After years of corrupt government rule, domestic mismanagement, and religious control, the citizens of Iran grew increasingly frustrated with being denied access to basic necessities such as clean water and electricity. Seeking to reclaim their former cultural identity and revive traditional Persian culture, civilians took to the streets. Protest after protest erupted, with streets blocked not only across Iran but around the world.

The government, however, responded with force. Many protesters were killed, shot, beaten to death, or run over in the streets. More than 16,500 people lost their lives; to put that in perspective, that number is nearly four times the death toll of the Titanic.

This chaos and tension quickly spread to Israel, creating widespread fear and uncertainty. Earlier this week, the Israeli government instructed its citizens to stock up on supplies and prepare bomb shelters. Yesterday, when I visited a market in North Jerusalem, people were scrambling to buy essentials like toilet paper, canned food, bottled water, and first-aid supplies. In response to this high demand, most of these goods were either sold out or drastically marked up in price.

When you are in America, news like this may feel distant, as it does not directly affect daily life. But when you are in Israel preparing a bomb shelter and knowing that everything could change with the sound of a single siren it is deeply unsettling. In fact, I was unable to sleep for several nights, haunted by the fear that a siren might sound while I slept.