The desert sun beat down on Tel Aviv’s beaches, casting long shadows over a scene that defied recent headlines. A day after Iran launched a multifront attack on Israel with suicide drones, ballistic missiles, and rockets, Israelis were seen going about their normal lives on the beaches. Despite the global political debate and destabilizing conditions in the Middle East, the locals seemed to have gotten used to this kind of thing.
Israelis embrace normalcy after drone attack
Nearly all of Iran’s drones and missiles launched in a recent attack were destroyed by Israel’s air defences, with support from the US, Jordan, France, and the UK.The strike came as retaliation for the killing of Iranian military leaders in Syria on April 1st. Despite the attack, photos from Tel Aviv show residents seemingly unfazed, relaxing on beaches and enjoying cafes. This suggests a certain level of resilience among the Israeli people accustomed to such conflicts.
“My husband went for for walk at 8.30, the cafés were open, the beach was open. Everything was back to normal. Israelis are used to it. They’re used to being attacked; it’s normal life for them.”- Debbie Fenton told The Jewish Chronicle from Herzliya.
“Israelis are trusting IDF to handle Iran threats and enjoying the sunny weather this morning on Bat Yam beach.” A social media user wrote on X (Twitter) after posting pictures of the crowd unfazed, dancing and enjoying the beach like a normal day for them. “Israelis are sipping lattes on the beach. This isn’t their first rodeo.” Wrote another.
A Jerusalem resident told Agence France-Presse, “The situation is really frightening but, we are very, very happy with the alliance that helped us because most of the aircraft and missiles have not arrived to Israel.”
Schools in Israel closed for Monday after Iran’s attack
Despite signs that things are getting back to normal in Israel, some security worries remain. The New York Post reports that many schools in the country were set to close on Monday as a result of the ongoing threat, but some ultra-orthodox schools stayed open. This is in stark contrast to the post-October 7th Hamas assault, which took much longer to get back to normal after more than 1,200 people lost their lives.
US faces criticism after Iran attacks Israel
On April 13, while Israel awoke to heart-wrenching news, world political leaders lambasted the Biden administration for certain policies that have had a direct impact on the Middle East crisis. On Sunday night, the administration came under fire for its alleged role in funnelling billions of dollars into Iran through a sanctions waiver, which critics say indirectly benefits Iran. The White House has defended the waiver as being strictly for humanitarian purposes, but Republican senators have called for an end to the waiver, arguing that it weakens deterrence of Iran.
