Israel is Waging This War for the Entire Western World

For Bat Yam residents, Brot personifies the resilient spirit of the Israeli people and what they call “the beautiful face of Israel.” 

A former journalist and political strategist, he is affable and articulate, knowing how to speak effectively to visiting politicians and diplomats, local residents and foreign reporters. 

Since the missile attack, which killed at least nine people, wounded dozens and demolished dozens of buildings, Brot has hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, among others. 

“Our residents are strong. They tell me to tell the prime minister and the president and everyone who was here in the last two days that our spirit is strong. We want them to continue the war,” he said. “This is a reminder that an enemy like Iran is a very dangerous enemy to the world, not just to Israel, even without nukes.” 

Pointing to the shattered buildings around him, he said, “A nuclear weapon, of course, is something that they cannot have, but even with conventional weapons, look what they do!” 

‘Everybody Supports this Mission’ 

Brot called for patience on the part of the Israeli public. “We took a hit, the biggest hit Bat Yam ever took—nine people killed in one day. This is something that we never had before. Everyone is tired of Iran threatening to destroy Israel. So I think everyone should have a lot of patience to give all the time to the IDF and to the air force that they need in order to succeed and finish the mission.”

He told journalists that Bat Yam, a picturesque beach resort on the Mediterranean Sea, is one of the biggest cities in Israel, with a population of some 170,000. He noted that the buildings damaged by the Iranian missile strike, including the high-rise that took a direct hit, were built in the 1960s and ’70s and now needed major reconstruction. 

“As you can see here, the damage is huge. Actually, it’s the biggest destruction site from a missile strike on Israel ever,” he said. “We will win this war; we will rebuild and we will become much stronger.” 

Guiding journalists on a tour of a building that collapsed, he pointed out that the explosion from the massive missile damaged 75 buildings, 22 of which are in immediate danger and need to be demolished. He said the nine people killed included a family with two children who made aliyah [immigrated to Israel] from Ukraine. 

“The building that collapsed was recently renovated, but there was no mamad (‘safe room’), only a bomb shelter on the first floor. And every person who went to the shelter or even to the stairwell got out without any harm, or maybe just scratches. But all the people who died stayed in their bedrooms.” 

Sa’ar’s Visit 

When Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar thanked Brot during a solidarity visit with foreign diplomats on Wednesday, he went out of his way to portray the mayor as a future leader. “He has great potential,” Sa’ar said. 

Brot, 45, born and bred in Bat Yam, is a member of the Likud who worked previously as a strategic political advisor and a senior correspondent for Army Radio and the Hebrew daily, Yediot Achronot. 

Brot was hired in 2016 by the Republican Party to conduct an election campaign in Israel for US President Donald Trump, targeting some 250,000 Americans living in Israel. Then-Vice President Mike Pence praised an event Brot organized in Jerusalem’s Old City, broadcast live to America, as “a game-changer.” 

Although he remains a strong supporter of Netanyahu, he turned down the premier’s offer to serve as his senior adviser and director of communications in favor of entering local politics. He was elected mayor in 2018. 

After greeting Brot, Sa’ar took the delegation of foreign diplomats on a tour of the destroyed buildings in Bat Yam, showing them what he called “the results of the Iranian war crimes.” 

“You can see very well there are no military facilities or installations around here, only population centers, only civilians,” he said. “But the Iranian regime is deliberately targeting population centers, deliberately targeting children, women, the elderly. And this is simply war crimes.” 

Sa’ar added that despite Iran firing missiles at residential areas across the country, Israel was targeting only Iran’s military facilities and would continue “Operation Rising Lion” until the job is done. 

“They [the Iranians] are doing all that while we are targeting their nuclear program, their missile program, military facilities,” he said. “And I want to emphasize we will continue until we remove this existential threat. We will continue until we achieve our mission and reach our objective.” 

A Resident Speaks Out

Stephen Darori, a veteran Bat Yam resident who made aliyah from South Africa, said he was shaken by the missile attacks even though he supported the military campaign against Iran and even went out to buy large Israeli flags for the 20 residents of his building to hang. 

“I lost my picture framer in Bat Yam and my dentist in Bnei Brak,” he lamented. “A brand-new 10-story building with dental clinics and a physiotherapy swimming pool in the basement and a specialized gym for stroke victims and soldiers in recovery took a direct hit that also destroyed the Chabad school and five yeshivot [religious schools] around it.” 

He added, “Where the missile fell is minutes on foot from where I live, and the damage was considerably worse than the videos and stills portray,” he said. “Part of one high rise collapsed, others are threatening collapse, and yet another high rise is miraculously still standing after four of its seven pillars were blown away.” 

Acknowledging that the mayor, Tzvika Brot, and his team “have done a remarkable job in cleaning up much of the mess,” Darori said, although he was a critic of the Netanyahu government, “The very successful attack on Iran has created a new level and dimension of patriotism and togetherness. Netanyahu’s trial, conscription issues, and sadly, the Gaza hostage drama have been shoved aside.” 

Darori concluded: “Even after living in Israel for 40 years and becoming used to Israeli Air Force successes, the technical brilliance coupled with the intelligence preparation of the Mossad, military Intelligence and other specialized agencies astounds me.”