How safe is Israel to live.?

Answer 1

Very safe right now. The security situation is actually unlikely to affect you in any way except perhaps to make you fearful. You have to get used to having your bags checked frequently, but terrorist attacks have fortunately been very rare occurrences in the last two or three years, and the level of violent crime in Israel is low. As a result, Israel's life expectancy is presently eighth highest in the world, despite all the problems of the region:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy

The messages below this one provide the other side of the story - deirdrezz describes the situation a few years ago when multiple suicide bombs were happening every month, and ABC is correct that Hamas are reportedly seeking to recommence full-scale hostilities against Israel at some point in the future (as opposed to focusing on internal matters which they've been doing more recently). But new facts on the ground will make their job of doing so much harder than before, because their Gaza power base is effectively sealed off, and the barrier wall has made it much more difficult to infiltrate Israel from the West Bank. We will have to wait and see, but for now at least, Emily is right: your greatest danger is the crazy Israeli drivers...!

Londoner In Israel

Answer 2

I live in Israel, in so called "ocupied territories" not far from Bethlehem in one of midsized Jewish settlements surrounded by arab vilages. Most people including many Israelis would not dare to visit such place because it is considered very dangerous and the possibility of terrorist attack is high. At the moment I will not discuss the reasons why I am there - in short because I believe in the cause and want to fulfill G-d's commandment to settle the Land of Israel. But I want to address the practical side of living in such place considered to be an extream security risk. In 7 years that I am there I personally was under any sort of terror related danger about 6 times. So on a daily basis despite the image of the place you almost never see any action, and you day proceed as safe as in any peaceful and secure place. Just recently when I was driving through some arab vilage I was passed by an arab, who rolled down his window and signaled to me that I had some problem with my car which he saw and I didn't. I stopped then inside that arab vilage and fixed the problem. So just to give you a perspective - yes there is animosty between Jews and Arabs, but it is not black and white. We do interact with each other on the daily basis - Jews hire Arabs for various jobs inside the settlements, in the past a lot of Jews went to Arab vilages and to Bethlehem to do shopping and so forth. Although visiting Arab vilages now has vanished because it is too dangerous for now. My point is that if in place like mine my life in a daily basis could be described as safe in general it is even more so in any Israeli city. News sound bigger from afar. It is safe in Israel and may be much safer then in many other places in the world. The crime is low. It is true that driving habits in Israel are bad though. So if you are cosidering coming over - security should be the last of your concerns.

Answer 3

I don't think I would live there. Too many risks. I visited in Auguist 2001, and there was a suicide bombing down the street from me while I was there. I have lived in a lot of major cities that struggle with crime and gang activity, but I am never really at risk because I don't go into those neighborhoods. In Israel, the enemy is going into your neighborhood. You could be getting pizza or sitting at a cafe in a middle class neighborhood and suddenly you are dead or maimed. They do a great job screening people at malls, hotels, etc., but you just never know where or when terrorists are going to hit.

Answer 4

I spent two months there this summer and felt perfectly safe the whole time, except when I was being driven somewhere. Honestly, the crazy drivers are probably the scariest part. :) Go visit and see how you feel. It's a beautiful country.

Answer 5

Safer than most people think....
I have friends and family that live there and they say they have rarely had problems... But in times of war, sure it's not going to be safe. there are worse places in the western world, and especially the entire world lol..

Answer 6

According to Warren Buffet, who recently invested four billion dollars into a company in Israel - Israel is as risky a place as the United States is.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 7

Well I am currently in St. Louis (US) and I feel MUCH more comfortable living in Jerusalem, even though St. Louis is a safe city!

Answer 8

I live in israel.... i feel perfectly safe.

Answer 9

y would u go to a country that can not defend from hizbullah

Answer 10

Well, I think the worst days of Israel are coming…. Hamas is thinking seriously to start it’s operations again inside 1948 occupied territories to free thier occupyed land according to their last statement… also according to the Palestinian authority inelegance report, Hamas started making Qassam rockets in the west bank… if that’s true, then it is really disaster for the Israelis, qassam rockets will strike Jerusalem and Tel Aviv….