Edinburgh woman living in war torn country fears 'start of World War III'
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An Edinburgh woman living under daily bombardment in Tel Aviv in Israel fears Benjamin Netanyahu's strikes on Iran could lead to World War III.
Danielle Bett, a Scottish-Israeli who was born in the capital, is an opponent of the Israeli PM's 'horrific' military action in Gaza, has said she worried the country's reputation could be tarnished forever.
The 35-year-old, who now lives in the Ramat Gan area, said residents were struggling to cope with their 'dystopian' new lives after Netanyahu plunged the nation into a war against Iran on June 13, reports The Sunday Mail.
She spoke of local businesses shuttered up and nightly trips to bomb shelters as an unprecedented barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles rain down on her community.
Our sister publication, the Sunday Mail, spoke to Danielle on Thursday, June 19, just hours after a missile strike injured dozens of people in a business district close to her home.
Danielle, who works for a pro-peace Jewish charity and has taken part in protests against the assault on Gaza, said: 'It hasn't been a fun week. People are just incredibly exhausted.
'Obviously, this is a country that has gotten quite used to rounds of war and bomb shelters and whatever else, but this is one of the heavier bombardments of bigger missiles that we've had to deal with.
"It's a lot scarier. Most nights, you're having to wake up once or twice or more, between 11pm and first thing in the morning.
"And the actual bombings themselves are quite terrifying. You can hear very loud explosions from within the bomb shelter, and often you can hear the building shaking, even if it's a kilometre or more away.
'Already Netanyahu has left a pretty terrible legacy for this country, not just in terms of what has been done to Palestinians and the wider region but everything that's happened with democracy in this country.
'Democratic institutions have been worn down by his government and his willingness to legitimise the far-right and bring them into power. It's important to remember the difference between him and his government and ordinary civilians just trying to get through the day.
'We can't pick and choose when it comes to human lives, who we see as innocent when it comes to civilians, be it a hospital in Gaza or a hospital in Israel.
'We're so concerned with who are the bad guys and who are not that we've stopped separating governments who actually have the power and responsibility from populations.
'In this region, that's become incredibly dehumanising.'
Danielle questioned Netanyahu's motives in escalating the Iran conflict at a time when he faces corruption charges and unpopularity at home.
She added: 'It is both true - and it is true - that Iran is a serious threat and also that there are very big question over the current Israeli leadership.
'In the war in Gaza, Netanyahu has proven himself to be inadequate and unable to save the Israeli hostages who are still there.
'I can't say, even with the threat of Iran, that I can put my faith in what I see as a very dangerous leadership.
'Unfortunately, the same goes for Trump's interventions and his comments which have been so unclear.'
Danielle, who is active on X as @daniellebett in opposing war and civilian suffering in the Middle East, added she was wary of any direct Western military involvement - including from Keir Starmer's UK Government.
She said: 'I definitely have concerns about US involvement.
'We need to know if their end game is to reach a diplomatic resolution with Iran with regards to the nuclear programme, or if this is going to spill over into a regional war, or indeed, a global war.
'The level of instability in this region really needs to be taken into account. I'm very wary of this escalating without knowing what the plan is.
'Clearly, Iran is also a concern for the UK and others in Europe.
"When it comes to helping with defence, defending civilians from missile launches which the UK has helped with in the past, that's one thing I would put support behind. I think protecting civilians on the ground is the most important thing, not just for us but for everyone.
"But diplomacy is always the thing that's brought us the most security… that is what brings us safety, not war."
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