Indianapolis native in Israel recounts horror from Tel Aviv bombings
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis native living in Israel told News 8 in an interview Tuesday about the terror in Tel Aviv.
Eitan Goldstein was born in the Circle City, but now lives in Tel Aviv, Israel, and served in the Israeli Defense Force. He said facing the violence in the city has been difficult, and learning about other acts of violence against children is even worse.
“Disgust. Anger. Fury,” Goldstein said. “I mean, words really can’t describe the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, that dark swirl that really starts in the pit of your heart when you hear something like that.”
Goldstein spoke with News 8 from his apartment in Tel Aviv. Shortly after the call, he had to take cover in a friend’s bomb shelter because he did not have one in his building.
If a bomb goes off during the day when he is home, his only option is to take cover away from windows.
“About five minutes before we jumped on (the interview), there were a few mortar rounds fired from Syria into the Golan Heights, into Israel,” Goldstein said.
Goldstein says everyone knows someone who was killed, and his family and friends were not spared.
“We have family friends who were actually murdered down by the Gaza Strip, and our family friend’s daughters were taken into Gaza and we don’t know what’s happened,” Goldstein said.
Tel Aviv was once a top tourism and nightlife destination. Now, it is a ghost town.
“Every night of the week, you have to call to make a reservation at a restaurant or a bar if you want to go out. That’s how busy it is,” Goldstein said. “(Now,) everything is shut down. The country is shut down. The country is in mourning.”
Goldstein says he tried to volunteer for his old role in the communications office for the IDF, but so many people had already volunteered that all the spots were taken.
“I speak Arabic, Hebrew, and Spanish, and every single one of those offices in the spokesperson units is full of volunteers,” Goldstein said.
Goldstein did not let this deter him. As a multi-lingual person, he runs a WhatsApp messaging group where he translates messages from opposing military and militant forces to inform Israelis and allies of what they are saying. “At least I’m sorta doing my part to get the word out of these terrible atrocities and get the word out of what we’re truly going through,” he said.
Goldstein calls this violence unnecessary. “Nobody in Israel wants Palestinian kids to die. Nobody in Israel wants civilians to die. It doesn’t matter who they are or what they think or what their beliefs are.”
Goldstein said he does not anticipate this conflict ending quickly.
“When infants are beheaded when women are kidnapped and raped, you know that there just has to be some sort of response and that response has to be harsh and that response has to be final,” Goldstein said. “I don’t think this will end any time soon.”
Goldstein said Israel and the Israeli Defense Force have committed to the total destruction of Hamas, which is entrenched in the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. He personally believes a ground invasion will be necessary to save civilian lives.
The Jewish Federation of North America is asking for donations to the Israel Crisis Fund. All proceeds are set to support Israel directly.
From the Jewish Federation of Indianapolis
The Jewish Federation of Indianapolis has called upon the community to help support the people of Israel.
The organization shared ways that community members can safely help send aid to Israel during the fighting intensifies.
To support the relief efforts
- The Jewish Federations of North America has opened an Israel Crisis Fund raise essential dollars for those in need, which will be distributed swiftly through their partners on the ground, including through the Fund for Victims of Terror.
- Donate online or to these organizations, as well: United Hatzalah, and Magen David Adom.