As Israel teeters on the edge of escalating war, authorities are hard at work preparing for different scenarios. One key factor is ensuring that there will be enough food available to consumers even under the extreme conditions of war.
As part of that effort, the government has established a list of 444 grocery stores, known as “iron supermarkets,” which will continue to operate even in extreme scenarios of war. From a variety of supermarket chains across the country, these stores will serve the public from their own inventory as well as from state supplies.
This site (in Hebrew) lists the supermarkets that are part of the initiative.
According to the Ministry of Economy and the Home Front Command, these branches will be able to provide emergency service for up to seven days. That assessment is based on a model of the most extreme scenarios that would paralyze the Israeli economy.
Grocery store branches were selected according to a variety of criteria, including inventory, staff, protection from artillery, and geographical distribution. Local authorities will help disseminate information to the public about these branches and will also prioritize the branches in terms of energy and inventory.
When Iran attacked in April, Israeli authorities announced the country’s food reserves had been “upgraded and updated.” Months later, with another attack threatened by Iran, authorities are continuing to bolster emergency supplies.
In cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the National Emergency Authority, the Ministry of Economy prepared thousands of food packages for distribution in the event of an emergency situation. The ministries also evaluated the emergency medicines and various other rescue services available.
The Home Front Command recommends that every household have supplies on hand for three days. Recommended supplies include food, water, medicine, toiletries, rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, and a transistor radio that operates on batteries. The Ministry of Economy recommends stocking up on food products that do not require cooking, such as: raw tahini, nuts, couscous, bulgur, oats, various canned goods, tuna, instant noodles, biscuits, crisps, crackers, dried fruits, peanut butter, honey, sugar, halva, tea, and coffee.
This article was translated by Etz Greenfeld.
