Haifa remembers summer of rockets

Source: Aljazeera.net, 12-7-2007
By Rob Winder in Haifa
Al Jazeera travelled to northern "Israel" and asked Haifa`s residents for their thoughts on last years`s conflict in Lebanon and asked how it affected their lives.
Amir Haddad, 23, unemployed
During the war we left and stayed with relatives in Jerusalem (al-Quds) for three weeks.
But now we are worried that the situation is still not very stable.
And we think that war will come again this year.
We don`t feel very good about it and now I feel very uncomfortable living here.
Ehud Olmert should resign, the government is not doing well, they are not preparing for the next war.
Lily, 48, insurance worker
The war was horrible. It felt unreal. I was here for almost all the month of the war but for a week or so I left and went abroad.
But I couldn`t leave for the whole time because I had to work.
Ehud Olmert should have resigned over the war - he didn`t make the right choices.
He didn`t prepare for the war and he didn`t do his homework on Lebanon.
I am worried there will be another war. Hizdbullah are getting weapons again. We don`t want another war but we think it will happen again.
Sam Hajjar, 73, retired
Its very hard to explain how I feel about the war. They bombed the street we are standing on right now.
They bombed the post office while I was sitting in a cafe.
I wasn`t scared. I used to go up into a tall building in the centre and watch the bombs fall on the streets.
But my wife left Haifa during the war and went to New York.
Ehud Olmert should not have resigned over the war. He tried to defend the country.
People criticise George Bush but he`s doing a great job. Its the same with Olmert. He didn`t do anything wrong.
I don`t think there will be another war. People on both sides are tired of war.
Woman, 35, who asked not to be identified
The war could have been prevented if they had acted before.
It was very frightening to be here because you didn`t know when it was your turn to have your house completely destroyed.
When I understood how dangerous it was I left Haifa and went abroad.
People shouldn`t listen only to the powerful to find peace. People need to talk to each other.
Nobody is stronger than anybody else. We need to talk to the other side and give them a chance.
I feel that there will be another war but I hope not.
Shai Dana, 40, lawyer
The Lebanon war was not a great success from "Israel`s" point of view.
Our goals were not achieved. Hizdbullah did not release our soldiers and send them back.
And it was not clear who won the war - us or them.
One bomb landed near my office and the windows were smashed.
Ehud Olmert should resign because of the war as well as for other reasons.
We don`t know whether there will be another war or not.