Iran Attacks Home: Family Watches From New Zealand
- WELLINGTON, New Zealand - gazing out at Wellington Harbor, a woman considered the relief her family must have felt upon seeing its shores Aug.
- Her uncle pointed out Queens Wharf,where their ocean liner docked nearly 86 years prior,just before World War II began."It's right there, where the sun is shining now," he...
- While visiting relatives in New Zealand, the Tel Aviv correspondent found herself separated from her children in israel, who were enduring missile attacks. the constant alerts on her...
Witness a poignant journey of resilience as a Tel Aviv correspondent reflects on her family’s history of seeking refuge, juxtaposed with her children’s experience of missile attacks, a chilling echo from the past.This compelling account explores the devastating impact of conflict, separating a family and forcing them to navigate an uncertain world filled with constant alerts and the urgent need for safety. The correspondent, in New Zealand, grapples with real-time updates from the war while surrounded by breathtaking scenery, highlighting the stark contrast between tranquility and the realities her family faces in Israel. News Directory 3 brings you this powerful story of displacement and the enduring quest for a safe haven. Discover what’s next as this family seeks solace and reunification.
Family Seeks Refuge: Echoes Across Generations
Updated June 26, 2025
WELLINGTON, New Zealand – gazing out at Wellington Harbor, a woman considered the relief her family must have felt upon seeing its shores Aug. 28, 1939. They were fleeing the Nazis and seeking refuge. The harbor’s protective curve of green hills and deep blue waters offered a safe harbor.
Her uncle pointed out Queens Wharf,where their ocean liner docked nearly 86 years prior,just before World War II began.”It’s right there, where the sun is shining now,” he said.
While visiting relatives in New Zealand, the Tel Aviv correspondent found herself separated from her children in israel, who were enduring missile attacks. the constant alerts on her phone and frantic texts from Israel painted a stark picture of the conflict.
As she traveled around New Zealand, the juxtaposition of real-time war updates from her children and the stunning scenery around her was jarring. Fjords, alpine lakes, waterfalls, snow-dusted mountaintops, and cloud-wrapped valleys created an incongruous reality.
As israel’s airspace gradually reopened, her husband, Gilad, waited in Cyprus for a flight back to their children. He arrived on a Friday, and the photo of their reunion was the best possible present. Minutes later, they were back in their friend’s safe room.
Tickets were purchased for the children to leave Israel two days later, traveling overland through Aqaba, jordan. From there,they would fly to New York via Cyprus and Athens,in time for their son to attend camp and their daughter to work there.
Shortly before they were scheduled to catch the bus to Aqaba, Gilad texted, “there was a very loud boom, but we are okay.” They felt the building’s walls shake.
Emerging from the safe room,they found shattered glass and books everywhere.They raced to their parked car, only to find its windshield smashed, like most of the other vehicles on the street. Across the street, a missile had directly hit their neighbors, destroying a row of homes and collapsing apartment blocks.
The children landed at JFK just as president Donald Trump announced a fragile ceasefire.
At the Museum of New Zealand, also known as Te Papa Tongarewa, she explored an exhibit on the history of immigration to the country. The exhibit remembered jews fleeing Nazi persecution in the 1930s, as well as other waves of immigrants, including Bosnians fleeing genocide in 1992 and Iraqis and Iranians fleeing war in 1988.
She overheard a mother explaining to her young daughter what a refugee was: “someone who is not safe where they live so they have to leave their home.”
the woman walked away and found a quiet spot to cry.
What’s next
The fragile ceasefire brings a moment of respite, but the underlying tensions remain. The family, like manny others, continues to navigate the complexities of seeking safety and security in an uncertain world.