Israeli Air Force rehearsal terrifies Tel Aviv

Israeli warplanes rehearsing for the annual Independence Day air show left people on the Tel Aviv coast in fear that the conflict in Syria was about to heat up.

By: World Israel News Staff

While in reality Israel Air Force (IAF) planes were merely engaged in practice flights ahead of the annual Independence Day national air show on April 19, the rehearsal was misinterpreted by citizens who saw the planes scream by.

The pilots performed various maneuvers and dropped anti-missile flares, all of which took an ominous appearance in light of heightened tensions along the Syrian border.

“Many calls were received from worried citizens about noise from a squadron of planes in the Tel Aviv area,” police said in statement, reported the Jerusalem Post. “We would like to make clear they were training for the Independence Day aerial display. There’s no emergency.”

In the clear Israeli skies, the spectacular warm-up unfolded, which included two F-15 jets performing dives, turns, and climbs, imitating a dogfight. The planes engines could be heard roaring through the streets of Tel Aviv.

Israelis’ concerns about low-flying air force jets arose against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s warning to Russia on Wednesday of an imminent strike in Syria. Trump issued his statements in response to reports that the Assad regime had yet again of unleashed chemical weapons on the Syrian people.

To that end, Israel held top-level security discussions about potential Syrian or Iranian retaliation.

On Thursday Trump followed up on earlier tweets, warning that a strike on Syria “could be very soon or not so soon at all.”