Posted by doninoz (other posts) on May 06, 2017 at 07:24:32 Previous Next
In Reply to: Re: The Synagogue is Going Longhair! posted by Hairball on May 06, 2017 at 06:07:27:
Hey, Mark! You asked what's it like living in Israel, specifically with regards to the security situation.
It's really not something that Israelis think about much, day-to-day, except perhaps as much as residents of US cities think about crime and avoid certain areas. I live in Ashqelon, which is a city on the south Mediterranean cost just a few KM north of the Gaza Strip. Occasionally we'll hear a siren, indicating a missile flying our way from Gaza; it's happened a couple of times since I arrived here five months ago. Both times, the Iron Dome shot them down before they did any damage. But things have been quiet lately. I'm probably more aware of it than most constantly, because my son is in the army here and is right now stationed in Gush Etzion, on the 'West Bank,' where he serves as a combat medic to an armored battalion. Being retired from the US military myself, and having been stationed in a number of terror hotspots over the years (e.g., Greece in the 1980's), I'm probably warier than most Israelis about being in a crowd...I've been asked if I'm agoraphobic, but I'm really just careful.
The security bit aside, life here is great! Relatively laid back and friendly. A country of busybodies where, if you approach life with a bit of humor, there's an interesting situation to experience at every turn. Just don't drive here if you've got anger management issues!
Moreover, in a poll taken two weeks ago, 88% of Jewish Israelis said they were "comfortable" or "very comfortable being themselves" in their country. (Interestingly, the percentage for Arab Israelis was also quite high: 74%.)
That said, I am looking forward to travelling to Boulder, Colorado in a few days for my daughter's graduation from CU. After the festivities, she's going to take a few days off from her job and we're going up into the mountains. I'm looking forward to sailing on Lake Dillon at 9,000 feet above sea level, and cycling down (not up!) the Vail Pass. Two distinctly Coloradan experiences not possible here in Israel!
All the best...
Don