LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas luxury real estate specialist who traveled to Israel just days before the war began says he is now stranded there, unable to return home as airspace closures cut off his route back to Southern Nevada.
Avi Dan-Goor has lived in Las Vegas for more than two decades, but half of his immediate family is in Israel. He traveled there to visit them shortly before the conflict erupted — and has been there ever since.
Hear from Avi Dan-Goor about his experience being stranded in Israel:
"I've spent the majority of my life in Las Vegas, but I frequent Israel to visit my family here," Dan-Goor said.
He learned he was stranded when a notification from the Home Front Communications app alerted him that Israeli airspace had shut down.
"As soon as the war started, the airspace was immediately closed. Right now, the only way out is through Egypt or Jordan — and it's a trek," Dan-Goor said.
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Now, Dan-Goor is living under the constant threat of rocket fire. He says life can feel calm — until the alarms sound.
"If the attack is coming from Lebanon, we get about 10 seconds to seek shelter. It's the most jarring thing — rushing out of bed, hearing action in the sky," Dan-Goor said.
He says those alerts can come in the middle of the night, sometimes more than once.
"It's stressful. Your body is in turmoil inside. It's really difficult to just go about your business when you don't know," Dan-Goor said.
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Dan-Goor says it is hard to have his heart in two places, with his husband and two dogs waiting for him back in Las Vegas. But he says the spirit he has witnessed on the ground in Israel has been remarkable.
"They're rescuing people from vacation to come back to a war zone, but that's just the Israeli spirit. Everybody wants to be together," Dan-Goor said.
He says he hopes people following the conflict will hold onto one message.
"It is an act of war we're living through — just compassion. Keep an open mind," Dan-Goor said.
Dan-Goor says his earliest possible flight home is tentatively set for March 12, but with conditions changing by the hour, he is staying close to family and riding out the conflict one alarm at a time.
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