The Only Way Out Is Through

you promised us chicken for Shabbos” is probably one of the most ubiquitous and successful fundraising slogans in Israel. A pitch for the Chasdei Naomi organization, it’s plastered on tzedakah boxes and posters in virtually every religious neighborhood: a blue background framing spidery red letters atop an image of glowing candles and a freshly roasted chicken.

Last week, Israelis smiled sardonically as they circulated a meme with the familiar blue background and red letters — just this time, the chicken was replaced by an exploding missile and the words read, “Iran, you promised us an attack for Shabbos.”

It was a testament to the dark humor that girds Sabras through their fraught existence. When you live in a country surrounded by genocidal enemies, it helps to be tough — and to be able to joke through the conflict du jour.

The Iranian threat is the furthest thing from a joke, however, and as we go to print, the country is beginning yet another week of collective breath-holding, watching and waiting for the promised Iranian reprisal. Living on high alert day after day after day is its own form of agony, and there’s no doubt the decision-makers in Iran are delighting in the tension we feel.