Israeli Paper: Residents Selling Parts of Katyusha Rockets on eBay

Editor And Publisher | August 11 2006

NEW YORK In the modern world, it was perhaps inevitable. A headline in the Israeli daily newspaper Ha'aretz tells the story: "Northern entrepreneurs sell Katyusha remnants on eBay."

Reporter Yoav Ribak relates, "While most northern residents consider Katyusha strikes life-threatening, or at least frightening and disruptive, there are others who see the rocket barrages from Lebanon as a business opportunity: Several Israelis are offering remnants of Katyusha rockets that landed in the north for sale on eBay.com to the highest bidder."

One item for sale on eBay, spotted by E&P, carries this description: "REMAINS OF A REAL KATYUSHA ROCKET, LAUNCHED FROM LEBANON TO ISRAEL. THIS METAL BALLS WERE FOUND IN HAIFA, ON JULY 23ED 2006." Another is labled "gift for collector" from Hezbollah leader Nasrallah. It supposedly came from a rocket that fell on this fella's shop.

Most of the sellers offer bits of shrapnel and metal ball bearings, at prices ranging from a few dollars to triple figures. One sale this week closed at $51. But one resident of the Carmiel region is starting the auction at $2,800 for the full body of a Katyusha, which is pictured. He writes: "One SPENT Katyusha Rocket remains (67 cm. length, 27 cm width). To some people this is an interesting war relic, to others its just a piece of scrap metal junk. Or solid proof of indiscriminate bombing of Israeli civilians by terrorists. As I write this more Katyushas are falling in Galilee."

Shipping price to the U.S. is listed as $50.

The seller, who asked to remain anonymous, told the newspaper the Katyusha landed two weeks ago not far from his house: "One day, there was a huge blast; things fell off my wall. So I went to look for the Katyusha and I found it a few hundreds meters away from my house."

The seller said that he intends to donate all proceeds from the deal to organizations that are helping residents who had to evacuate the north.

Also for sale on eBay: A large numbel of models of Katyusha rocket launchers or trucks that carry them.

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