Two Jewish Americans shared their harrowing flight from Tel Aviv, narrowly escaping Hamas rockets as rockets struck Ben-Gurion Airport.
Dr. Nissan Levy, a practicing doctor, and David Usher, a physiotherapist, both 28, flew from Israel to Dubai before finally returning to New York.
As they set off for their flight to Israel on Monday, rocket sirens wailed and chaos broke out. The panic escalated as they boarded their flight when a missile hit nearby just as they were climbing the ramp to the plane.
The plane and the ramp itself began to shake violently, Levy and Usher recalled, leaving them petrified and sending the travelers into a frenzy. They didn’t know if they would ever make it home.
“The worst part was on the ramp,” Levy said. “As we got on the plane, the entire ramp started shaking. We felt the aftershock. “It was very surreal,” Usher added. “That’s when we got nervous.”
At JFK Airport on Wednesday evening, the two childhood friends from Nassau County recounted their traumatic journey home from the war zone in Israel, describing the panic and fear they and many other travelers experienced along the way.
Two Jewish Americans shared their harrowing flight from Tel Aviv, narrowly escaping Hamas rockets as rockets struck Ben-Gurion Airport
“People were running and crying in the airport. It was really traumatic. “I lived in Israel for three years and it was peaceful during my stay,” he added.
“A missile hit half a mile outside the airport,” Levy said.
“It was a constant hail of sirens and constant banging from the Iron Dome.” “We were checking social media for updates.”
The chaos at the airport, extensive security measures and several flight cancellations only made her more stressful.
But the traumatic ordeal began earlier in their trip, during their stay in Israel, where they were vacationing over the Jewish holiday.
Instead of celebrating, they spent their time taking refuge in a basement to hide from missiles and possible terrorist attacks.
The friends were forced to barricade themselves in the basement of their apartment because there were no bomb shelters in their Airbnb.
Dr. Nissan Levy, a practicing doctor, and David Usher, a physiotherapist, both 28, flew from Israel to Dubai before finally returning to New York. Their plane began shaking violently as they boarded, leaving them petrified and sending the travelers into a frenzy
As they set off for their flight to Israel on Monday, rocket sirens wailed and chaos broke out. The panic escalated as they boarded their flight when a missile hit nearby just as they were climbing the ramp to the plane
As observant Jews, they refrained from using their phones during the holiday when Hamas began its terrorist attack, so they did not realize the seriousness of the situation until later.
Dr. Recalling her experience, Levy said, “We woke up to a siren and realized there was no bomb shelter on the ground floor of our Airbnb.” We had no phones and no minyan (a group of 10 people set up for Jewish prayer are necessary).’
They spent hours in hiding, unaware of the true horrors spreading across the country as terrorists unleashed evil, murdering and torturing as many innocent civilians as possible.
“We thought it might be an exaggeration until we saw the deserted streets of Jerusalem,” he said.
“Nobody thought it could get that bad.” “We heard rumors and sirens, but it wasn’t until afterward that we realized how bad it was,” Usher said. “We thought it was excessive.”
The constant siren noise and rumors circulating only increased her fear.
The departures came after a volley of rockets landed in the Tel Aviv area near a terminal at Ben-Gurion Airport. A video circulating online appeared to show smoke rising from near the airport parking lot
Ben-Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international gateway, was crowded with desperate travelers trying to escape on Monday – when the Palestinian militant group launched a rocket attack near one of the terminals. (Pictured: the scene at the airport on Sunday)
Usher and Levy, who have lived in Israel for years, said it was unimaginable to believe in the state of the country until they saw with their own eyes the empty streets of Jerusalem, which they described as a “ghost city.” and the fear and panic of people with families trying to get home.
“This poor lady was completely freaked out, everyone was trying to run away.” “It was pure chaos and panic,” Usher said.
“It was surreal,” Usher said. “There were people running around in the airport.” People were crying in the airport. It was really traumatic.’
At the same time, they noticed the many people desperately trying to return from America to Israel to volunteer their service.
Dr. Levy expressed guilt over leaving Israel during such a crisis, saying: “I felt like I was letting down everyone who was trying to get to Israel.” I felt like my country and abandoning my people. “I’m an American, my life is here, but still.”
Frightened Jewish-Americans who fled Israel amid the all-out war with Hamas have begun landing back in the United States on last-minute flights from the besieged country. Edn Bendavid (pictured), who arrived in LA, California from Tel Aviv on Sunday, burst into tears
There were emotional scenes at airports around the world as people fled Israel as war broke out between the country and the Palestinian militant group Hamas
Their trip, which began as a vacation adventure, turned into a nightmare, but the two stressed the importance of still being able to enjoy life despite the horrors.
They described their conflicting feelings about how to mourn the loss of life and suffering of Israelis without allowing terrorists to steal their joy.
Ben-Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international gateway, was crowded with desperate travelers trying to escape earlier this week – when the Palestinian militant group launched a rocket attack near one of the terminals.
A volley of missiles in the Tel Aviv area landed near a terminal. A video circulating online appeared to show smoke rising from near the airport parking lot.
A spokesman for the Israel Airports Authority said there was a missile intercept in the air and a possible impact in a nearby village.
They added that there was no impact at the airport itself.