My decision was made, I will watch the Iranian missile attack - opinion

The decision was made; there was no bomb shelter in the apartment, and I knew when rockets and missiles started flying in from Iran, I would watch everything on the third-floor balcony and, if possible, live-stream it. Hiking four floors down to the bomb shelter in the basement was not an option for me.

I had just left my apartment of the previous two years the night before, it had been a bad and unfair rental and I had not managed to find a new apartment in Jerusalem as the market and price for a fully furnished apartment was too much. So I actually found myself “homeless” in between apartments as we entered the high holidays.

Through a very kind lady in America who follow me on social media, I connected with a couple who offered me roof over my head in the very last minute as they were to travel to Italy for vacation.

So, after weeks of hard work packing up my stuff and giving most of it away as it looked like I would end up in a hotel, I had four heavy suitcases and some heavy bags left.

A friend of mine and I cleaned the old apartment for days, and on the evening of September 30, we drove out of Jerusalem to a town in Samaria and hauled the heavy suitcases and bags to the 3rd floor since there was no elevator. We spent about an hour with the host couple before they left for the airport. Following this, I collapsed into bed pretty quickly that night, but I also knew there was no time to rest as I was having a minor surgery two weeks later and needed to find my own place.

The following day my friend and I went shopping in the local supermarket to have provisions as the Jewish New Year would begin the next day.

In the afternoon the Internet went offline in the community where I was staying, and my phone service was not getting good reception. As we sat on the balcony watching the incredible view all the way to Jordan, we heard the breaking news from the media than an Iranian attack was imminent.

Well, I knew, with my weak knee and damaged meniscus problem, that trying to run down four floors to the basement was not happening, and the journalist inside of me was also too curious to watch it all go down.

My friend left, and shortly after that, my phone exploded with heavy lights and a message from the Home Front Command that went out to the entire Holy Land; “The attack from Iran has begun,” and the whole country should seek shelter immediately.

The last time that happened, I was in my own apartment in downtown Jerusalem with my own bomb shelter, now I was in some stranger’s apartment in Samaria (which is the Biblical heartland) with no bomb shelter in the apartment.

During the entire attack I was without any Internet service, the Wi-Fi was offline, and I was frustrated as I wanted to share the event live, I stood quietly on the balcony and watched a family just across the street. We were all just standing silently and waiting.

 All of a sudden, the siren went off in the community close by, and I watched as a large barrage of missiles flew overhead into the sky, a sight that was deadly and dangerous but at the same time beautiful. I recorded it on my phone and thought it was good that I hadn’t told my mom and Danish family that I didn’t have a bomb shelter in the apartment.

Then it happened: the alerts went off in my community, and once again, my phone blew up from the Home Front Command ordering people into bomb shelters. The family across the street quickly ran into their house and everything become quiet, I didn’t see anyone.

And then missiles started flying closer to me, but I kept standing there and just prayed for God’s protection over His Holy Land and His people while the genocidal leaders of Iran were trying to wipe out God’s people.

Then the missiles came so close that I ran out to the hallway, and the noise became very, very loud. The walls of my building were shaking, and I recorded a couple of ultra-short videos in between, running back to the balcony to watch as much as possible.

Honestly I was not afraid, yet I was curious and I am quite settled with my life on earth, knowing that when my time is up, I am going home.

My friend had just gone through the checkpoint driving into Jerusalem when the alerts started blasting, and missiles were flying over his head. He later told me how people were running out of buses and cars while parents were pulling their kids out of the cars with the help of police officers who were trying to shield these precious children from Iranian ballistic missiles that were flying over their heads. 

It was a horrifying scenario, but again, I believe certain that there was Divine protection over the Holy Land during this diabolic attack. God fights for His people.

Then everything calmed down, and I saw a man walking his dog, another man running with his kid down the street, and the family across from me peeking out again. Shortly after that, another Red Alert went off in my town again, and my phone blew up with Home Front Command ordering people back into the bomb shelters.

I stood quietly in the darkness looking at all the lights of beautiful Samaria as the next wave of missiles flew over my head hearing and watching some of the interceptions. I remained on the balcony declaring God’s promises over His Land. Shortly after that, it was over and in less than 30 minutes a bus came down the street and people went out and everything returned to normal.

It was beyond surreal, but I love the hearts, souls, and resilience of the amazing people in Israel. They are stronger than anyone I know.

As I reflected on what I was seeing, I realized that once again, the whole world saw that, together with the amazing IDF and especially the brave pilots in the Air Force, the God who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. 

I was in awe of Him as I watched this brutal missile attack on the Holy Land from a front-row seat in Samaria on the balcony on the 3rd floor, the same evil that has tried to wipe the Jewish people off the face of the earth for decades is very much at play today with its genocidal wish to eradicate Israel.

But the wicked enemies of Israel seem to be so blinded by their hatred towards God’s Chosen people that they always forget: When you’re fighting against Israel, you’re fighting against God.

The couple whose apartment I was staying in cut short their trip by 11 days, and I was rushing to find my own place before I went to Hadassah Hospital for minor foot surgery.

It was very stressful but the night before I went into surgery I moved into an apartment in Jerusalem for 6 months, until April 30th. There are still things the landlord has promised to fix and replace, which I am counting on; it's way overdue.

It’s been some very hectic months for me trying to breathe through it all, moving in and settling while also having a minor surgery and recovering from that.

Also, just now, after waiting for a long time, I received a new visa, so I’ll be able to stay in Israel for one more year. For that, I’m beyond grateful to continue to be Jerusalem Jane in Israel.

While I was standing on the balcony watching the 200 ballistic missiles above my head and being unable to run to the bomb shelter four floors down, I was thinking about all the brave people living close to the Gaza border and also in the north who, for years have had to seek shelter over and over again when the deplorable terrorists from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah have been firing rockets and missiles whenever they felt like it.

I think of people who had to flee to the basement or wherever the bomb shelters are in their neighborhood who are elderly, who have children or injuries or disabilities, who are simply not able to flee to safety – it’s a very dangerous situation, it is only by God’s protection that we don’t see bigger casualties in Israel from so many years of rocket attacks.

As I am writing this blog, we have alerts in Israel as a ballistic missile is fired from Yemen at Israel, and hundreds of thousands of people are running for their lives to bomb shelters. 

Attacked every single day since Oct. 7

Israel has been attacked every single day since October 8th, 2023, with rockets, drones and missiles from several fronts and nations, with most days experiencing launches somewhere between 100-200 rockets, it’s outrageous. Israel is defending her nation and people against genocidal enemies who want to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. 

I saw a TV host in America saying: "Israel was attacked with 200 ballistic missiles from Iran; I can't imagine the trauma they must have felt in Israel. It happened twice. The whole nation has been traumatized since October 7 of last year." 

And I was thinking, Yep, we are! 

There is no doubt about it, and my heart and prayers are with all the families who lost a loved one on October 7; all the families who lost a loved one in the battle for Israel, among them more than 800 soldiers killed since that cursed day when Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out an act of genocide against the Jewish people. 

It's heartbreaking for those soldier’s families, for all the wives who lost their husbands, and for all the children who are growing up without a dad. 

My heart are with all the precious hostages still held in Gaza by brutal Hamas and my prayers are with the families of the hostages, it's devastating. 

Let me end by saying this: It was actually a very special time staying in Samaria for a couple of weeks. 

Much quieter than Jerusalem and because of being there I had a front row seat to the biggest ballistic missile attack in history watching in wonder how God protected His Nation, another mighty miracle in Israel.