This is my Israel. Yesterday, Israelis were outside enjoying the peaceful Sabbath. Or, at least what should have been the peaceful Sabbath. While many of us were unaware what was happening, a massive missile barrage from Gaza was launched by the Palestinians.
Mid-afternoon as I went to lie down for our once-a-week afternoon nap, my phone beeped. As it was the Jewish Sabbath, I did not check it. But I knew. Color Red. Red Alert. Some part of Israel was being attacked. It could have been the Golan Heights, as it was last week when Syrians once again sent an unmanned drone near the border. And, it could have been at attack from Lebanon.
More likely, I thought to myself, it’s Gaza again. Moments later, the siren beeped again. And again. After a while, the beeping stopped. I had hoped it was an end to the rocket fire but it turns out, my phone battery died (reminder to self: time to get a new phone because the battery is worthless).
Later in the evening, after taking a deep breath, I would discover at least 100 rockets had been fired. A house was hit and three people were injured there. And there was a terrible video showing, a woman lay shattered and screaming in terror huddled against a wall as her husband sheltered her and their two children…hours later, a man in the north asked people to find out who the woman is and to offer her a free vacation in his rental cottage in the north so she could get away from the rockets and the fear.
My Israel…
Photo Credit: 0404 News (amazing site…amazing coverage and such beautiful news updates!)