'Head On A Swivel': GA Lawmaker Shares Escape From Israel During War

GEORGIA — Georgia Sen. Russ Goodman was enjoying the peace of Jerusalem when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched the first attack on Israel, sparking a war that has killed thousands of people.

And yet, for an unknown reason, Goodman said God wanted him to be present at that moment.

"I don't think these things happen for no reason," he told Patch Thursday. " ... I don’t think it was a mistake that I was there. I was there for some reason."

Goodman, 46, had not been in Israel long at the time of the Oct. 7 attack. The second-term senator was vacationing with his 74-year-old mother, Donna Kane, and her Florida church group.

He flew out of the U.S. on Oct. 5 and landed the next day in Tel Aviv, Israel, before spending the night in Haifa. The international airport in Tel Aviv would soon be shut down due to the war, and airlines would soon cancel flights into and out of Tel Aviv.

In the hours before chaos erupted, Goodman cruised the Sea of Galilee, close to the Lebanese border. He visited Tiberias, then Jerusalem.

"It’s pretty neat to get to walk and see some of the sights where Jesus carried out His ministry," Goodman said, adding he enjoyed seeing the ruins of old Roman cities.

Then, the news broke that Hamas launched its first rocket in Israel, and a war was declared.

'Head On a Swivel'

Goodman does not remember how he learned of the attack, but said it took he and the others a while to fully process the events that were taking place. Their safety came to thought.

As an American state senator, Jerusalem, near the West Bank, was no longer Goodman's safety net.

"We went into the West Bank, and I kind of felt like I had my head on a swivel," he said. "I kept very close to my (tour) guide, and then I kind of walked around with my head on a swivel."

As a rural farmer from south Georgia, Goodman said he has never thought of himself as a target, but he felt he could become one while in the Middle East.

He said his tour guide was former military who remained close to him. Rockets flew near the tour guide's home, where his family was located.

Upon returning to Jerusalem, right before the entrance gates were closed, Goodman said he heard rockets near his hotel.

"We actually had a Hamas rocket that landed about a mile and a half from our hotel," he said.

Israeli officials could monitor Goodman's footsteps. Two of his colleagues in the Georgia Senate connected Goodman with the Israeli government.

Officials pinged his cell phone to keep track of him and Kane's movement. They gave him a "go bag" that contained his passport, a change of clothes, essential toiletries and medication.

Goodman said when they called and told him to "be ready," he would have 15 minutes to prepare to move wherever he needed to go.

'Flying Solo'

Though Kane, who Goodman called a "pretty tough lady," was doing fine, Goodman felt concerned. Escaping Israel became a priority for he and the church group he was accompanying.

Delta Air Lines canceled flights, which remain canceled through September 2024, to, through and from Tel Aviv, and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport was shut down due to the rockets.

"At that point, we were trying to see how to get out," Goodman said, who added they had missed a Turkish flight the day after the initial Hamas attack, which he called "a missed opportunity."

Goodman contacted a cousin that works security for Gulf Stream, and he thought about taking a boat to Cypress.

Plans to leave Israel that upcoming Thursday turned into Goodman and Kane leaving the country Tuesday to fly out of Amman, Jordan, on Wednesday.

"I’m glad that we got through that day because that night they shut down four crossing points of Jordan," Goodman said. The mother-son duo boarded a bus with other tour groups at the Jordanian border.

The escape included 2 ½ hours to clear Israeli customs only to later wait in the Middle Eastern heat to clear Jordanian customs. Goodman briefly lost Kane for about five minutes when someone took her to the other side of the immigration terminal.

"That scared me to death," Goodman said. "That took about five years off of my life."

From the border, they rode the bus through the night hours to a hotel in Amman before they were taken to an Amman airport the next day.

As they headed to an airport, Goodman said people rallied in Downtown Amman, protesting in favor of Hamas — a sentiment Goodman could not fathom.

From Amman, the pair landed in Athens, Greece, once again waiting before boarding a plane to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Then, came a flight to Atlanta, where they stayed overnight after missing yet another flight. Then, they flew to Jacksonville, Florida, from where they drove home to south Georgia.

Traveling from Amman to Jacksonville took about 36 hours. All the while, Goodman said he remained protected.

"Even though the country was under attack, the Israelis were really concerned for my safety," he said.

He became worried once he and Kane arrived in Jordan because he said they were "flying solo" without the Israeli security.

Finally, touching American soil felt good, he said.

"It was an ordeal, and when you’re over there somewhere like that, and you’re in that kind of situation, and you’re back home, obviously it’s a good feeling. It just makes you feel thankful for what we have here in the United States," Goodman said.

"In Israel, you’re surrounded by people that don’t think they have the right to exist. Americans sometimes take for granted the protection and safety that we feel compared to other countries."

Goodman confirmed everyone from Kane's church group have safely made it home.

'It's Not A Good Situation Over There'

Though he is stateside in his rural south Georgia community, Goodman is still connected with the Israeli people. He stays informed on the war, thinking about the friends he made while overseas.

He said he is working to help other Americans currently stuck in Israel. His hope is that the American government can help them escape the country.

"It’s not a good situation over there," Goodman said. "It’s not a good situation for anyone. ... You’re talking about a terrorist organization that went across the border and attacked civilians."

Goodman said Hamas attacked and killed 270 young people at a music festival while he was in Israel.

"That’s a definition of terror to me when you’re going after civilians like that," he said. "It’s just unimaginable, honestly. Obviously hate exists in the world, but I can’t imagine the kind of hate that people have to have in their hearts to kill children like that."

Like other refugees who escaped, Goodman feels guilty that he left the people of Israel. He said a part of him wanted to stay in the country and offer assistance.

"I feel sad for what they’re having to live through," he said, noting Israel is possibly America's biggest ally.

Through it all, Goodman said he chose to not be fearful and remain steadfast in his faith. After all, he said he is insured twice: once through his life insurance and also through Jesus.

"That’s the basis of our faith - that no matter what happens, God holds you in the palm of His hand. I felt like we were going to be OK. There were a lot of people trying to help us, and I’m grateful for that."

As for getting back to a normal life, Goodman said he is doing fine.

"It does take a little bit to get over it," he said. "I’m fine, but it does cross your mind. ... I pray for the people of Israel. I pray for the innocent people in Gaza that don’t have anything to do with what the leaders of their country are doing because any time you have a war, there’s innocent people that are involved."