Is Israel Really As Dangerous as the Media Makes It Seem?

Question

it looks like a beautiful country and I would love to visit, but everyone says that I am crazy because it is so dangerous. Is that really true?

Answer 1

i'm a canadian living in tel aviv. surprisingly, living in israel is really safe. there is practically no violent crime here. i've never heard of anyone being mugged or attacked in tel aviv. never even seen a serious bar fight here.
but what about the bombing??? check the stats on how many bombs went off in tel aviv in the last couple of years and what the casualty figures are. your chances of getting hit by a bus in israel are far far greater than being blown up in one.
that's not to say that there are no dangerous places in israel. i wouldn't recommend visiting east jerusalem, gaza or the west bank.... that's where most of the trouble is.
the nightlife here is amazing... party every night of the week.

Answer 2

Yes and no, it depends where you are and what yoù consider dangerous. At the moment, you can probably travel in Jewish areas pretty safely, but not to forget possible bombs etc. The others have already commented on that.
In Palestinian areas, certain areas would be wise to avoid (Gaza), but it would really be eye-opening to visit the West Bank. Foreigners are usually OK - keep your passport with you. When I was there (some time ago) my personal safety , esp. as a women, was much higher in the West Bank than in Jerusalem (try walking around there with blond hair.... ). Say what you want, but it was true. If you go there, go with someone with experience and contacts, so you`ll meet people and not wander around (may look suspicious, and doesn`t get you much out of it). Try contacting an aid organisation there and visit their projects with them. They can judge the current safety better than an outsider.
(By the way, I was there for 5 months, and saw so many great things... really, REALLY great, but the thing that made the greatest impression on me was the love and hospitality of the Palestinians, esp. a dirt poor woman insisting on feeding me her only food - 2 oranges- because I was her visitor. Sorry - I know it sounds overexaggerated, and I wouldn`t believe anything of the sort if I hadn`t spent time on BOTH "sides". Go see things for yourself and make up your own mind).
If you`re out for a typical bible-tour visit or something like that, you may be dissapointed because getting around to sites isn`t so easy these days, or you may be disturbed by the military presence. If you`re out for an eye-opening and exciting trip, do your research and make contacts beforehand , then go out, be brave but not stupid, and enjoy!

Answer 3

I visited Israel and it was a beautiful. It is not as dangerous as it seems. At times I felt like the media was showing all the war and negative thing and not showing any of the beautiful place that Israel has to see. I really recommend u to make plans to visit Israel
and see all the sites that they have and if u could it could be better to consider going with a group of people like a tour group they show u all the beautiful places. Safe trip!!

Answer 4

It is not dangerous at all. I might not go in Sderot right now where the Arabs are shelling with Kassams (even though there is a cease fire) but other than that the country is extremely safe. I just came back from Israel last week and it is awesome. It was my 4th trip to Israel and it is the nicest country in the world. It is beautiful. You can do anything from gambling and swimming in Eilat to skiing in the Hermon. I would definitely go. I was also in Hebron two weeks ago and I visited the Cave of the Patriarchs and the ancient Jewish quarter. If you want to see some fascination stuff, go to the Beis Hadassa in Hebron where they have pictures from the Arab 1929 massacre where they massacred the ancient Hebron Jewish community which was there since the time of Abraham non stop until 1929. Remember this was before the state of Israel and before the 1967 war and still the Arabs were killing Jews. Anyway go to Israel and have fun.

Answer 5

My god, no. I've been to Israel twice and had an amazing time both times. Tel Aviv may is one of my favorite cities in the world. The country is not dangerous unless you try to find danger(which I highly doubt you are). Eilat is another beautiful option on the northern most poin of the Red Sea, it has great beachfront views and resorts. Have a great time!!!

Answer 6

I have found out some interesting details about "The Dead Sea Scrolls"; are you ready to be shocked?
This year and next month will mark 50 years since they were discovered. They were in general a conglomerate of The 1st Bible, often refered to as The Old Testament. They have been kept precariously in seclusion because they reveal something that the world is not ready to see. I am about to reveal to you a big part of the reason that THE US is supporting Israel. It has nothing to do with religious beliefs. Why would We The People support this area with as much armament as we have? Many of us would rather see Israel a free state, much like the US-where anyone could go-at anytime to worship whatever their heart desired without the persecution of any other-by a standard that We have proved works. The Bible is a guide for Jews and Christians-The Quran for Muslims and Islamics-We have all wondered WHY ARE WE THERE-and accepted the LIES of this administration-WofMD and Chemical Agents-Saddam is Dead-WHY ARE WE THERE-Because the Dead Sea Scrolls are a TREASURE map to KING DAVIDS riches!
They are searching for them now and remember THE MAN WITH THE GOLD MAKES THE RULES!

Answer 7

a holy place is a safe place!
i am studying here for the year and i have never been frightened once! i love it here and yes it is the most beautiful country in the world! come and visit!
the media is all bs-bec im reporting LIVE!and i feel safer here then walking around manhattan in broad daylight-and i mean that- i could live outside here all day and night and you all know how scary the city is all day long!hope to see you soon!

Answer 8

No way! The country is great and not dangerous at all! Hearing so much about a place always makes things seem so much worse, but once you are there you think to yourself, 'What's all the fuss about?'. I studied in Israel in 2005 for 7 months and it was great! I felt safe at all times and really had a good time! Don't let the media reports get to you and go for that visit you were thinking about! Take care:-)

Answer 9

Israel actually has lower rates of violent domestic crimes than most Western countries. As for terrorist attacks, they happen from time to time, but truth be told I'd be a lot more afraid of terrorist attacks happening in a major European or American city, where people are completely clueless about how to prevent such things from happening.

Answer 10

I think the media blow up news. I have been on pilgrimage to Israel (Holy Land) on 3 occasions and I have never felt that I was in danger. I suppose it's like in every country, there are places where you should not venture yourself.

Answer 11

Israel has a lot to see and do. It's image in the media distorts reality -- it's not as bad as it seems. However, that is not to say that life in the West Bank and Gaza is pretty dreadful and there's related violence as a result. Israelis are trained to expect bombs and sporadic attacks so you could be in the wrong place at the wrong time but you also could be in the right place and perfect timing for a nice holiday so just use common sense and see how hte locals are acting and take your cue from them.