Missile Crisis- How to Survive

By Rachel Carp 

Israeli life amidst the conflict with Gaza involved constant missile showers and blazing
alarms, which affected all inhabitants of Israel, including soldiers, children, and even travelers.

Fortunately, a combination of the Iron Dome and ubiquitous bomb shelters protected the citizens of Israel from the perils of war.

Soldiers in the IDF watch the Iron Dome from a distance 

The Iron Dome, invented by the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and funded in part by the United States, is an innovative missile system used to intercept and disable incoming rockets and artillery shells that threaten the population of Israel. The system has played an important role in the survival of Israel, which is constantly under fire from conflicts with its neighboring countries.

While the new system can only intercept rockets from a maximum of 70 km, or 45 miles, away, Israel hopes to extend this distance to 250 km, as well as improve the system so that it can disable more than one missile at a time.  In the 2012 missile strikes against Israel on the Gaza strip, the Iron Dome destroyed 90% of the rockets, which were aimed at populated areas in Israel. 

Odeya Zach, a teacher at Levine Academy, traveled to Israel on November 15^th to meet her newborn niece. A day before her flight, a family member called insisting that she stay home to avoid the rising tensions and missiles coming from Gaza. Despite warnings, Odeya, a veteran of the Israeli Defense Force and an Israeli, was determined to visit Israel with her son. Odeya could sense apprehension even before she arrived in Israel, as conversations about the conflict were common in the airport and on the airplane. During the 30-minute drive from the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv to Gadera, “the siren sounded on the highway and we had to stop the car and get out,” Odeya said. “From then on until we left Israel, sirens sounded around two times a day.”

The majority of Odeya’s stay in Israel was spent in bomb shelters. “I could've left to go to the grocery, but I never knew when a siren would sound,” she recalled. Upon hearing a siren, citizens must run to bomb shelters, sometimes with only 30 seconds to spare. Once inside the shelter, Odeya only had to stay for 10 minutes at a time while Israeli rockets were intercepted.

Bomb shelters are found in houses, buildings, and underground. There are two different types of bomb shelters. In newer houses built within the last 25 -30 years, the bomb shelters are bedrooms made of cement. The shelters in older houses and apartment buildings are underground. The protection rooms range in size, and are built to accommodate however many people live in the building. Inside, some shelters are simple with only chairs and basic supplies. Other shelters have TVs, games, and books to entertain children and teens.

In Tel Aviv, persistent sirens sent Odeya’s sister and newborn niece up and down flights of stairs numerous times to reach the communal apartment bomb shelter. When Odeya drove to pick up her sister and niece, a siren sounded and they were forced to exit the car to find shelter. Without a bomb shelter in close range, they could only wait in the street until they heard the bomb detonate. “We had to get into safety position to protect our heads. My sister shielded her new baby underneath her,” Odeya said.

The Arab missile strikes placed innocent citizens in danger, but Israel did everything it could to protect its inhabitants. In the cities of Beersheba, Ashdod, and Ashkelon, sirens rang fifteen times a day. South of Tel Aviv, schools were shut down. Israeli daily life was placed on hold as safety took priority.

Israeli children in a bomb shelter in Kerem Shalom. Photo courtesy of The Israel Project.