It’s nighttime in Tel Aviv and even though it’s dark we can clearly see the damage to the apartment building in front of us. My Israeli cousin explains that the Iranian missile that struck this building in February was actually aimed at the military intelligence compound across the street. The human toll: 1 person killed, 28 wounded.
Can you imagine this happening in the United States? In the heart of New York City, or Los Angeles, Chicago or Miami? How would we react? How would it affect our sense of safety? What would the emotional toll be?
And this is only one of thousands of such attacks that occurred, often multiple strikes in one day. Try to imagine living under that constant threat. How do you go about your daily life when an air raid siren can interrupt any moment? What do you tell your children? What do you say to teenagers about to enter mandatory military service? How do you get to elderly parents in time to help them get to a bomb shelter or safe room? How do you sleep at night knowing another attack can come at any time, and that the people you love, including your children, could be in its path?
For Israelis, this isn't hypothetical. It's a reality they have had to learn to live with.
