“The feeling of the beginning of a big war”: singer Anna Reznikova spoke about the nervous situation in Israel

Store shelves are empty, but not bare

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is in full swing and seems to be gaining momentum every day. Singer Anna Reznikova, who has lived in Israel for thirty years, is at the epicenter of events. She told MK correspondents about what is now happening in the Promised Land.

“They have stopped bombing as densely as in the first days,” says Anna. “Just a few minutes ago I turned on the TV and heard that a ground operation had begun in Gaza. As new territories are liberated, more and more bodies are found. They showed beheaded children – it all makes a completely creepy impression. This has never happened before! I couldn’t even imagine that this could happen in our time. According to official data, we have 1,200 dead and more than 3,000 thousand wounded. But in reality these numbers could be much higher. This is the system in Israel. When the body is identified, relatives are notified. And only after that the data can be published. What if there are no relatives left?

– Photos of huge queues in stores are circulating online. They say that food problems have begun in Israel due to the conflict?

– I was in the store yesterday. I actually needed to buy milk. I noticed that there were fewer products available. But it is wrong to say that the stores are empty. Everything is basically there. Of course, people can be understood. They started to panic. When the bombing is heavy, many try to stock up on the necessary food supplies. Especially if you have children and old people at home. Of course, it’s hard for everyone right now. Many people turn to psychologists to cope with this situation emotionally. I didn’t apply – I’m a fairly strong person.

– How much time do you spend in the bomb shelter?

– The first days I was there very often, we practically did not leave the bomb shelter. The majority of older people, for sure. Sirens sounded constantly. In our city and in Tel Aviv, people have about one minute to go into a bomb shelter. You don’t have to go far – we have a huge room near the elevator for residents of the entire floor. But our house is 11 years old. In new buildings, each apartment has its own bomb shelter. In those houses where there are no bomb shelters, residents are advised to go out onto the landing. By the way, we are taught that after the sound of the siren stops, we still have to stay in the bomb shelter for 10 minutes. Because rocket fragments may fly in.

– Are there enough reserves?

– Yes. Many come to Israel from other countries. Two reservists in the United States were arguing loudly over which of them would get a plane ticket. They were approached and asked why there was so much noise. They replied that they both wanted to fly to Israel, but there was only one ticket left. When you hear such stories, you understand that there are a lot of noble people in our society. And I thought that there were no more of them left.

– Anna, do you have a feeling in Israel that a big war is starting?

– There is such a feeling. Especially when a friend who lives in northern Israel calls and says: “Can you imagine, we were bombed too!” It’s very scary if they start bombing from both sides. We all pray for peace.