Moria's personal story - SummerCamp under rockets fire

I am about to share with you a story of friend of mine Moria, now history teacher, but her story is 3 years ago while she was an instructor in a summer camp in Sderot.

But first an update: Hamas range is going further and further, rockets are fired at the north of Israel.

Seriously, now all the country is under Hamas range. Not only Jews, Muslims and Christians are under the terror of Hamas' rockets but also the Bahai world religious center is under the rocket threat!

So seriously, share the truth and STOP HAMAS!

Now as promised Moria's story:

Hello. My name is Moria Hagbi, I am 23 years old, born and raised in Sderot.
I work as a History teacher and assisting teacher preparing high school students for final exams.

I am also a student for M.ed in Educational counseling.

My personal experience happened 3 years ago in front of delegation from Australia that came to Sderot. I was very determined and confident to share my life growing up under fire of rockets since I was 10 years old.
The day the Australian delegation arrived, few hours earlier, rockets were fired at our city while I was in educational activity with kids in the summer camp where I was an instructor.

I will not forget the cries and stress and fear of the kids who grew up to this reality, after the Code Red alarm went on.

I felt helpless, how can I lead 20 children to a shelter while keeping calm myself, and radiate serenity and ease so they could feel better and know I am with them.

I felt I can't hold it in and about to cry but somehow I stopped, and smiled so they will not see me cry so they could feel safe and secured.

After this experience I met with the nice people of the Australian delegation feeling nervous and uneasy.

I told them my name and that I live in Sderot for 20 years very proud and confident.

When I started explaining the life we live here in Sderot and especially what happened that day in summer camp I started crying, all the tears and sadness I keep inside to radiate confidence and calm to people around me.
Still crying, I told them about about how you feel helpless when you only have 15 seconds to get into safe place and that the life of me, my family and every one else in Sderot depends on us getting to safety in 15 seconds.

I played them a recording of Code Red alarm and they identified with the pain and stress I live in for almost 14 years now. There where mothers in this delegation that felt the same worries my mom and other moms in Sderot feel when they hear their children cry when they hear the alarm.
I got used to this reality, painful and stressful reality filled with insecurities and feeling you always need to stay close to a shelter.

How much longer I will be scared from the noise of slammed door? How much longer I will have to run to a shelter or safe room in 15 seconds or less?

I hope for a peaceful reality. A reality in which I don't have to keep being worried about my own or my family safety. That I could walk in my city without being afraid to hear Code Red alarm anymore.

Thanks for reading
Dov Trachtman - The Man in Fort

Hamas introduced new means and techniques this escalation against Israel

Hello readers and followers!

Hamas sent dozens of rockets today to south, center and now even to northern Israel.

So I have decided to let you all know what means and techniques Hamas introduced in this escalation

against Israel.

1. Mass kidnapp & murder of teens - 12.6.14 Thursday night Eyal, Gilad and Naftaly were kidnapped by a Hamas squad from Judea and Samaria. The three teenagers where shortly killed few minutes later.

The plan was to kidnapp, murder and than use their bodies for "negotiating" their demands to Israeli government.

2. Cyber warfare -  Hamas, another terror groups and their supporters work hard creating cyber-terrorism attacks. In 3.7.14 they hacked IDF's spokersperson twitter account posting this message:

later the hackers deleted it and posted a hashtag about palestine.

its just one public example of cyber-warfare and terrorism conducted by terror organizations and supporters.

3.  Using Surface-Air anti aircraft missiles - altough it was reported 2 years ago that hamas is using them, now in 8.7.14 they reported using one. It is believed to be an old soviet SAM.

4. Naval Terror Commando - In 8.7.14 Hamas sent a commando squad to enter Israel through sea. IDF thwarted this attack. 

5. Using Civilians and human sheilds and encouraging this through media and social media - It is already know that Hamas love to be covered and sheltered with human casualties to they could portray themselves as good guys then spreading damages and injured people photos and videos (some staged, some from Syria or Iraq) but they dont feel any shame encouraging people giving their life standing on roofs of Hamas leaders houses and weapons storage rooms.

The words in arabic translates to "A strong people". Encouraging acting as human shields for buildings and Hamas leaders so they can become "heroes".

6. Launching rockets attack without distinction at most of Israel - As I said before, Hamas is a terror organization that declared a holy war (jihad) against Jews, Israelis and Zionists, they shoot at Elders, Women and Children. They shoot Jews, Muslims and Christians. They don't care who you are, what you believe and what is your political agenda. You are their target. They also targeted Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque which they claim are holy places for them. Isn't that make them sound either LIERS or atleast totally INSANE?

