‘Wednesday’s rocket fire on Eilat was seemingly “just” another security incident, nothing to write home about in the absence of any injuries or damage.

But Eilat is not “just” another city and the significance of hitting it is greater, not because its residents’ blood is a different shade of red, but because of what it has come to symbolize: a carefree resort town where one goes to relax and leave one’s daily woes behind. Unlike other cities, Eilat is also completely dependent on tourism, which is bound to be affected if the rocket fire continues. For Eilat, rocket fire can truly be a deathblow.

The defense establishment understands that and, prompted by intelligence indicating increased terror activity, it deployed an Iron Dome battery near the city two weeks ago. It was an accurate assessment of the security situation, which failed to yield results: the system did not intercept the rockets.’

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