My Word: Dos and don'ts in defense and diplomacy

• Published date: 19 April 2024
• Author: LIAT COLLINS
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Usually, when Iranian-financed Hamas, Hezbollah, or Houthi rockets are fired on the country, the warning siren sounds just seconds before impact – seven seconds close to the borders, a minute and a half in Jerusalem. The fact that there was such a long waiting period gave the country time to prepare

More significantly, it demonstrated that this is not a war about territory. Iran's proxies are established throughout the region – in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and elsewhere – but the Islamic Republic does not share a border with the Jewish state. It was attacking from thousands of kilometers away. Iran's unprecedented assault was not about Palestinian aspirations for statehood; it was about the Iranian desire for regional dominance.

It's not easy to go to sleep knowing that hundreds of killer drones and projectiles are on their way; but having made sure I had a flashlight and a transistor radio – what Israelis call "a war radio" – next to my bed, and that I was wearing decent pajamas for when I met the neighbors, that's what I did.

Living in Israel during the Iran attack

Every Israeli reacted in his or her own way – many with humor, that quintessential Jewish coping mechanism. A meme by journalist Matthew Kalman noting "First direct flights from Iran to Israel since 1979" became a cyberspace hit.

I woke up around 1:30 a.m. to the sound of the windows rattling and the distant crump of intercepted rocket shrapnel falling. It gave me enough time to wake my son just before the siren sounded for our area and the crumps and bumps became less distant. It's not the type of mother-son bonding experience that I'd recommend, but when life throws rockets at you, there's no time to make lemonade.

We headed for our small and rough shelter and waited there quite a bit longer than the required 10 minutes, not because we were having a good time but because we could still feel the interceptions nearby. Then we went back to our apartment, stroked the rather rattled cats, and turned on the television for the updates.

It soon became apparent that the Economist headline last month "Israel Alone" had missed the mark. The US, UK, France, and Jordan, and reportedly Saudi Arabia and Gulf states, participated in the defensive measures. Of the more than 300 attack devices launched, 99% were intercepted. There was limited damage to two Israeli Air Force bases in the South, and sadly, a seven-year-old girl suffered serious head wounds when shrapnel hit her home in a Bedouin village.

I...