Letters from the Iran War - 2026

  
  Shabbat, February 28, 2026 - sent at 17:00  
 

We were awakened this morning by sirens - at 08:10. At first we went to our safe room, but quickly learned that the sirens were "preliminary". In other words, be within ten minutes of your safe space.So until almost 10:00 we were in our living room with the television on. It was then that more specific warnings started, and since then we've been our safe room, most of that time with the door closed.

"We" is Tzippi and me. Phil and Debbie, who arrived in Israel last Friday morning, are (or at least were) traveling with Eitan in the north. They stayed in Acco last night, and from what they've reported to us via WhatsApp are presently in the underground tunnels of the city - that's a tourist attraction (maybe also a museum), but also a safe place. Hila has reported that by her they've had at least one alert. Her room is in a safe house.

I started writing this at 11:40. I guessed, perhaps incorrectly, that Libbe and Loren wouldn't have been listening to news when things started, and it was already late night in New York. So I didn't expect to receive any "what's happening by you" questions that I'd have to immediately answer. But I decided that I could start writing now, and when the questions come I'll have something ready for sending.

Yesterday evening, around 20:30, someone on one of the groups I'm on (North Americans from Hashomer HaTzair) asked "Why the massive military buildup?". The question was a bit strange because we weren't aware of anything really happening then. I think the intent of the question was along the lines of "do we really need a new war?". I responded:

  
   

Why? Because we continue to convince ourselves that wars are actually solutions and can bring security. (And because we refuse to learn that it's easier to get into a war than it is to get out of one.)

  
  I'm far from a fan of the Iranian regime and I'd be happy for regime change there, but it should be obvious (though it apparently isn't) that that should come about iinternally and not by external force. If Iran's leaders are fair game, so are ours. Even with my cynicism I doubt that Trump is doing this to deflect attention from the Epstein files. Sadly, however, I do think that Netanyahu thinks that a quick war is good for his reelection.

And now, 12:10, we've gotten messages that throughout the country we're permitted to leave our safe spaces, though to be close by. And I guess that's a good time for me to stop writing for a while and prepare something to eat.

I doubt there's any need for play-by-play, but it's now 13:40. We've eaten, I've washed the dishes, and I'm now again sitting in front of our television watching reports from around the country and hearing a never-ending list of (primarily military) experts explaining to us what's happening and what will happen. Twice in the past hour and a half our phones have beeped with warnings to be near our safe spaces, but each of these times our area was outside the range of the missiles that were identified as on their way.

Now it's 16:30, and other than a couple of sirens telling us to either be prepared to, or in one case even actually enter, our safe rooms, there really isn't anything new to report. The children's Purim celebration of Hatzor was supposed to take place today, but that was cancelled as soon as things started this morning. I was planning on reading the Shabbat paper and maybe do a bit of writing. Instead I've basically done nothing beyond a bit of reading (and writing this) with an eye and ear to the continuing patter from the television which to a certain extent stopped being interesting a while ago. The main news is that our experts think that Khamenei has been killed. That's apparently (according to the experts) good news because it means that less fanatic leadership in Iran will take his place. Is that true? Well, the experts have been wrong before. I just saw a tweet from someone I'm not familiar with. I'm translating:

  
   

He (referring to Netanyahu) managed to escape punishment and burned the country down (with the help of the imbecile Trump). It's impossible to even imagine the horrific future that two narcissists have dragged the world into. Only an idiot imagines that Iran is seeking "peace" after this attack. As usual, the ones who will be hurt are us. This is the price of our silence, friends, enjoy the mess.

  
 


That's no doubt a (very) minority opinion, but in the long run we're definitely not advancing peace.

Phil and Debbie and Eitan have continued their touring. They're now in Tiberias and have a hotel room for the night there. A few minutes ago they sent a photo overlooking the Kinneret. Tiberias is at least as safe as anyplace else, and perhaps even more so, meaning that there's not really any reason to stop their touring now.

In about an hour it will be dark here, and one of the items on the never-ending-news-commentary programming was the suggestion that people who use public shelters might bring mattresses for the night. In other words, it may be a quiet day, but it's still a war.

  
     
     
   

to: Sunday, March1

  
   

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