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In Israel's Sderot, a Reprieve from Palestinian Rockets, But Not Fear

[Christian Science Monitor] Joshua Mitnick - Sderot, less than three miles from the Gazan border, became infamous as a frequent target for Palestinian rockets. Sderot's wrecked homes have been largely rebuilt. But after being on constant alert for unpredictable rocket attacks, it has not been as easy for Sderot's 19,000 residents to restore their peace of mind. "9/11 happened once. It was terrible, but it was only once," says Yehudit Barkai, a field worker in Sderot for Natal, the Israel Trauma Coalition. Barkai says many in Sderot suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. "We're talking about eight years." No other town here has endured such sustained stress for such a long period of time. Amid Israeli press reports that Hamas is rearming with smuggled weapons, even kids here utter the mantra that it's merely "the calm before the storm."
2009-09-04 08:00:00
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