Israelis Use Humor to Cope with Crisis and Fear

I don’t know if it’s true that there are no atheists in foxholes, but there certainly are very few humorless people in them. On February 27, Israelis were bracing for war. No one knew what was about to happen, but the unease was palpable, and you could almost feel the stress in the air. Plastic bomb‑shelter chairs were getting dusted off, and Purim costume chatter between neighbors was replaced with whispers of “maybe tonight?” The wait, some said, was worse than the upcoming war. Israelis have been through a lot of both: war and waiting, making this an informed opinion.

For me, the tension was broken when an X user posted something along the lines of, “You know, in Australia the war has already begun.”

About the Author

Yael Bar tur

Yael Bar tur is a social media consultant and former director of Social Media for the NYPD. She co-hosts the podcast "Ask A Jew" and writes at "Everyone on the Internet Hates You."

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I don’t know if it’s true that there are no atheists in foxholes, but there certainly are very few humorless people in them. On February 27, Israelis were bracing for war. No one knew what was about to happen, but the unease was palpable, and you could almost feel the stress in the air. Plastic bomb‑shelter chairs were getting dusted off, and Purim costume chatter between neighbors was replaced with whispers of “maybe tonight?” The wait, some said, was worse than the upcoming war. Israelis have been through a lot of both: war and waiting, making this an informed opinion.

For me, the tension was broken when an X user posted something along the lines of, “You know, in Australia the war has already begun.”

About the Author

Yael Bar tur

Yael Bar tur is a social media consultant and former director of Social Media for the NYPD. She co-hosts the podcast "Ask A Jew" and writes at "Everyone on the Internet Hates You."