Northern Israel exodus leaves old, weak and poor to face rockets

[oberliner]

Northern Israel exodus leaves old, weak and poor to face rockets

by Rory Mulholland
55 minutes ago

KIRYAT SHMONA, Israel (AFP) - As the rockets rain down on northern Israel, tens of thousands of terrified Israelis have fled to the south, leaving mainly the old, weak or those too poor to get out.

On Friday, the latest barrage of Hezbollah missiles killed three people, bringing to 30 the number of Israeli civilians to die from the strikes.

Despite the toll -- which compares with the 900-odd Lebanese killed on the other side of the border by Israeli air strikes -- there is no Israeli government-sponsored evacuation system in place.

Nor can local councils afford to pay to move Israelis to the south. So the less well off either have to stay put or, for the more fortunate, escape with the help of charity.

"A large percentage of those who are left are the weakest -- those with no relatives, no connections or who don't have the savvy to get out," said Josie Arbel of the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel, a charity that helps find temporary lodgings for fleeing northerners.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060804/lf_afp/mideastconflictisrael_060804175717

[uppityperson]

1. any war or exodus leaves old, weak and poor

You could copy these quotes and apply them in so many other places. "A large percentage of those who are left are the weakest -- those with no relatives, no connections or who don't have the savvy to get out," said Josie Arbel of the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel, a charity that helps find temporary lodgings for fleeing northerners.

[ThomCat]

2. In any conflict, and any disaster this is the sad truth.

[seafan]

3. Same dynamic as in Hurricane Katrina, yet the right wing airbags

profess that *laziness* or *desire to stay near their drug sources* made sick, old or impoverished people stay in harm's way.


When is this nightmare going to end?

[spanone]

4. Having the same problem all over Lebanon.

[progressivebydesign]

5. A majority of Israelis support the onslaught that is prolonging this..

I think it's reprehensible that they would leave the elderly behind. Plenty of strong young men and women, thousands, have volunteered to go and kill in Lebanon. Perhaps they should care for their own before they head out to kill other the elderly in other countries.

[wuushew]

6. This makes for poor logic

I assume since most of these people are fleeing via automobile they are likely increasing their statistical chances for death or injury in a traffic accident as opposed to an unlikely chance of rocket attack injury.

Only the Lebanese can be said to have a rational reason to flee military violence.