Should all diaspora Jews move to Israel?

Dear Golda #1: Should we stay and fight or flee to Israel

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Dear Golda,

Do you think Israel is the safest place for Jews right now? Do you recommend Jews move there?

Sincerely,

Sleepless in Diaspora

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Hi Sleepless,

This is a tough one, so indulge me in giving a more nuanced answer. As the ivy league crazies on the left start to take positions of political power, become judges, and academic professors who pass on their toxic teachings, antisemitism will likely continue getting worse in the West. I share your concern for what the West might look like in 5 or 10 years from now. It makes sense why many diaspora Jews, myself included, are considering moving either back to Israel or to Israel for the first time.

There are many factors to consider when considering if Israel is ‘safe’, including violent crime, terrorism, and military service. Let’s break each out separately to discuss them one by one at a very high level.

First, let’s look at some general crime statistics first. I will compare Israeli crime statistics to America for simplicity. Please note, these are aggregate stats and the data stops at 2014, but it’s a good finger in the wind to talk about general crime statistics.

Per capita, you’re more likely to be murdered in America, likely due to our lack of common sense gun control laws. You’re also significantly more likely to be raped in America as well, but almost equally likely to be assaulted. Again, I would need to really dig through these statistics to see if they are including data from Israeli territories and breaking out the crimes statistics between cities, which likely impacts the statistics dramatically (as it also does in America). That said, it’s a good generalization to say that when it comes to violent crime, Israel is not as dangerous as the news makes it out to be. Like any Western metropolitan country, you need to be smart and aware and should always take precautions to protect yourself at all times.

Next, let’s talk more about terrorism now. The goal of terrorism is to make the population afraid, and Israelis understand this well. They are more resilient in getting back to daily life after an attack than probably any other population on Earth, so the economy can continue to function. Also, the Iron Dome defense system protects most major population centers from rocket and drone attacks. That doesn’t mean civilians aren’t harmed by terrorism, but terrorism impacts Israeli daily life much less than most people outside of Israel perceive. Obviously, this past year, civilians have suffered immensely on October 7th, but this attack was a tragic outlier event. I believe citizens and the Israeli government are organizing to ensure this type of attack will hopefully never happen again on this scale.

Lastly, let’s look at military service. Israel has mandatory military service for most citizens when they turn 18 (3 years for men and 2 years for women generally, although many jobs and more senior positions will require more time). Most military jobs are support roles as opposed to fighters, and Israel also offers civil service options for conscientious objectors. For additional context, roughly 7% of the population is currently active or in reserve military service, which is high compared to America, for example, which only has 0.5% of the population actively serving. The cost of past wars and the current war has been very high. Thousands of soldiers have sadly lost their lives since the modern state of Israel was born, and hundreds in the most recent war already. These soldiers are heroes and their sacrifices are what enables over 6 million Jews to flourish in the land of Israel.

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Now the bigger question that’s probably keeping you up at night, should we move there?

I personally worry about all Jews congregating in one location and think there is value in a meaningful portion of us living other places around the world. Not only would it make it harder for a terror state like Iran to wipe Jews from the Earth by heaven forbid nuking Israel, but we can also play a role in combatting misinformation about Israel in other countries and showing people in other countries that we’re not blood drinking demon goblins. If people never meet a Jew, they may only believe the tropes they see on social media.

While I believe strongly it’s important for some Jews to stay and fight where they are, I think if you don’t feel at home in your host country, it’s an absolutely incredible and noble act to move to Israel and begin a new life there. I would not let the issues of violent crime, terrorism, or military service scare you from pursuing your Zionist dream, if you believe you’d be happy pursuing a life in Israel.

I fully understand that’s easier said than done given the media’s coverage. There are years, like now, and during the First and Second Intifadas, where living in Israel is certainly been more dangerous than other years, but safety in my opinion IS ABOUT GENERATIONAL SAFETY and our individual safety is less consequential. Without brave men and women coming to build the land of Israel she would not exist in her current form. If you’re serious about it, Nefesh B’Nefesh is a great place to start learning more about the process. Assimilating into Israeli society is not easy, but if you’re doing it for the right reasons it is possible!

Ultimately, whether or not to move to Israel is an important decision that every individual person and family must discuss and make for themselves. What I feel 100% comfortable saying is go and visit Israel if you haven’t and see for yourself how comfortable you feel so you can make an informed decision. Even now, if you’re having these types of questions and you’ve never been, GO CHECK IT OUT!