Since war began on July 12, Hezbollah has fired multiple thousands of rockets into northern Israel. With a few exceptions—such as when they targeted Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city—they appear to be firing them indiscriminately, unconcerned about whether they actually kill Israelis or damage Israeli infrastructure. The strategy seems to be more classically terrorist in nature: The rockets are being used primarily for instilling terror and fear in people rather than for specific tactical purposes.

It appears this strategy is working. An Associated Press report this week depicts a sizeable exodus of Israelis fleeing the north of the country.

More than 300,000 residents of northern Israel already have left the region—which has been pummeled by thousands of Hezbollah rockets—and are staying in hotels or with relatives farther south. Most of those who remain in the danger zone are poor, infirm or elderly, who have nowhere to go or no way to leave.

The government is stepping in to help—not to “evacuate” residents, but to supply “refreshment”—four-day holidays for Israeli citizens. The project, which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described as being “without precedent in the history of the State of Israel,” is quickly filling hotel rooms in the south, which were already in high demand because of the exodus.

In past wars, Israelis have shown considerable resolve in staying put despite such threats. The AP report, which called it a “traditional Israeli resistance to mass flight by its citizens in the face of war,” commented that “a month of war and thousands of Hezbollah rockets appear to have ended that stigma.”

Certainly one cannot fault people for running from danger—in this case, a heavy, steady, arbitrary rain of rockets being launched by terrorists. But this development does have a couple of wider implications. First, it strengthens the reputation of Hezbollah, which has survived Israel’s offensive longer than did whole alliances of several Arab states in past wars against Israel. The fact that it has retained its rocket launching capability this long—to the point of putting 300,000 Israelis to flight—raises its stock in the Muslim world considerably.

Also, this shift in Israeli behavior—the fact that fleeing is so unprecedented in Israel’s history—indicates, certainly in the minds of surrounding Muslims, a considerable chink in the armor of the Jewish state. Watching Israelis fleeing from the north does much to evaporate the air of invincibility Israel had built over decades of military victories against Arab foes.

One also must acknowledge the grim reality that running away is a viable response to rocket attacks for only so long. Israel is tiny; there aren’t many hiding places. If the Fajr-5 rockets that hit Afula were to be launched from the Gaza Strip—which is buzzing with terrorist activity—both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem would be in range.