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The Malha Arena in Jerusalem, typically the site of intense basketball matches and devoted fanfare, turned into a scene of urgency and fear on a night that was meant to celebrate the return of basketball action.
The Hapoel Lev Jerusalem team was taking on Hapoel Kfar Saba in the 2024-25 Preseason Winner Tournament when a missile attack from Iran disrupted the match, sending players, fans, and staff into the bomb shelter.
The sirens rang out midway through the second quarter, with the Reds comfortably ahead by roughly 20 points. As the warning blared across Israel, from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva, the specter of war overshadowed the sporting event.
The Iranian regime had launched close to 200 missiles toward the Holy Land, forcing millions of Israelis into shelters, including those in attendance at the 2,000-seat arena.
Panic and Resilience Amid Missile Strikes
In what was meant to be a preseason warmup, the atmosphere quickly shifted from excitement to tension.
The game halted immediately as both teams, their support staff, and the spectators filed into the arena’s bomb shelter, which also serves as a training room for the team.
Loud explosions were heard overhead as Israel’s missile defense system sprang into action, intercepting the incoming projectiles. Thankfully, no casualties were reported.
For those inside the shelter, the atmosphere was a mix of nerves and camaraderie. Fans and players alike took selfies and shared their experiences on social media, a modern-day coping mechanism that brought some relief in an otherwise terrifying situation.
Others called loved ones, assuring them they were safe and checking on friends and family across the country who were also taking cover. Parents contacted their children, and people sent messages to friends and family around the world, saying, “Hey, we are okay.”
The arena staff ensured there was enough food and water for everyone as the minutes ticked by.
Some fans gathered around to follow the news on their phones, hoping for updates, while others watched the EuroCup game featuring Hapoel Jerusalem’s men’s team.
The fear was palpable, but so was the community spirit that has come to define life in Israel during times of conflict.
Players Reflect on Life During Conflict
As the group awaited the government’s all-clear signal, two Hapoel Lev Jerusalem players, Shir Tirosh and Zoe Wadoux, shared their thoughts on the surreal situation. Both players, like many in Israel, are all too familiar with life under the constant threat of missile attacks.
Tirosh, a veteran Israeli player, acknowledged the difficulty of living and competing in such a volatile environment. “It’s a crazy situation and reality that we are in,” she said.
“It’s crazy that we are still in this reality a year later, and it’s tough to begin the new season like this, and it’s very sad. There are sirens in Jerusalem, sirens in Tel Aviv, sirens in the entire country. It’s just a crazy reality.”
For Tirosh, her role extends beyond just playing basketball. She also sees herself as a source of calm for the team’s foreign players, many of whom are experiencing such a situation for the first time.
“What is keeping me level-headed is the fact that I am helping the foreigners on the team stay calm because they are certainly more nervous than we are. I’m here to help them and stay positive about the situation that we are all in.”
Wadoux, a French national and one of the foreign players on the team, agreed with Tirosh’s sentiments. “The club has been great, and I know all of the safety precautions that I have to take if something happens. This is the first time that I had to do it, and I knew that it was possibly going to happen,” Wadoux explained.
“Everybody around me is helping me know what to do and to make sure that I am safe because that can be scary for someone. Great people around me to make sure that I am safe.”
Despite the precarious circumstances, Wadoux remained focused on her goal of playing basketball, a sport she has loved since childhood.
“It’s not something usual for me, but at the end of the day, I’m here to play basketball. It’s weird to have to stop the game and take shelter, but I knew that when I arrived here that this was the situation, and I am aware of that.”
Supporting Foreign Players Amid Conflict
The Israeli players, well-acquainted with the nation’s turbulent history, have taken it upon themselves to help foreign players adapt to life in a war-torn environment.
Since the breakout of war on October 7th, 2023, when Israel faced an unexpected and violent escalation of conflict, they have become adept at guiding newcomers through the practical and emotional challenges of living under constant threat.
Tirosh explained that the experience of last year, when they were unprepared to help foreign teammates cope, has changed their approach.
“The import players that are here are, for the most part, calm and understand what has been going on. When they arrived, they spoke to us that they weren’t that afraid to come to Israel despite the situation. We have been speaking to them a lot about what is going on.”
Wadoux, like many foreign athletes playing in Israel, is far from her family and friends, making the situation even more emotionally charged. “I made the decision during the summer, and at that moment, the war wasn’t that bad, and when I got here, it got worse,” she said.
“Obviously, it’s tough on my family and friends and all of the people that love me at home to know that I am here. I try to call them and reach out to them every day to say that I am okay and that I am safe.”
For Wadoux, her teammates have become her surrogate family, a support system that helps her manage the anxiety of living and playing basketball in a country at war.
“When my agent told me about the club, he said that it was one big family, and that’s one of the big things that I want to play for. I want to feel good as a person before feeling good on the court,” Wadoux shared.
“All of these things really calmed me. The team plays really well on the court, and what they did last year was a big thing, but at the end of the day, they are good people, and that’s what I was looking for.”
A Nation’s Hope for Peace
As Israelis prepared for Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, with the war still raging, the basketball court was a microcosm of the larger reality in Israel—life disrupted by violence.
For players like Shir Tirosh, the celebration of a new season of basketball is bittersweet. Her thoughts were not on the game but on the lives caught in the crossfire.
“The one thing that I want the most in the entire world is that the hostages will all come home,” Tirosh said, echoing the sentiments of many Israelis who have been impacted by the ongoing conflict.
“I don’t care if there will be a season or won’t be a season. I just don’t care; they all have to come home as quickly as possible and that our soldiers in the IDF will come back and that everything will end soon.”
The preseason game was supposed to be a celebration of sports, a brief reprieve from the challenges of daily life. Instead, it became another reminder of the ever-present reality for Israelis living under the constant threat of war.
As the game was called off and the arena emptied after the all-clear signal, the focus shifted from basketball to survival, a reality the people of Israel know all too well.