Nobody is Dead

Frick-n-Frack.

Something like 20 qassam (missiles) fell on ziqim today. The "period of quiet" as they called it, seems now like a chance to stockpile weapons. This is more qassam in one day than ever before. And there's a fire, a big one, which has also never happened before.

I am sitting here reeking of smoke, dirt, and animal shit.

But nobody was hurt. Not even the sheep, in whose pen one of the qassam fell.

I can hear the planes and helicopters overhead, and the automatic weapon fire in the distance. After the first few bombs, the nearby army base mobilized and sent Hamas running, so that should be all for today, unless they have something spectacular planned.

There will of course be pictures and video, but in the meantime, check out my Flickr stream, where I put all the photos I took before the bombs started: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26472288@N04/

As I sit here and think of what stands out about today the most, I realize it is how much peoples' ideals change in the face of crisis. Everyone I interviewed during the 7 days there were no bombs had a very leftist view. They were for peace and understanding. But as they survey the burnt landscape of their home, they say to me, "This is what Gaza should look like. We could kill them all in 2 days."

And I repeat to myself an idea which has been coming to fruition for some time: that it takes more courage to love than to hate. And now that I know this, I cannot turn my back on anyone. Not the men who launch the missiles and not the kibbutz victims who wish them dead. What they have in common is the belief that their actions are justified.