“There has just been a missile attack on Jerusalem. We are in shelters. » When we were supposed to call him this Monday morning, Benjamin was hiding in the basement of his building. Since the Hamas attack on Saturday, this 43-year-old father has lived to the rhythm of the sirens that resonate in Jerusalem. “Two friends of my children who are missing were at the rave party on Saturday. Our neighbors who are fighters had to leave immediately. ” For 20 minutesthis father of three children agreed to talk about his daily life.
“We try to keep the windows open to hear the alerts. When they ring, we all have our role. My wife takes the last one, I take care of the older ones. As I am on the top floor, I am the one responsible for knocking on the doors to check that everyone has gone to safety. » Although the Holy City is not located in direct proximity to the Gaza Strip, its inhabitants still see the missiles passing over their heads. “We are lucky to be in Jerusalem and therefore to have a minute and a half to go down to the shelters, unlike the towns near the Gaza area which have a few seconds to prepare. »
“Most people don’t even think about leaving”
Benjamin compares the Hamas attacks which began on Saturday to that of the Bataclan. “Given the size of the country, we are all affected. It’s as if one family in three or four had someone at the Bataclan. »
When asked if he plans to flee the country, Benjamin laughs. “Leaving the country? Truly not ! Stay, for sure. There’s really no question… Everyone does what they want, obviously, but I think most people don’t even think about leaving. »
Benjamin’s testimony can be found in the video at the top of this article.