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Thanks to the Recovery Diva, Claire Rubin, for sending me an article from the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, “Public Indifference To Civil Defense Drills Highlights Israeli Apathy” about the Mideast nation’s Turning Point 4 exercise this week.

Israel is often cited as a model of civil defense and the nationwide Turning Point drill includes significant civilian involvement. But this piece indicates that the Israel government will have to work on addressing public apathy and cynicism as less than half of the population ended up participating.

The sirens that wailed across the country on Wednesday morning, at the peak of the five-day Home Front Command exercise, highlighted a disturbing chasm between the hyperactivity of the authorities and the apathy of the public.

While the authorities spent hours training for dire scenarios and the media provided a background chorus of strident, even scary, commentary, the public remained completely unfazed.

The Home Front Command is planning a relatively comprehensive survey today to assess how many people heard the siren and how many bothered to look for a nearby shelter.

In a poll after last year’s drill last year, 52 percent of respondents said they participated. This year the number appears to be smaller.

The full article can be found here.