When the sirens first went off in towns and cities across the country very early Friday morning, many people stayed in bed, knowing that earlier campaigns had wiped out the rocket capabilities of Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Israel’s western flank, and Hezbollahon its northern border. An impending attack wasn’t on their radar.
“I was preparing food for the Sabbath on Friday morning, kubbeh and borekas, and I turned on the radio and was shocked,” said Rivka Benayim, a cashier at a supermarket in Jerusalem. Her store had no baby wipes, fresh chicken or tomatoes and very little milk. “I had no idea we were at war with Iran.”
Israelis now realize that a tit-for-tat with Iran is nothing like a barrage of rockets from Palestinian militants in the Gaza, or from Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon. The reach and destructive power of Iran’s missiles has made everyone feel vulnerable.
“Hamas fired rockets made out of traffic sign poles,” said Shlomo Alkobi, 25, an employee at a cellphone company service center, at work in a job classified by the Isareli government as essential. “Those are like kindergarten games compared to Iran’s ballistic missiles.”
