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-< Information and Communications on Israel >-
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Note 24.1 Children's view 1 of 17
TAVENG::MONTY "No more Mr. Nice" 82 lines 23-JAN-1991 23:16
-< Channi (aged 9) Thurs 17/01/91 >-
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The following was written by my daughter Channi, aged 9, during the night
of Thursday 17 - the first Iraqi SCUD attack on Israel.
Unfortunately, my translation looses some of the feelings, expressed in the
original.
My comments and explanations are in brackets.
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The evening before the war broke out, I was very bored. There was no school
(**due the situation, the Ministry of Education shut down all the schools,
initially from Wednesday 16/1 till Sunday 20/1**).
Earlier in the evening I had watched television, but there was just news.
Eli (**8 year old brother **) was glued to the television news, and didn't
want to listen to songs on the other channel. So I went to bed. I woke up
very early in the morning, about 2a.m, and started thinking all sorts of
weird thoughts. Suddenly Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (** alarm sound**)
I was confused. What is it ? Gas ?? Anything but that !! Eli !
I started thinking. I ran quickly to Mummy and Daddy, they had also heard
the siren. We all ran into the sealed room. Mummy told me to put on socks,
slippers and and a sweater (**in case of gas - less body area exposed**).
Daddy ran to get my fish (**Channi is very attached to her two goldfish**).
I stayed close to Mummy and Daddy. Mummy unfortunately, started to phone
her friends (**Channi didn't realize at the time, what my wife was doing.
She wanted to ensure that certain people had also heard the siren**). I was
terribly tense.
Daddy made sure that everyone in the family was awake and we put the
plastic demonstration filter on the gas masks instead of the real filter
(**I couldn't believe that we were really under attack**), and we listened
to the radio. Suddenly we heard: The siren sounded across the country is
real emergency siren (** not a training one **). I didn't know what to do.
Daddy quickly got out the gas filters. I was terribly afraid. Mummy helped
me put on my gas mask. She nearly strangled me, but when we screwed on the
air filter, I felt much better. I suddenly was in good spirits, I felt as
if I was breathing clear fresh air. Dina (** 3 year old sister **) didn't
want to put on her Bardas (** special gas mask for small kids **). She
screamed. Avi (** 8 month old brother **) screamed in his Mamat (** special
tent for babies and small children **).
I was really afraid for Avi, It wasn't very nice in the Mamat. Mummy
soothed him down. After that, she talked to me.
I was really frightened. Daddy succeeded in convincing Dina to put on her
gas mask. I worried like I don't know what !! Eli wasn't comfortable in his
gas mask and Naomi (** 6 year old sister **) was crying in her gas mask.
I started getting annoyed with Avi's screams in the Mamat. Mummy said we
should get all the (**atrophine**) injections ready. I went to help and
tried to explain to Daddy that the green syringes were for the children and
the white ones for the children. After that Eli reminded me about the
fish. I took out the plastic bag from the gas mask box and placed it over
the fish bowl. All the time the radio kept broadcasting that the siren was
the emergency siren and they kept giving instructions on how to put on the
gas masks. All the time I was frightened that I wouldn't have enough air. I
was very confused when they said that over an hour had already passed.
Avi cried loudly in his Mamat and crawled around inside it. Mummy looked
for his pacifier. Daddy told me to cuddle Naomi who was still crying. After
that I went to play with Dina. Dina tried pressing the switch on her gas
filter (** the small children's gas mask has a small battery powered pump
to push the air through the filter **). I called Daddy and he told her to
stop. I told her that there were little teddy bears dancing around her air
filter. I was so frightened now. I helped Mummy as much as I could. I said
"shema" (** prayer **).
Suddenly they said on the radio that we could take off our gas masks, so we
took them off. Mummy took Eli out of his Mamat. I drank something. Mummy
said she was very proud of us all. I started to draw but I could draw
anything, so I listened to the radio. After some time the radio broadcast
something in French (** the all clear message and explanation was broadcast
in a few languages **) what I picked up was the word "vendur", after that
they broadcast the same thing in Russian.
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(** After that, the radio broadcast that everyone could leave their sealed
room, so we all left the room and Channi stopped her description **)
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Note 24.2 Children's view 2 of 17
TAVENG::MONTY "No more Mr. Nice" 27 lines 23-JAN-1991 23:31
-< Eli (aged 8) letter to Saadam Hussein >-
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Following is a letter my 8 year old son wrote to Sadaam Hussein a few
days ago.
...... Monty
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Dear screwed-up Sadaam Hussein,
You are making a lot of problem here. Look, I couldn't care less that
you send us missiles, G-d is looking after us, BUT DON'T SEND IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT !!!!!
Did you know that because of you, there is a News broadcast on the
television instead of "Cops and Robbers" (** Eli's favorite TV program,
an American cartoon series **), and I also missed the Pink Panther. SO
STOP SENDING MISSILES !!!
So goodbye (** Eli used the Hebrew term Shalom**) and hope never to see
you (** ve lo le-hit'raut **),
From someone who sincerely hates you,
Eli Sagal.
P.S. If you continue sending us missiles then ..... I'll think of
something to do to you.
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Note 24.3 Children's view 3 of 17
ATPS::BLOTCKY 20 lines 24-JAN-1991 17:38
-< Thank you for posting your notes >-
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> Unfortunately, my translation looses some of the feelings, expressed in the
> original.
Don't worry about it. Reading your translation I am sure all parents
can image how your children must have felt, if not what being in such a
situation is really like. Thank you for sharing this.
On U.S. TV they have shown Israeli families, parents and children, in
gas masks. I haven't been able to imagine, till now, what might be
going through the children's minds. I have a 5 year old son who has
been asking questions about the war. I have been hoping he would not
ask about the children in gas masks because I didn't have any idea what
to say about it because I found the whole idea of children HAVING to
wear gas masks appalling. But know I think I can talk to him about it.
Compared to living somewhere missiles are falling, being able to
explain something to a 5 year old living in safety is a very little
thing. But still, thank you.
Steve
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Note 24.4 Children's view 4 of 17
DECSIM::GROSS "The bug stops here" 4 lines 24-JAN-1991 15:13
-< Protection for pets? >-
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What do people in Israel do to protect pets during an attack? Are there
such things as gas-masks for animals?
Dave
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Note 24.5 Children's view 5 of 17
TAVENG::MOTI 42 lines 25-JAN-1991 06:42
-< children >-
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Hi,
My eldest daughter Ortal, (aged 3), was prepared in her Kindergarten,
that something like Purim might come (Purim is a festival in which we
all dress up, and some people also put funny masks on).
When the television showed how different type of gas-masks are to be
put on , we always called her , and when she saw the one she has, she
shouted happily : "This is like mine, I also have one".
(By the way, we have about half a dozen different gas masks for
different ages, including some battery-run ones that also send air
into the mask etc.. for children and asthmatic people etc...)
When the first attack came, it was around 2 a.m., and when we woke her
up and told her that it was time to put her mask on, she said:-
"Goodie"...
Chilling, isn't it ?
Children get used to things. The last time we took her gas mask off,
she said :"Don't forget to switch off the battery."
The 2 baby twins are inside a special apparatus of their own, (one for
each one), and although they do not exactely enjoy the whole thing,
they still, more or less, manage.
May G-d bless all the little children who are subjected to this trial,
and may he bring upon Sadaam Hussein and all his
helpers/sponsors/followers/sympathisers all the curses in the Bible and
the 10 Plagues he had brought upon the Pharohs in Ancient Egypt when
they mis-behaved.
And to the rest of world,
G-d bless you.
Moti.
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