U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell phoned Prime Minister Ariel Sharon about 90 minutes before the beginning of the assault and informed him of the impending attack.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom visited the Ministry's situation room this morning, and was updated on Israel's political and informational preparations. He spoke with Israel's Ambassadors in the U.S. and Great Britain, Danny Ayalon and Tzvi Shtauber, and instructed them to continue to maintain a low profile. "Israel is not part of this war and does not want to be dragged into it," Shalom said, adding that "Israelis are praying for the allied soldiers and hope that the war will be short and with few casualties."
Prime Minister Sharon is conducting a "business as usual" routine, visiting areas in the western Negev today. He will take part this evening in a seminar this evening in Sapir College in Sderot. On the agenda: The significance of retaliatory actions, in which Sharon took active leadership roles beginning in the 1950's.
Only a few hours after the attack on Iraq began early this morning (Israel time), some 700 Arab protestors took to the streets in Gaza in favor of Saddam Hussein. Burning American flags, the mobs called out, "Death to America and Bush" and "We will give our souls and blood for you, Saddam."
Israel has been divided into ten "siren" areas. In case of emergency alert of an approaching missile, a one-minute rising-and-falling siren will be sounded throughout the country. When the threat is deemed to have passed, the various areas will be notified. Those in Area Aleph (Tel Aviv and environs), for instance, might be informed that it is safe to take off their masks and leave their sealed rooms at the same time that those in nearby Area Zayin (Netanya) must still be awaiting further instructions. Northern Israel is Area Daled, except for Haifa and Acre, which are Area Bet. Northern Shomron is Area Heh, while southern Shomron, Jerusalem, and Judea are Area Gimmel. Ashdod and Ashkelon are in Area Chet, while southern Israel is divided into three parts: Be'er Sheva and westward is Vav; Dimona, Arad, and southward are Tet, and the rest, including Eilat, is Yud.
The codewords to be announced over the radio in case of an attack are:
Homat Barzel (Iron Wall): Countrywide alert.
Adon Leon (Sir Leon): Alert in Areas Aleph, Bet, and Zayin, as well as Dimona and Arad.
Baal Teshuvah (Repentant): Countrywide alert, except for Ashdod and southwards (but including Dimona) and the northern areas.
Lilach Ifregan, 24, of Pardes Chanah, is supposed to be married next week - unless what happened when she was supposed to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah celebration 12 years ago occurs again: It was canceled because of the outbreak of Persian Gulf War I. "It's unbelievable," she told Maariv. "Saddam is chasing after me. It’s a feeling of deja-vu…" She has not given up hope, however, and still expects to marry her intended, Yossi Aberjil, next week, despite the "misunderstandings" between the Americans and the Iraqis.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom visited the Ministry's situation room this morning, and was updated on Israel's political and informational preparations. He spoke with Israel's Ambassadors in the U.S. and Great Britain, Danny Ayalon and Tzvi Shtauber, and instructed them to continue to maintain a low profile. "Israel is not part of this war and does not want to be dragged into it," Shalom said, adding that "Israelis are praying for the allied soldiers and hope that the war will be short and with few casualties."
Prime Minister Sharon is conducting a "business as usual" routine, visiting areas in the western Negev today. He will take part this evening in a seminar this evening in Sapir College in Sderot. On the agenda: The significance of retaliatory actions, in which Sharon took active leadership roles beginning in the 1950's.
Only a few hours after the attack on Iraq began early this morning (Israel time), some 700 Arab protestors took to the streets in Gaza in favor of Saddam Hussein. Burning American flags, the mobs called out, "Death to America and Bush" and "We will give our souls and blood for you, Saddam."
Israel has been divided into ten "siren" areas. In case of emergency alert of an approaching missile, a one-minute rising-and-falling siren will be sounded throughout the country. When the threat is deemed to have passed, the various areas will be notified. Those in Area Aleph (Tel Aviv and environs), for instance, might be informed that it is safe to take off their masks and leave their sealed rooms at the same time that those in nearby Area Zayin (Netanya) must still be awaiting further instructions. Northern Israel is Area Daled, except for Haifa and Acre, which are Area Bet. Northern Shomron is Area Heh, while southern Shomron, Jerusalem, and Judea are Area Gimmel. Ashdod and Ashkelon are in Area Chet, while southern Israel is divided into three parts: Be'er Sheva and westward is Vav; Dimona, Arad, and southward are Tet, and the rest, including Eilat, is Yud.
The codewords to be announced over the radio in case of an attack are:
Homat Barzel (Iron Wall): Countrywide alert.
Adon Leon (Sir Leon): Alert in Areas Aleph, Bet, and Zayin, as well as Dimona and Arad.
Baal Teshuvah (Repentant): Countrywide alert, except for Ashdod and southwards (but including Dimona) and the northern areas.
Lilach Ifregan, 24, of Pardes Chanah, is supposed to be married next week - unless what happened when she was supposed to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah celebration 12 years ago occurs again: It was canceled because of the outbreak of Persian Gulf War I. "It's unbelievable," she told Maariv. "Saddam is chasing after me. It’s a feeling of deja-vu…" She has not given up hope, however, and still expects to marry her intended, Yossi Aberjil, next week, despite the "misunderstandings" between the Americans and the Iraqis.