Stranded Americans Say US Embassy Didn’t Help Them in Israel When War Started

Bishop Quigg and Annette Lawrence, who arrived in Israel just as the Israel-Hamas War broke out, have decried the embassy’s lack of assistance.

Rockets are fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, on Oct. 16, 2023. Leo Correa/AP

Quigg Lawrence, an Anglican bishop, and his wife, Annette, had the misfortune to fly into Israel on Oct. 7, the day that Hamas terrorists began their massacre of Israeli civilians.

After arriving a day or two early to prepare for a church tour they had planned to lead, they spent the rest of that day sorting things out before finally canceling the trip.