Israeli public largely unfazed by homefront exercise
Israel Hayom | Israeli public largely unfazed by homefront exercise.
Two air-raid sirens sound on Monday as part of nationwide homefront defense exercise, but public mostly continues on with normal activities • Students move into shelters at their schools • President Shimon Peres: Today, we are practicing for a test. I hope we don’t have to face that test in reality.
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President Shimon Peres in a protected space at his residence in Jerusalem during an air-raid siren on Monday
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Photo credit: Kobi Gideon / GPO
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Israel’s nationwide homefront defense exercise reached its peak on Monday, with air-raid sirens going off midday and in the evening, but the general public appeared largely unfazed. The sirens sounded across the country, except in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip, at 12:30 p.m. and 7:05 p.m.
During the midday siren, students moved into shelters at their schools. On the streets, however, most people ignored the sirens and continued with their normal activities.
Citizens were supposed to get messages on their cellphones with instructions, but many reported that they did not receive anything.
The sirens were part of the week-long “Resilient Homefront 1” exercise, meant to simulate missile attacks all over Israel during a multi-front war. In the simulated scenario, missiles are fired at Israel from Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, with some carrying chemical warheads.
“Citizens must not rely solely on Iron Dome and other defensive activities by the military, but must also take responsibility for their family and friends,” Homefront Defense Minister Gilad Erdan said.
Among other events on Monday, a drill was held in Nazareth Illit to practice rescuing trapped people from a collapsed building.
One person who did take the sirens seriously was President Shimon Peres. He and the employees at his residence in Jerusalem went into the building’s protected space during the sirens.
“Today, we are practicing for a test,” Peres said. “I hope we don’t have to face that test in reality.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Israel faces the largest missile and rocket threat in the world. We are preparing for all possible scenarios. We are investing billions so that our homefront will be better protected and better prepared. We have invested in things ranging from Iron Dome systems to more sirens to added fortifications and improved detection systems. It will be hard to achieve perfect protection. Ultimately, no defense can replace the IDF’s military might and the resilience of the public during an attack.”
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