So since their last big escalation against Israel they have better rockets and better range. Today they tried to hit Haifa (another city were Jews and Arabs co-exist) and They hit Zichron Yaakov not so far from there. Its a little bit further than Hadera last night.

So, there you have it! Hamas work hard to make their terrorism more violent, not-human, trying to hurt more people at once, showing their true colors as INSANE TERRORISTS THAT ENJOY VIOLENCE AND WAR AND DONT CARE ABOUT PEACE AT ALL!!

So help me spread the truth! 

Dov Trachtman - The Man in Fort

Whats going on in Sderot

Hello everyone! 

I am amazed of the how much readers and how many shares the blog has since its opening yesterday.

We have readers from Israel, USA, Europe, Even from Palestinian authority! 

So, night was kind of rough, hearing explosions but since for the last 2 weeks I hardly slept because of rockets escalations, I was so tired so I finally fell to sleep and had few hours of rest.

Last evening a rocket hit  Hadera which is 160 kilometers (something like 99 miles) from Gaza.

Thats a new range they have got. which means more than a half of Israel is now in their line of fire.

This morning ofcourse more rockets to Tel-Aviv and the center of Israel. I guess in a short time they start firing rockets in masses like yesterday. Heres a rocket intercepted in Ness-Ziona (YNET)

Meanwhile in Sderot, Volunteers with the help of "Netivim" youth center were planning for a while a screening of a World Cup game today with some activities all for teenagers of Sderot.

This is part of Sderot Summer white-nights series of events meant to give teenagers good times and chilling out in the summer in safe enviroment without violence, terror and alchohol. I really do wish this event will succeed and go as planned and the teenagers of sderot will enjoy and have few hours of peace :)

As for me, yesterday I told you Im trying to finish my papers for college but have hard time to handle it.

I have decided to put extra effort today so I will have some progress on this. Hamas won't stop me! Terror won't stop me!

I will keep you up to date if something intersting is happening today!

Dov Trachtman - The Man in Fort 

Studying under Rockets fire - Rockets launched to Jerusalem

Its been crazy in the last hour in Israel!

As I mentioned before, Im a student and now its time of final exams and summary papers.

Living in Sderot I cant focus at all at studying or writing my papers no matter how hard I try.

The noises of explosions hardly stops, alarms constantly turned on. 

I should point out though that In Sderot, Ashqelon Beersheva and other cities colleges and universities canceled tests and classes till further notice since in escalation when rockets are fired constantly no one can

really deal with this, running to shelters some people faint, some people have hard symptoms of stress and trauma. Still I don't want to let terrorists dictate my life and disrupt them because this is their goal. But damn I just cant do it!

So I was talking with a good friend of mine, Katya who lives in Ashdod, a city northern than Ashqelon that had rockets launched at them as well. We talked about this situation and that she is worried for her brother who is in active duty. As we were talking the alarm went on and I ran to shelter. But Hamas launched about 30 rockets together to different targets. At Sderot, Ashdod, BeerSheva, Tel-Aviv and other cities in the south and center of Israel and to Jerusalem, a city which is told to be holy to most of the world.

Don't you find it odd that terrorists like Hamas always talk about how much Jerusalem (al-quds as they call it) is a holy place for them? and the Al-Aqsa mosque? Than how can they dare bomb this city? and take the risk of ruining one of the holiest sites for them?
I guess that all this religious talk of Hamas and their fellow terrorist organizations is just lies! (surprise, surprise). They are heathens! not true believers! not of God or Allah, defenitley not Islam!

So now, AGAIN Jews, Muslims and Christians are under the terror of Hamas in what seems to be not just southen Israel but Half of Israel. Kids that cant stop crying, parents are hopeless, teens are terrefied, elders that cant even get on time to shelters, from all sectors and all ethnicities and all religions without distinction face this reality now. But even though we will push through we will walk tall for what we believe and what we stand for. WE WANT PEACE!

BTW thanks for everyone who read and spread the word about this blog you are amazing!

Dov Trachtman - The Man in Fort

Rockets in Tel-Aviv intercepted by Iron Dome, Naval terrorists commando attack thwarted by IDF

Its my 3rd post today but things here escalated seriously! Rockets were intercepted in Tel-Aviv by Iron Dome the anti-missle defense system (originally made to protect Sderot).

Tel-Aviv is one of the biggest cities in Israel and  is also known as Tel-Aviv-Jaffa is home for both Jews and Arabs communities living together!

