Timothy Payne traveled to Israel to play hockey — but his daily life now includes sprinting across dry land through a war-torn landscape, dodging explosions and seeking safety in bomb shelters.
Payne is among 15 Canadians currently playing in the Israel Elite Hockey League (IEHL). The 29-year-old defenceman for the Jerusalem Capitals arrived just one week before the outbreak of conflict with Iran. “Then all hell broke loose,” he told from Tel Aviv.
“It’s scary as all hell. You hear the sirens. You hear the rockets,” Payne said, describing the terror of constant air raid alarms and nearby explosions.
The relentless violence has taken a toll on his mental well-being. Struggling to comprehend his reality, Payne said, “I’m just here to play hockey and now I’m caught in the midst of war.”
Like other Canadians in Israel, Payne has turned to the Emergency Government of Canada WhatsApp page, which issued a stark message: “Please be aware that at this time, the Government of Canada is not facilitating any assisted departures. You should not depend on the Government of Canada to help you leave the country.”
This message comes as other nations begin evacuation efforts. The U.S. State Department has started planning for the evacuation of American citizens from Jerusalem, and Germany is arranging flights for its nationals to exit through Jordan.
So far, Payne says, no such aid has come from the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv.
He and other Canadians have explored options such as securing a spot on a boat to Cyprus though tickets are scarce and prohibitively expensive. He’s also considered crossing into Jordan by land, but is concerned about the danger of traveling through open terrain during ongoing hostilities.
“We feel like we’re just sitting ducks, night after night, bombing after bombing,” he said. “Our neighbors down the street in Tel Aviv got hit by a rocket our windows shattered, the shockwave hit our house, and our drywall came down.”
