TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Tucson man visiting Israel is now sheltering in place as violence escalates across the region.
Nate Weisband traveled to Israel as part of a mission trip organized by the Jewish Federations of North America, joining roughly 100 LGBTQ+ Jews from across the country. The trip was meant to be a powerful, week-long experience exploring Israeli life following the October 7th attacks.
But just as the group wrapped up its mission, tensions between Israel and Iran escalated. Weisband and others from the mission received an alert, not knowing what was happening.
“The reason they sent this alarm was because Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” Weisband says. “Within the coming hours, there was a counterattack on Israel.”
Weisband now depends on an app called Homefront Command to guide his every move.
“You get the first alert to shelter in place, then another saying something’s coming, and finally the siren; that’s when you have 90 seconds to get into a safe room and close the door,” he says.
He was scheduled to return to Tucson on Monday, but flights are currently grounded, and there is still no clear evacuation plan. He’s staying in touch with the Jewish Federation, which is coordinating with U.S. and Israeli contacts to help Americans leave safely.
“Every time I get the alert on my phone that there’s an attack coming,” Weisband says, “it’s very triggering. It’s very scary.”
