For years, Israelis trusted the army to defend and inform them. Now many feel abandoned

By AMY TEIBEL
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Most Israelis thought it was an ironclad social contract. Citizens would serve in the military and live along enemy borders. In exchange, the army would defend them. That contract was shattered Saturday when hundreds of Hamas militants breached Israel’s defenses from the Gaza Strip, pouring in by air, land and sea on a rampage that would leave hundreds dead. The infiltration caught Israel’s storied high-tech army unaware and stunned a country that prides itself on military prowess. Further shocking Israelis was how long it took the military to respond. As thousands in southern Israel found themselves besieged, their cries for help went unanswered for hours. Those missing relatives couldn’t get information. It took more than a day for contact centers to come together.