An Israeli fighter jet flies over the border area with Lebanon, March 4, 2024. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)
"Did you hear something?" It’s the question on everyone’s lips whenever Israeli military aircraft break the sound barrier over Lebanon, a frequent occurrence since the start of the conflict in Lebanon in the wake of the Gaza war.
A loud bang reverberates, rattling windows and sometimes shattering them. Trinkets shake. Worried eyes dart around. Children scream, covering their ears. The answer comes swiftly — a second, even louder bang follows. Relief washes over. It’s just the sound barrier, not a bombardment.
In Lebanon, this scene has become all too familiar over the years, resurfacing whenever tensions with Israel escalate. Recently, these sonic booms have sparked panic, sometimes leading to injuries and property damage.
However, some have chosen to respond with humor and defiance in the face of Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace. Since Aug. 13, the website jidarsot.com ("wall of sound" in Arabic, or sound barrier breach) has given people a platform to report, rate, and comment on these Israeli sonic booms. "Smaato Shi" or "Did you hear something?" the website asks in both Arabic and English.
While humor prevails, the site emphasizes a serious undertone: "The reviews might be a joke, but the continued psychological attacks against the Lebanese people are not. Reporting a jidar sot [Sound barrier breach in Arabic] helps to bring visibility to these crimes so please use this website responsibly."
Rate the boom?
The site’s tone is set, and users are quick to chime in. "Heard any booms in the South?" one user asked. "It’s good, not bad at all," responded someone from Nabatieh. "It’s routine," said another from Mount Lebanon. "I’d still give it an 8/10 because it startled me," he added. "I’d give it a 5/10, but the pressure hurt my ears," said another Nabatieh resident.
"What’s that boom? I heard it here in Beirut like an explosion. That’s enough, we can’t take it anymore, please," pleaded another user.
Some downplay the booms with jokes and mockery, even venturing into what might be perceived as inappropriate. "No wall of sound these days. Aren’t we worth it?" quipped a Baalbeck resident.
"My cat’s fart is louder," joked a user from Beirut.
"Listening to it in the open air, at the beach, lying on your back, always sounds better than between closed doors," wrote a resident from the South.
"You didn’t even wake me up, you damned sound barrier breach. Do better!" mocks a Beirut resident.
"They run on diesel now," another user from Mount Lebanon scoffed.
Who's behind jidarsot.com?
On Aug. 19, Lebanon's Permanent Mission to the U.N. filed a complaint with the Security Council in New York, condemning the regular violations of Lebanese airspace by Israeli fighter jets — which cause sonic booms and constitute a breach of Security Council Resolution 1701.
These bangs, which sometimes cause injuries and material damage, appear to be part of Israel's psychological warfare against Lebanon.
But who is behind jidarsot.com? The domain jidarsot.com was registered on Aug. 12, 2024. The site has no legal notice to identify the administrator, who has paid to protect his anonymity. The only available information is the region of residence indicated by the administrator: Occitanie, in the south of France.
On the X social media network, some people accuse Israel of being behind this platform. "Friends, this website is created by the Israelis. Your phones are infiltrated when you react on this site," warned a commenter from Beirut. "Is it true?" asked another user from the South. "LOL", replied a third from Mount Lebanon.
And you, have you heard anything?
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour and translated by Tasnim Chaaban