But what I REALLY want to talk about and get you to see is, how the Israeli people behave while being victimized unprovoked.

The Jewish people are trained in survival. Thousands of years have made a mark on how Jews cope with tragedies, genocide, and unrelenting oppression. I remember well the first Gulf war, when all of Israel was laughing at the stories that surfaced of what happened when the first Iraqi Scud missile plunged into Israel. It was a drama, yet oh so hilarious!

We were laughing at ourselves, utterly determined to carry on life as normal as possible. We humorized the situation, with our comedians replaying our funniest follies under stress. All citizens, great and small, had to carry a gasmask at all times. The containers were brown military cardboard boxes. To reduce the masks’ fearful implication Israelis began to develop gasmask “fashion” by altering the appearance of the box with all sorts of art and craft. When shouldering it it looked more like a fashionable handbag than a mask to protect against possible biological or chemical warfare.

The need to frequently seek shelter in our sealed rooms Israelis turned into a “family event” with special foods, clothing, games, TV and entertainment. The scud missiles were meant to make us tremble with fear and kowtow before the “might” of the Arab world. Instead the whole country fused into one big family, everyone selflessly supporting his neighbor. Israel turned “stereo” as everyone had their radio and TV set on the same channel. Our streets emptied of traffic became a temporary playground for the children who used them as racetracks for their skates and bicycles. Families drew closer, friends deepened their relationship, and old friends renewed contacts

The Iraqi scud missiles turned our people, so divided over nationalistic, religious and political views, into “Am echad” – i.e. one united people, overnight. 

Now we see the same thing again, with additional “survival techniques”. Our people in the north are spending most of their time in underground shelters even though insufficiently prepared for a situation such as the present. Israelis from all over the country (and Jews from abroad) are banding together to buy fans, air conditioners, TV sets and radios, even digital games for the children, and deliver these items to the people sweltering during this unrelenting heatwave in underground shelters. Foods, beverages, mattresses, lamps and flashlights are being provided. Many children are brought into the center of the country for summer camp fun provided by volunteers, to keep them safe and relieve their fears.

I work out at the University’s sports center in Beer-Sheva; there, too, you can observe Israelis carrying on as normal a life as possible. We work out, swim, play cards or backgammon, sit together and talk, share a picnic, and watch our children enjoying summer camp fun. 

Between news of new rocket attacks and IDF retaliatory actions, pleasant music plays over the loudspeaker. Young couples still get married as planned, even if it is in a shelter, and babies are still being born with mothers beaming with happiness.