Ventura and Margaliot: Two Testimonies from Israeli Shelters

“It’s better to live it here in Israel. Being far away is much more painful.” These are the words of Renzo Ventura, a retired lawyer who immigrated from Florence to Israel. Speaking with Pagine Ebraiche from Jerusalem, he sums up the sentiment of many Israelis born in Italy who still maintain a strong connection with their country of origin. In the past two years, Jerusalem has been less affected by emergencies than other areas of the country. But now, it is on the front lines. Fragments of an Iranian missile fell a short distance from the Temple Mount, endangering sites sacred to Islam. “Our house is quite new, so we have a fortified room. When the siren sounds, we go inside,” Ventura said. Since the war began, there has been nonstop back and forth.

Ventura maintained that there is unity in Israel regarding the government’s decision to attack Iran. “Netanyahu or not, that’s not the point. The opposition also supports the attack because they don’t see another way to deal with a regime that supports Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. If Iran had nuclear weapons, they would surely use them against us too.”

Ran Margaliot, a former professional cyclist, was one of the key figures in the 2018 Tour of Italy starting in Jerusalem. He lives in a moshav, or collective village, in the Valley of Izreel in northern Israel. During the conflict with Hezbollah, the area can be “one of the most dangerous places.” However, he said, “The truth is that the entire country is involved.” As soon as he finished speaking, a siren sounded in Modi’in, central Israel, where his mother lives. “Sorry, now I have to go. We need to enter the shelter,” he concluded.