In the south of Israel, it feels like the sky is falling.
I do not believe in war, I do not believe in excessive force as a solution to conflict. Which is exactly why I think I need to write this. I am liberal and I am under attack. I want to be defended and I want to feel safe but I know that in this situation my army and my government do not have a way to defend me that does not put Palestinian civilians in danger. Retaliations against rockets from Gaza put Palestinian civilians in the same place that I am in right now. So maybe this is my story but maybe this is their story, too.
The south of Israel is under attack, and depending on which specific area you look at, it has been raining rockets for years. But for the last month, life here has been unpredictable and unstable, never knowing when an alarm might sounds and we all might have to run- to the nearest safe space, which is not always a very safe space- sometimes it’s down 2 flights of stairs or just in a bathroom. When you get there- whether you’re with family, friends, alone or with coworkers, everyone just waits, quietly, because you have to hear the boom- that’s the only way to know that the physical danger has passed, for the moment. And when it has passes- and you’re safe- you ask, where are my family members, friends? Are they safe? And if they are safe, then who isn’t? Because the rocket fell somewhere, close. So I’m OK and my people are OK but someone out there isn’t.
Then we usually hear, thank god, that there were no injuries- just a few people suffering from “shock”. This is one of the most insulting assessments that we hear about the rocket attacks on the South. Because FUCK YOU if you think that a 7 year old that reverts to wetting the bed is normal or adults that jump in terror every time a door slams are not injured. Children and adults all over the south are suffering from shock and PTSD symptoms that can render you unable to function at times. The effect of these attacks is that even when you are safe, you feel like you are constant physical danger.
Others have to adapt by using denial as a defense mechanism- its OK, we’re fine, we’ll be fine, the kid are fine. But I get it- because what else can you do? A rocket hit a fucking school bus outside of our kibbutz the other day, and a 16 year old child was put in critical condition. But the people of the kibbutz can’t leave, can’t move- their lives are here, their kids are in school here. So we have to be fine.
I have to go out and go to work. I have to do so knowing that it could put me in danger. I am innocent- I have done nothing to instigate or provoke this. I am liberal, I believe in peace and I am under attack.
I write today in pain. My partner and I are anxious and scared. Last night we spent a few great, carefree hours in Tel Aviv with friends. I had more than a few drinks and we laughed, chatted, met people and had fun. But then we came home and at 2 am he heard a siren, warning us of incoming rockets. We weren’t sure where it was- on the moshav, or just near by but we got out of bed, shaking and ran to the bathroom. We stood there, held each other and waited. We waited in silence until we heard the booms of the rocket falling somewhere. Then we waited a little more and went back to bed. Today there is more silence- and news of more rockets.
This is just our story- those who live closer to Gaza have much harder stories to tell. They get rocket warning sirens all the time and they get text messages tell them to stay inside for hours at a time, their communities get shut down until danger has passed. Then they go on with life- and then sometimes they don’t get warnings in time and rockets fall while their kids are outside playing at the playground.
The sky is falling in the south of Israel. The sky is falling in Gaza. In Tel Aviv, people my age are carefree and relaxed. In the Knesset, everyone is looking to keep a tight grip on their political seats. In the Hamas headquarters, they load more rocket launchers. In the Israeli army, they gear up for more offensive/defensive missions. On our moshav, we sit and sip coffee and refresh the homepage of our local news site, scared shitless.





















