As world braces itself for war, Israelis head for the beach

“Israel on high alert as world works to stop clash with Iran,” reads the front page of the Jerusalem Post.

But the papers laid out for customers at a local kiosk in the coastal town of Herzliya, central Israel, on Saturday morning stand in a stark contrast to the mood on the street.

“Nothing will happen. They say it will but it won’t. It’s just talk. In Herzliya we don’t talk so much about it,” Itzik, a local supermarket owner, told The Telegraph.

He added that the media was deliberately trying to create drama: “That’s what they do.”

Iran has continued to threaten to “punish” Israel for killing its top commander in Damascus last week, and both Israel and the US have briefed that an attack is imminent.

But Israelis are used to war and this time it’s no different. In Herzliya, an affluent city just north of Tel Aviv, people were heading to the beach to enjoy the sunny weather.

At a local cafe, people milled around chatting and drinking coffee. Sharon, from the city of Ramat Gan, not far from Herzliya, was sitting on a bench with his dog.

He said he was not worried: “I trust my country. I am not afraid. It will be all right.”

Israelis are as unsure as everyone else about whether Tehran will actually strike Israel as the US has been warning.

“I don’t know if Iran will attack. Even my uncle, who is a captain in the army, told us yesterday at Shabbat dinner that he also didn’t know,” Sharon said.

For Sharon, the focus should still be on Gaza and getting the 130 or so hostages out as soon as possible. “If they [Hamas] want 100 prisoners in exchange for 100 hostages, we should give it to them. I don’t care. Imagine if it was your sister,” he said.

Two women going for a jog along the seaside were equally sanguine in the face of the Iranian threats.

“We are concerned but not nervous. We are used to it. I think an attack might happen, but on a military target, not civilian,” one of the women said.

One has a son in the army who is now stationed at the border with Lebanon after fighting in Gaza. She said she had faith that the IDF would protect them.

‘We have always lived like this’

“I trust the army and I’m an optimistic person. This is our life. We have always lived like this,” she said.

At the entrance to Herzliya’s beach, Reba is in charge of opening the gate for vehicles with beachside permits. He also isn’t worried. “If a missile hits, what can you do? Seek shelter. That’s it.”

Like many in Israel, Reba isn’t a fan of Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, who has become increasingly unpopular for his handling of the war.

“He is dragging us to death,” he said.