Splat. Kernel lobs cobs egg-zactly on target

Some readers objected to a description of Hebron settlers resisting forced eviction as a foodfight, although eggs and vegetables rained down from the marketplace roof alongside light bulbs and stones. Point taken.

But this month’s “organic protest” by Israeli activists, who used a couple of homemade launchers to fling rotten vegetables, corn, tomatoes, fruit and eggs towards the Gaza Strip, surely qualifies as a foodfight. Their makeshift attack created a “Green alert” to remind the Israeli government about its failure to halt the Palestinian militants’ Qassam rockets, which continue to rain down on Sderot.

Yigal Tzur, a former reserve artillery corps officer in the IDF, said he recruited two amateur Israeli technicians to devise a small potato cannon and a rocket-propelled launcher to retaliate agasint Qassams with a messy "aerial salad". (No wounds on either side will require any dressing.) His intentions are to get the two sides to resume peace talks. With squished tomatoes substituting for spilled blood, the publicity blitz was gratifying.

Somehow, the idea of firing food towards a place where hunger results from frequent border closing is off-putting. More akin to fraternity hijinks than guerrilla street theater. This stunt did show how easily rockets can be assembled, despite tight security, and it’s admirable that the fellows used no explosives. (Although those eggs can really hurt!) I suppose rocketeers can even make the claim that they are doing their bit to get food into the Strip. Yeah right. Click here to see a Reuters video of the assault.