by Hezbullah in the summer of 2006 - has been fired on Israel from Gaza. The rocket has a longer range than the Kassam and puts thousands more Israelis in striking range from Gaza.There seems to be some dispute as to where the Holiday Inn in Ashkelon is located. Arutz Sheva places it in the southern part of the city, while the Jerusalem Post and DEBKA both place it in the northern part of the city and DEBKA goes so far as to give its distance from the Gaza Strip: eighteen kilometers. By contrast, Sderot is less than two kilometers from the Gaza Strip. I am not familiar with Ashkelon or the hotel, so I cannot say authoritatively which is correct. But given that the driving directions say to take the "Ashkelon North" exit, I am inclined to believe that it is in the northern part of the city.
DEBKA makes the following comment connecting this morning's attack to Israel's muteness after Egypt allowed dozens of Hamas terrorists and $150 million in cash into the Gaza Strip last night:
Official sources in Jerusalem argued after the event that Israel’s relations with Egypt were of strategic value, even though Cairo was admittedly giving Hamas free rein to boost its war of terror against Israel. The thinking in the Israeli prime minister’s office is that calm relations with Egypt and its president - a week before US president George W. Bush’s visit to the region - count for more than the security of Ashkelon’s 105,000 inhabitants and the important national utilities located there.More on the three strategic facilities located in and around Ashkelon here.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:47 AM
3 Comments:
I only see one Holiday Inn listed in Ashkelon; the one you linked to. We stayed there a couple of years ago.
It's the far North edge of Ashkelon ... beyond that hotel it becomes sand dunes.
according to the ynet hebrew site's picture, the location is in the very north of the city. i was just there earlier today.
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3489799,00.html
"count for more than the security of Ashkelon’s 105,000 inhabitants and the important national utilities located there."
Carl - I would submit that is more than treason - that is depraved and reckless disregard for the safety of the country's inhabitants. In this light, Rabbi Dov Wolpe's comments are far from extreme. And as the Israeli government's fecklessness continues, the feeling that Israel's leaders have no concern for the country's well-being will continue to rise.
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