The White City under fire – and this is how we are coping with it
Did you hear the boom? Although the mass media reports are focusing on Israel attacking Gaza, millions of Israelis (including Muslim citizens) are spending their nights in bomb shelters for a week now. This time I’m gonna give you a bit of taste of the bittersweet everyday life in Tel Aviv at war.
Walking on Rotschield street I noticed this sign in the window of a cafe on Tel Aviv – in English, Hebrew and Arabic. Because this is the true face of Israel.
Waking up on the crying voice of the sirens, I grab the dogs, run to the safe room, and soon I hear the boom. I’m calm. Been here, done this – and allowing panic to kick in would not do anything good for anyone. Fear cannot stop the war. Only certainty can.
“Rocket Jokes” are often the best was to cope with our unfortunate situation: ‘Shit Tel Avivians say during a siren’ is a YouTube video recently published on HaAretz online, encapsulates the blasé attitude of the Tel Aviv bubble.
Israeli kids singing to forget fear. Children are learning the “Tseva Adom” song across the country in kinder gardens, while going to the shelter singing “Red alert, red alert, it’s a bit dangerous, so let’s hide. When I hear the ‘boom’ I can get up, shake myself, take a deep breath and laugh.” Heartbreaking and sweet in the same time.
While terrorists promote hatred, people promote love. Gathering by the roads across the country Arab and Jewish citizens protest against violence on both sides. “Jews And Arabs Refuse To Be Enemies!” – they sing.
Madonna posting “Pray for the peace of the Middle East” pic on Instagram. Her spiritual roots are in Israel – Kabbalah teaches that each time you label and generalize people by their religion, race, appearance, name, or nationality, you are letting chaos in your life. Stop judging, stop blaming, stop revenging, and the war will stop.
Did you hear that the #BombShelterSelfie is the latest trend? Submit yours here! Although these are chaotic times for all of us, we are not going to be broken by aggression, fear, and hatred. We believe in the power of unity, love, coexistence, and laughter.
My photo of the TelAviv sky. This is what remains of a rocket fromGaza after the IronDome is exploding it in the air. Do you see the little white dot in the middle? A few seconds ago it was a scary weapon and now – it’s just a beautiful cloud. Keep your head up Israel! As you can see miracles do happen to those who believe in it!
21st century war: this is an app called “Tseva Adom”, meaning “Color Red Alarm”, and it comes handy as it tells you when you have to run for your life. Air raid alerts in Israel – every few minutes rockets are flying in from Gaza and now Lebanon.
WhiteCityBoy’s “Good To Know”
1. On the “Arab-Jewish conflict“: we are not at war with the Palestinian people who we love, accept, and wish them the same thing what we wish for our closest family members in Israel – peace of mind, and peace in the Middle-East. We are at a war with a terror organization called Hamas, which is feared and hated by just as many Muslims as Jews.
2. On Palestinian activists: please look twice before you re-tweet a #GazaUnderAttack hashtag because the photos you are sharing are often fake or re-used from Syria. IDF is shooting on terrorist sights and as the Hamas is using their own people as human shields many children die.
3. On the so called “Israeli terror”: a few days ago a rocket was shot down by the Iron Dome, but large pieces of shrapnel fell on the streets of Tel Aviv – my husband who is a doctor was just on his bike on the way to the Israeli built hospital, where Jewish doctors treat Palestinian, Eritrean, Sudani and Iranian kids. This is our reality.
4. On shading religion: it’s not the religion what’s dangerous. What’s harmful is the misinterpretation of the religion, and that many people are using it as justification for fulfilling their egoistic goals. In Jaffa where I live the Islamic call for prayer is the first sound of the morning, and I find it a beautiful and deeply spiritual experience.
5. On fear and certainty: we learn the most about ourselves and the world in tough times. When fear starts to sneak in I remind myself: all flowers grow the best when it’s raining out there. I was put here by the universe for a reason. I have certainty. Peace will come – and I’ll be here to witness it.
+1. Oh, and on the policy in case of an attack…
Follow the blog on Facebook for daily updates from the White City, and pray for peace in the Middle East. The first photo in the post is by Yaron Brener / YnetNews Facebook.
