Tel Aviv looks back on night full of hard bangs. ‘Israel is divided, but there is consensus about Iran’

On a step, a woman travels through the almost deserted streets in the center of Tel Aviv. Cars are parked along the houses. In the shady Dubnov park, in the middle of a residential area, it is relatively busy: children swing on a swing while parents watch. A kiosk sells coffee, sandwiches and sweets.

A group of friendly local residents are talking to each other around a stone couch along the park. They often come across each other here, but are now stuck to go through the events of the last night together. And there is not much to do in the city, where almost everything is closed.

In the night from Friday to Saturday, Iran started a counterattack on Israel, following Israel’s attacks on Iran since Thursday night, who are still continuing. In Israel, most missiles were intercepted by the anti -aircraft weather, and many buildings have shelters, but three people died and dozens were injured by impacts. « It was very frightening. We don’t have a safe room in our house and had to go to a public shelter with our children two minutes, » says 53-year-old Ori, who sits on the couch with wife Michal (54), son Amitai (18) and dog.

« The bangs were very hard and we felt the walls vibrate, » says another woman with long black hair, completely dressed in black. Michal (54) says that there has been AMAMORD in supermarkets since Friday morning.

For the attacks that Israel started on Thursday night on Iran, where military leaders and citizens, including scientists, were killed, there is a lot of support among the local residents. « Israel is divided, but there is a consensus about the need for an attack on Iran, » says a 55-year-old man with short brown gray hair, in shorts and sports shoes, who does not want his name in the newspaper.

« Iranian leaders want to wipe us off the map, » he says. And, firm: « They have nuclear weapons. » He also believes that Israel does the dirty work of Europe. « Why do we have to do this, and not the UK, France or Germany? This is also about your safety. »

Crazy dictatorship

That Israel already has nuclear weapons, as is generally assumed, is not relevant according to him. « We are much more rational. Iran is a crazy dictatorship governed by religious leaders. » And the extreme right-wing religious ministers in Israel, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir? “We have Checks and Balanceswith the head of the army and the secret services. « 

Also according to Michal (54) there is consensus in Israel about the Iran attack. « I only doubt whether the timing was good. If the secret services had the right information or, but I wonder from (Prime Minister) Netanyahu if he has made a decision on that basis. And I am concerned that there is no strategy for how this can end again. »

According to the neighbors, the fact that Israel has to continue his attacks on Iran is obvious. « If there is a clear plan for the destruction of the nuclear program in Iran, the population can live here, » says Michals Man Ori. « We have no problem with the population in Iran, » adds Michal.

The bangs were extra hard in this neighborhood last night, says the group. A few hundred meters from the park lies, in the heart of Tel Aviv and between residential areas, the ‘Kirya’, a large and heavily protected urban military basis. It is an obvious military target during the Iranian counterattack of that night before.

Michal shows a video of the previous night on her phone when she says, according to her how the anti-aircraft system on the Kirya base is in operation, but a rocket a little later. In Israeli media there is nothing about reading such impacts because of military censorship.

In addition to the Kirya, on the start-way, there are normally demonstrations for the hostages in Gaza and against the government on Saturday. Now there has been a rocket strike, say the local residents, who also take to the streets every Saturday. Family members of hostages have been announced that there will be no demonstration.

Airbnb rent

Due to the proximity of the Kirya in their neighborhood, Michal is considering renting an Airbnb for the coming days elsewhere in Israel. She is mainly concerned about her eighteen -year -old son Amitai, a tall boy with brown hair lying next to her on the couch. « A friend of my son stayed last night in a place where a rocket was hit. »

Later in the park, the agreement in Israel on the need for the attack on Iran appears to be less absolutely. Students Daniel (23) and Maya (23), a couple who take a walk, look at each other in doubt. Daniel, who studies computer sciences, is also concerned about the Iranian nuclear program, but says he doubts about the attack that has been done. « Opening another front in the war is not the right approach, » says his girlfriend Maya – shorts with sandals, tattoo on her leg – who completes a film study. « I also do not trust the motives of our politicians. It is more of a political step than a defense of the Israeli people. Netanyahu wants to stay on his seat. »

According to Maya, the attack on Iran is also a distraction from the hostages who are still in Gaza and the anger about it, which cannot be expressed now through demonstrations because of the assignment to stay inside. « What is now happening further in Gaza, our media shows nothing about that. It is not part of a democracy that politicians determine what is and what is not reported. »

According to Maya, the idea of ​​leaving Israel, and certainly now, is « always present, » but there are also Israelis who return from solidarity from abroad at these moments. Daniel, nodding: « We have been living on and off all our lives with these kinds of uncertain situations. »

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