Last night, Iran fired 181 missiles into Israel, sending us (10 or so million people, including Arab Muslims and Christians) into safe rooms and bomb shelters.
Right before, we received news of a horrific shooting and stabbing terror attack in Jaffa perpetrated by two palestinian Arabs from Hebron, which killed seven people and wounded at least another eight (but I guess we should allow palestinian Arabs absolutely freedom of movement without checkpoints, right?)
I was out with my wife when I learned of this attack, and had just been given the menu at a local restaurant, but it was Iran who then did the serving. I had not even had time to make my choice when I was given another choice – run to the nearest shelter or face imminent danger. Not that this was really a choice.
We made our way to a packed room, where we stayed for what seemed like hours, but was more likely around 30 minutes. While there was no cellphone coverage in the room, there did happen to be a computer, and we watched the images of missiles raining down on Tel Aviv from the safety of this shelter.
While the fear was palpable, so was the Israeli resilience and spirit of brotherhood – as was evident when one of the nearby restaurant owners bought a few pizza pies to the shelter and distributed them.
After we were told we could leave the shelter, we made our way to my car and checked up on my kids, who were all located at different places. I immediately picked up my two youngest daughters from their friends’ houses – much to their disappointment – and drove home.
I was frazzled, my nerves shot. I worry about my family, but my family is rather large – the entire country. Everyone in my family was in danger, not just my wife and children and close family members. That’s a lot of worrying.
Sky News Australia wanted to interview me, and I usually jump at these chances, but I declined this time. I was exhausted and felt I would not have been my usual coherent, somewhat articulate self. So I fell asleep.
I woke up this morning and have been consuming the news. Iran said it fired the missiles in retaliation for attacks that killed their terror leaders, Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, and Hamashole Ismail Haniyeh. But they have been threatening us with annihilation well before then, and it was these terror leaders’ actions in trying to implement these plans that led to us targeting them.
Iran also claimed to have targeted three military bases, but given the entire country was under threat, this seems about as credible as anything else the regime claims.
Meanwhile, the mood in Gaza was rather different. Every “human rights activist’s” favorite people were out celebrating the attempted murder of Israelis (including their Arab Israeli brethren):
I guess they didn’t get the memo that the only fatality was reportedly a palestinian Arab from Gaza who was killed by shrapnel in Jericho.
Meanwhile, Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has warned Tehran that it had made “a big mistake” and “will pay for it.” Time will tell how that will look, but one thing is for sure – there is a real feeling of apprehension here as we approach the Jewish holy days of Rosh Hashana, which begin tonight.
