The piercing wail of air raid sirens echoed across Israel on Saturday, emptying streets and sending citizens scrambling for the relative safety of bomb shelters. The nation steeled itself for what was anticipated to be a significant wave of Iranian attacks. Despite the palpable individual fear and a sense of grim resignation, there was a prevailing, broad-based political and popular consensus in favour of the country’s engagement in its second regional conflict in less than a year.
Gal Tzairi, a 23-year-old university student who was sheltering in an underground car park in the heart of Tel Aviv, articulated this sentiment. “We all feel that what we started needs to be finished,” he stated. “We want our safety, so we know we need [this].” Tzairi’s words carried particular weight, as he had to be dug out from the rubble of his apartment building last June following an Iranian missile strike. The initial sirens on Saturday brought back a surge of the fear he experienced that day. However, like many Israelis, he confessed to having been semi-expecting another escalation, citing the weeks of heightened US military presence in the region and the Israeli Prime Prime Minister’s vocal warnings to Iran.
“This is round two,” commented Tom Zimako, 30, who expressed his “100%” support for the decision to engage Iran militarily again. “We need to find a good solution against terror – not against people, against the citizens [of Iran].”
Political Unity Amidst Crisis
The morning’s attacks had an immediate and profound effect on the nation’s political landscape, effectively halting the bitter infighting that had characterised the run-up to elections expected by October this year. Long-standing disputes concerning the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men and the establishment of a state inquiry into the events of October 7, 2023, were put on hold. Opposition leaders, spanning a significant portion of the political spectrum, rallied behind Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Yair Lapid, the official leader of the opposition, voiced his solidarity via a social media post: “I fully support this operation. We all agree about the justification and importance of striking the murderous Iranian regime.” Similarly, Yair Golan, head of the centre-left Democrats, affirmed his “full backing” for the Israeli military’s efforts in “removing the Iranian threat.” Even from the right, Naftali Bennett declared that “the entire nation of Israel stands behind you.”
While European and regional powers advocated for a return to diplomatic channels to address Iran’s nuclear program, prominent Israeli figures were calling for a protracted, open-ended military engagement. Yoav Gallant, a former Defence Minister, shared his perspective in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12: “It’s clear we have the upper hand regarding Iran. The important thing is we don’t stop until we finish the job.” He downplayed the significance of Iran’s retaliatory actions, remarking, “The small amount of rockets Iranians are shooting shows they are weak.”
Dissenting Voices and Vulnerable Communities
Among the few political critics of the escalating conflict was lawmaker Ayman Odeh, an Arab citizen of Israel. He criticised the opposition’s alignment with a government he accused of aspiring to “live by the sword forever.” Speaking on social media, Odeh lamented, “There is no opposition in Israel, only 50 shades of militarism.” He continued, “Time and again, they try the same formula here: another ‘round’, another operation, more blood. Every time they promise that this time it will bring security, and every time reality proves otherwise.”
Missile attacks pose a particularly acute danger to Israel’s Palestinian citizens, who often have less access to adequate bomb shelter facilities. Nourka Ghoul, a 30-year-old art director from East Jerusalem, is one such individual who lacks a shelter at her home. On Saturday, she bundled her husband, Kenan, and their 13-month-old daughter, Sofia, into their car to seek refuge at a relative’s apartment. “When the sirens sound, we come together and pray,” she shared. “It is always the same each time. We want to be with our family. If we are going to die, we will die all in one go.”
For many in Israel, the disruptions and anxieties of war have become an ingrained part of their daily lives. Aleeza, a 35-year-old film-maker, found herself struggling to keep her baby and toddler occupied in a shelter. She recounted how her three-year-old now plays “sirens” with friends, with the children racing each other to designated “shelters” in their playground. On Saturday afternoon, her frustration stemmed more from the abrupt halt to the filming of her first feature, a comedy, than from outright fear. “I just want it to be over,” she expressed.
Purim Amidst the Conflict
The timing of the attack was particularly poignant, occurring on the eve of the Jewish festival of Purim. This festival commemorates the biblical narrative from the Book of Esther, which recounts how a Jewish community in the ancient Persian Empire narrowly escaped annihilation. Traditionally, Purim celebrations involve elaborate dressing up. In Tel Aviv, some individuals transitioned directly from early Purim parties to bomb shelters, still clad in their costumes. Amidst the tension, some even found humour, joking that the US President, Donald Trump, might be casting himself as a modern-day Mordechai – the hero of the Purim story – by intervening to protect Jewish lives in contemporary Iran.
The closure of airspace and the cancellation of all flights also presented challenges for tourists. Philippe and Juliette Kubler, visiting Jerusalem from Nice, France, on a long-planned trip of a lifetime, found themselves needing to navigate to shelters. “We said to ourselves that there was a small risk,” said Philippe, a hospital nurse. “We had a super time here. Everyone was very welcoming. We saw all the sacred sites. We never felt in any danger. Now I’m just worrying about how we get home.”
