Feeling Edgy

As Hizbollah bombing Northern cities in Israel and IDF retaliating I am beginning to feel edgy. In Bet Shemesh it’s peaceful since we are too far away from the Lebanese border, but I am still feeling weird. It’s my first time in Israel during what looks like a real war.

Last night and this morning army planes were buzzing over our heads flying from southern bases to the North. Today I decided to call my great-uncle who is in his 80s and lives in the Qerayot near Haifa already for over 30 years. Here is what our conversation was like.

Me: How are you?
Him: Great to hear from you. How is your family in the US?
Me: Great. And you?
Him: Fine
Me: See any missiles out of your window?
Him: No. Do you?
Me: No. (smiling) Only hear planes flying above my head.
Him: Me too.
Me: Do you have a bunker to go too?
Him: No, I don’t have a bunker. I am staying in my living room.
Me: Sealed room?
Him: No.
Me: So what will you do if they bomb your town?
Him: Nothing. Continue sitting in my living room. What do you think it’s the first time this happened?
Me: Well, it’s the first for me.
Him: Ahhhhhh. OK. So how is your family in the US?

You get the idea.

And then I bumped into my Hareidi neighbors. I said to the wife, “Do you know they bombed Tzfat?” With a really surprised look on her face she called her husband and told him that. He replied: “Damn Zionists. They deserve it. What else do they expect?” I was standing there with my mouth open. This is someone who served in the IDF himself a while ago before he became a baal teshuva. I just said “You’re sick, you need help!” and closed my door.