In a story ostensibly aimed at shedding light on Israelis seeking refuge in bomb shelters, CNN ended up demonstrating just how little it understands about the subject.
The June 18 story, “‘The situation is far from funny, but you have to keep your sanity’: Israeli families face uncertain nights in bomb shelters,” by Tamar Michaelis and Oren Liebermann, profiles two Israeli families and a college student who have repeatedly taken shelter amidst Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on Israeli towns and cities.
But what could have otherwise been a thoughtful and informative piece quickly faltered—in just the second sentence:
Israeli law demands that all homes and industrial buildings built since the early 1990s have shelters, but for years they were an afterthought, often used as an extra storage room and packed with extraneous belongings. (Emphasis added)
Bomb shelters have hardly been an “afterthought” for the Israeli people.
Over the last two decades (and beyond), Israelis have been subjected to relentless barrages of missiles, rockets, and mortars.
Between October 7, 2023 and June 2025, approximately 30,000 projectiles were launched toward Israel. That staggering figure excludes the ballistic missiles and drones launched during the ongoing Israel-Iran War.
Even prior to the October 7 massacre, terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah have pummeled Israel with heavy bombardments during wars and flare-ups:
- 2023 (Operation Shield & Arrow): ~1,500 projectiles
- 2022 (Operation Breaking Dawn): ~1,100 projectiles
- 2021 (Operation Guardians of the Wall): ~4,400 projectiles
- 2014 (Operation Protective Edge): ~4,500 projectiles
- 2012 (Operation Pillar of Defense): ~1,650 projectiles
- 2008-09 (Operation Cast Lead): ~3,100 projectiles
- 2006 (Operation Change of Direction): ~4,000 projectiles
Even this doesn’t account for the near-daily launches of smaller rocket and mortar salvos.
Whether one rocket or hundreds, every single launch means Israeli civilians have been forced to take refuge in bomb shelters. This grim reality is woven into the fabric of daily life in many parts of the country—and has been for years. Suggesting otherwise, as CNN does, misrepresents a deeply ingrained part of Israeli society and its culture of resilience.
This is a crucial fact for the audience to understand, too. Several recent CNN articles have downplayed the daily existential threats faced by Israelis. This has left the network’s audience ill-equipped to understand Israel’s actions, defensive posture, and broader motivations.
As CAMERA recently wrote, “survival is a constant, existential challenge” for Israel. For the people of Israel, that has meant an unfortunately familiar relationship with bomb shelters.