Tel Aviv: Beloved Oasis Outraged by Rocket Fire Leehee Goldenberg was having lunch at an outdoor cafe in Tel Aviv, Israel's largest metropolis, when an air-raid siren wailed. She and other diners knew the drill: They dashed inside the coffee shop and kept away from the windows. Then, from a distance, came the boom. Minutes later, everyone was back outdoors, chatting loudly. "It's kind of unbelievable," said Goldenberg, a 31-year-old lawyer. In Tel Aviv we always feel like we live in a different world. For Israelis, the targeting of Tel Aviv is a direct puncture of the bubble of normalcy they have built around the city. Whenever it occurs, the outrage expressed in the media and on the street is palpable, as if what is acceptable in the southern desert or even in Jerusalem is inconceivable in a place so painstakingly trying to be "normal." The freewheeling seaside oasis has long served as an escape from the troubles of everyday Israel. But Israel's financial and cultural center is also something more: a symbolic reflection of Israelis' deep-rooted need to feel like the prosperous and progressive place many of the early Zionist founders hoped the country would become. Thanks partly to its vibrant nightlife and balmy climate, it's also developed an international reputation as a fun place to visit. In a country where the religious population is growing, the city is overwhelmingly secular. And its tech industry is known as a hub of innovative companies on a world-beating scale. FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 10, 2012 file photo, people enjoy the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, Israel. The freewheeling seaside oasis of Tel Aviv has long served as an escape from the troubles of everyday Israel. Thanks partly to its vibrant nightlife and balmy climate, it's also developed an international reputation as a fun place to visit _ and one of the few places in the Middle East where gays feel free to walk hand-in-hand and kiss in public. In the tech industry, the bustling metropolis is known as a hub of innovative companies. Now, for the first time ever, Tel Aviv is also the target of Iranian-made rockets fired by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File) Close It is this notion of preciousness that created the widespread sense that the question of whether or not Israel escalates its offensive may actually rest on whether Hamas dares target the city. "Attacking Tel Aviv is seen as crossing a red line," said Steven Reiter, U.S.-born banker who lives in the posh north of the city. Violence is not unprecedented here. Tel Aviv did witness battles during Israel's 1948 war of independence - when it was a far cry from the city of today. It was also hit by Saddam Hussein's Scud missiles in the 1991 Gulf War. And about a decade ago it suffered an onslaught of Palestinian suicide bombings. But Gaza militants have waited a long time to target the city with their arsenal of Iranian-made long-range missiles. With Israel starting an offensive Wednesday against them, the militants had an excuse. Tel Avivians were caught by surprise Thursday when sirens wailed in the city for the first time in more than two decades - exhibiting a paradox of moving on despite the outrage that seemed somehow of a peace with the lovingly nurtured image of the city. In high-rise office buildings, workers froze in silence for a few seconds before quickly and calmly walking down the stairwells to their buildings' shelters. Some murmured "I don't believe it" while reaching for their phones to call loved ones. Several mobile networks crashed from overload. People parked their cars on the side of the Ayalon intercity highway, taking cover against concrete walls. Later, nightlife raged on. On Friday morning, rockets were fired for a second day, catching Israelis lounging in their favorite cafes and restaurants. "Everybody just got up and went inside, there was no panic, and when it was over they went back to their plates," said Rina Kol, a schoolteacher dining near Tel Aviv's largest open-air market. Shortly after the siren sounded, an explosion sounded in the distance. Israeli authorities would not disclose the landing site so as not to help Gaza rocket launchers improve their aim.