As the world waits to see whether the Trump administration will carry out strikes against the Islamic regime following failed nuclear negotiations and a month of domestic unrest, Israeli women told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday that they are preparing themselves and their loved ones for the possibility of another confrontation with Tehran.
The 12 Day War in June, which significantly reduced elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure through targeted strikes, left a deep imprint not only on military calculations but on civilian life in Israel. During the fighting, the Post spoke with people who had lost their homes, pet owners whose animals did not survive the attacks, and reported on the deaths of 32 people in Israel, including 31 civilians, four of whom were children.
Keren Shannon, 39, said she felt that, as soon as the war ended in June, the conflict was not truly over. Since then, she has kept 18 bottles of water under her table, stocked up on cans of tuna and dried Quaker oats, purchased rechargeable lights, and secured 40 days' worth of food for her cat.
Preparing for a potential emergency, Shannon also bought a radio and a first-aid kit and placed a war bag by her front door containing “my medicine, passports, portable hard drive, charger, and a power brick.”
Shannon lives in Ramat Gan, the same city that saw an Iranian missile kill 76-year-old Aharon Mizrahi and 74-year-old Eti Cohen Engel in two separate impacts.
“I have a dress by my front door that is easy to throw on if a siren goes off while I'm showering [and] I have slip-on shoes by the door,” she added.
More Israeli women share how they prepare
For Sarah Levy, a 40-year-old mother living in Bat Yam, the concern is primarily for her son. She told the Post she felt torn about whether to fly to Germany to spare her four-year-old the experience of another war, but has instead begun preparing ways to keep him occupied in Israel, purchasing “a ton” of arts supplies.
Levy said she suspected another round of fighting would follow the truce in June and that she “didn’t feel safe in Israel anymore” after seeing ballistic missiles damage safe rooms in homes across the country.
“But I continue to live, continue to push through. I noticed I start to suppress bad news and take life day by day. There is no other way to live here and not go crazy,” she explained. “You have to close your emotions a bit to survive. Some would say you become stronger here, more resilient. I think we become numb. To danger. To violence. To the suffering of others. We cannot take it any more; it has been a rough few years.”
Asked whether she feared the long-term impact of war on her son, Levy said she worried it could shape his worldview in ways she hopes to avoid, including growing fearful of Arabs and Arabic. The issue is deeply important to her, she said, as she has consciously raised her son to focus on peace, including sending him to a Muslim metapelet (caregiver).
“How much influence will I have on the person he becomes? Will I be able to shield him from becoming a racist or someone whose political attitudes are fueled by Jewish supremacy and racism? Or someone who hates out of fear? Those were the thoughts that occupied my head and my heart throughout the war,” she told the Post.
For Beca Bookman, another war would mean adjusting to new responsibilities. Last month, the Jerusalem resident adopted a puppy and began preparing her own grab bag with essentials for both herself and her new pet.
She assembled the emergency bag on the night of January 14. Without a mamad (safe room) in her building, Bookman said she understands that time is critical when heading to the building’s miklat (bomb shelter).
“Pretty much everyone has their bag that they bring down with them [ready],” she told the Post. “We recently got a dog, and it was a new experience trying to think about what he would need in such a situation. I packed him a large container of food, a dog bowl and water, his vaccination record, a couple of potty pads because he's young, wipes, and a bone with the hopes I remember to grab whatever toy he's playing with at the time a siren might go off.”
KeepOlim's 24/7 support hotline
Susan Cohen, the director of the 24/7 Tikva emotional support hotline run by the NGO KeepOlim, confirmed to the Post that they had received an increased number of calls over the past few days in which people voiced concerns about an impending war.
“Our call handlers are reporting an increasing number of calls from Olim experiencing heightened anxiety, fear, and emotional distress, particularly from individuals who were traumatized during the previous war and are now finding that unresolved trauma is being reactivated by renewed uncertainty and threat,” Cohen confirmed.
“Alongside this surge in crisis calls, requests for Tikva’s low-cost therapy services are also increasing, as more Olim recognise the importance of ongoing therapeutic support to help them cope emotionally during this period of instability,” Cohen continued.
Cohen warned that the prolonged uncertainty and repeated exposure to fear could have a “serious impact on mental health, placing vulnerable individuals at increased risk.”
“As uncertainty grows, we are seeing how deeply past trauma is being reawakened for many Olim,” concluded Cohen. “Access to timely emotional support and ongoing therapy is not a luxury; it is essential to helping people remain stable, resilient, and safe during this extremely challenging time.”
Olim in need of immediate emotional support can contact Tikva’s 24/7 Emotional Support Line in Israel on 074-775-1433. Those seeking low-cost therapy can apply via KeepOlim.org, where confidential application forms are available.