At 7:55 p.m. local time in Amman, Jordan, I returned to my hotel room to finish up a post about conditions on the ground in the Middle East. I saw dozens of Iranian missiles traveling through the sky overhead en route to Israel. In the distance, it appeared that several rockets, either shot down or somehow disabled, spiraled down to the ground, leaving a trail of dark smoke. In the distance, I can hear explosions.
Iran warned they would take revenge over Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (and other targeted attacks), and it appears they are following through on those threats. It is currently being reported by France 24 that some of the missiles have been intercepted over Jordan and that a second wave had left Tehran and was expected to reach Israel in 70-80 minutes.
Although a wedding is currently underway at the hotel, it is tranquil. The only audible sounds are those of dogs barking outside. They know something is amiss.
This is clearly a developing situation.
Following Hamas’s brutal assault on Israel last year, I turned to CBN war correspondent Chuck Holton for accurate reports of the day-to-day political situation in the region. In the months after the attacks, he provided daily livestreams from inside Israel and returned from time to time to deliver updates.
In January, Chuck announced he was leading a group of his viewers over to Israel and Jordan in the fall. The point of the trip, he said, was to stand with Israel on the anniversary of that dreadful day. My husband and I signed up immediately.
As we all know, the situation has devolved in the Middle East as Israel stands alone in a hostile region surrounded by terrorists who want to see the country wiped off the face of the map. Many people, including our children, advised us to cancel the trip. While I appreciated their concern, I’m not traveling to Israel to see the sights.
We are currently in Amman and will spend the rest of the week in Jordan. Once we cross into Israel and I get a feel for what’s happening there, I will post again.
Before I sign off, I’d like to mention a few things I’ve found interesting in Jordan. Anti-Israeli sentiment runs high. Early on, our guide warned us not to discuss the war in Gaza – or anything related to Israel – with the locals. Roughly 60% of Jordanians are Palestinian. And while the other 40% might tell you they condemn the Oct. 7 massacre, they are not sympathetic to the Israelis.
Next, after United Airlines canceled flights to Tel Aviv several months ago, I booked our trip on Qatar Airways. I was astounded to see that “Israel” was missing from their flight map. Instead, Israel was labeled “Palestinian Lands.” Apparently, Qatar Airways has already wiped Israel off the face of the map.
Finally, as we drove by the Syrian embassy in Amman, we noticed the flag was flying at half-staff in honor of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed during an Israeli military strike on Friday in Beirut, Lebanon. In comparison, across the street, the flag at the Saudi Arabian embassy across the street was flying at full-staff.
We certainly live in interesting times.
Elizabeth writes commentary for The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation and a member of the Editorial Board at The Sixteenth Council, a London think tank. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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