The fact that Hamas is willing to fire without distinction of Jews and non Jews show how their claims for fighting for palestinians and muslims are meaningless they are just bloodthirsty terrorists. They are VILE.

Meanwhile, a Naval Commando unit of Hamas entered through the sea to kibbutz Zikim between Sderot and Ashqelon. Fortunatley IDF located them and thwarted their attack.

As I said things escalate very quickly and for us people in Israel things become more stressful than before.

Military service is mandatory here and many people are staying in reserve units after discharge. As a result of the escalation and the operation many of us start to be worried for our families and friends who are being sent to front lines even if they are in active duty or reserve. Lets pray for their safe return home!

On a personal note the explosions and the updates of the situations make me both stressed and worried but blogging about it and feeling like taking part and doing something makes me feel a little bit more relaxed.

So I encourage all of you who find himself stressed, worried maybe even helpless to start blogging, vlogging or documenting things and share them.

Dov Trachtman - The Man in Fort

From Sderot goodness will be poured out

The title of this post is based on Jeremiah 1:14 and used as the name for a demonstration organized by "Netivim" youth center in Sderot.
As I mentioned in the previous post Sderot is a city that have been under the fire of rocket by palestinian terror organizations, mostly by Hamas who controls Gaza.

The demonstration happened yesterday monday 7.7.14 at 19:00 Israel time parallel to the beginning of operation "Protective Edge" which goal is stopping the terrorism acts and rocket launching from Gaza.
It was planned beforehand as a respone to tensions between Jewish and Arab citizens in Israel.

It is a good time to mention that there are Jews, Arabs, Christians and Muslims living in Sderot and this tensions wasnt felt in here and there was no violence not by Jews, Muslims or Christians.

The demonstrators under alarms, explosions and rockets talked about stoping the tensions and violence between all Israeli civilians, acting humanly and united and called to stop all violence.

The demonstrators wore shirts with slogans such as the title of the post and "choosing humanity" "stop violence".

I think this is a proof of the morals and values of the people living in Israel in general and people of Sderot living under terror in particular.

We want peace! We call for peace! join the call of peace and humanity! join the call to stop terror!

Join the call to stop Hamas! NOW!

Dov Trachtman - The Man in Fort

Who and where is the Man in Fort - Introduction

Hello and welcome to my blog "Man in Fort".

First I will introduce myself, My name is Dov and Im a 22 year old student living in Sderot.

The name of the blog "Man in Fort" is chosen to represent my life as a man living in the most sheltered city in the world right now.

So what's the deal, why is Sderot is the most sheltered city in the world?

Well Sderot is a small town in Israel that is only couple of miles from Gaza.

Since 2001 Sderot is under constant fire of rockets launched from Gaza by terrorist organizations, mainly Hamas.

Living in what can be called in "rocket reality" for over a decade lead to that Sderot citizens men and women, elders and children needed some protection.

 So now we are the home for the world's first sheltered playground, world's first sheltered bus stations, and one of the few sheltered train stations. 

Also our situation of living under the threat of rockets lead to development of now world leading anti-missle system called "Iron dome". 

Unfortunatley even though we have all this protection people are still getting hurt badly, people still suffer from PTSD and children are still afraid to get out of their house not to mention go to the pool or sea in this summer.

And unlike us many other cities are in the line of fire the last few years and they dont have as much shelter as we have.

In June 2014 Hamas decided to escalate the tension and kidnapped and murdered 3 teenagers: Eyal, Gilad and Naftaly may they rest in peace. While the Israeli government and the IDF worked hard to find them and before finding out they were killed and thrown into a hole Hamas and its partners in Gaza decided to escalate the launching of rockets to Sderot and other towns nearby. 

The escalation continued firing more than 20 rockets a day and targeting bigger cities than usually like Beer Sheva./

 Israel offered last thursday 3.7.14 a ceasefire and that quiet will be treated with quiet.

Hamas refused and launched even more rockets at Israel which lead Israel to start operation "Protective Edge".

I hope through this blog to reach out to people around the world to make them understand enough is enough we want to live in peace and quiet. Our problem is only with Hamas, a terrorist organization that officially states he dont recognize Israel's right to exist, that they want to kill Jews and Zionists, and declared a Jihad (holy war) against us. Their methods are rockets, suicide bombers, kidnapping and other acts of violence.

To protect themselves from Israeli response they hide themselves, their bases, storage rooms and weapons inside a crowded civilian population. So they are responsible for violating basic human rights of both Israeli and Palestinian innocent civilians.

So please, join the call to stop terror and stop Hamas!

Dov Trachtman - The Man in Fort