Local officials, experts and Connecticut residents with ties to the Middle East are responding following Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel Saturday.
This has been a frightening weekend for Israelis and their loved ones here in Connecticut.
“The entire country, every single person was in a shelter and terrified of what was going to happen,” said Rachel Levy, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut.
And now everyone waits to see what potential counteroffensive might be launched against Iran.
As a barrage of missiles and drones flew toward Israel, Levy says her family there hunkered down.
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“So in my cousin's household, they decided to go to sleep in their safe room. … The kids and the mom all shared one queen-size bed and they just slept on a mattress on the floor and they hoped for the best,” said Levy.
“In my brother's case, they decided to go to sleep in Jerusalem in their regular apartment. But then at 2 a.m., they heard red alert go off that everybody should go down to their bunker as quickly as possible.”
There were hours of waiting, hearing explosions and not knowing what was going on.
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“I have to believe that, you know, this, this was a serious intent to kill a lot of people in Israel, and they failed,” said Howard Stoffer, a national security professor at the University of New Haven.
Stoffer says this was the largest drone attack in military history.
He thinks Israel will respond to Iran in a measured way.
“I do think that they can strike back and say, ‘Well OK, you gave us a message, we're giving you a message, 'Don't do this again. And if you do, there will be, you know, significant and much more severe consequences.’ If they do nothing. in that part of the world, if you do nothing, you look inert and open to further attack,” said Stoffer.
Amid all of this, there are still the concerns about the hostages and negotiations with Hamas to release them.
And soon, the Jewish people start Passover. One of their most celebrated holidays looks potentially very different in Israel.
“All Passover activities have been canceled. Schools officially shut down and closed for the next two weeks, and all of the spring break activities have been canceled for the next two weeks. So this is definitely not the end. This was the first of many sleepless nights," said Levy.
