Grateful to be Living in Israel as World Falls Apart

When my husband and I made aliyah to Israel soon after our 1970 wedding it was considered a rare, incomprehensible and dangerous thing to do. There was an enormous difference between the two countries in what was then considered "quality of life." In those days those criteria were of modern conveniences, technology and toiletpaper.

Less than a half a century ago, Israel was more Third World than modern. Today we have everything one needs here in Israel. Today not only is technology in Israel topnotch, but the healthcare system among the best in the world and smoking is now prohibited in most public places. And as an added bonus, at "end of season sales," prices are slashed by 70% in many stores. This is not the Israel we moved to in 1970. Today it's not just much better than before, but it's a lot better than the United States of America.

The political and security situations in Israel are also better here. I know that the headlines give the impression that security is better in the states, but it's not really true when you calculate murder and violent crime in the USA. Israel is actually one of the safest places in the world.

And while many olim, immigrants to Israel find the political system too confusing, different or just plain strange, compared to the chaos and rioting in other countries, I'd say that Israel is most civilized.

Europe is undergoing a rapid metamorphose from white-Cristian to Islamic of all colors and backgrounds. It's a combination of non-replacement native European birthrates and the migration, legal and illegal of Arabs and Africans. The governments have welcomed them due to the lack of workers, but recently the extreme cultural differences, preponderance of males and subsequent violence have changed Europe for the worse.

In the United States the unprecedented riots by groups like "not my president" have crossed boundaries like never before. Never before has there been such massive and violent "sore-loser" protests in America. Having been born, raised and educated in the USA, I had always been taught that in democracy, you sometimes lose and then must accept the results. It's a sign of a fascist unstable government wehn people take to the streets the way they have been since last Novemenber. Democratic leaders, like Hillary Clinton, failed democracy when she called Trump supporters "deplorables." And Obama should have immediately ordered everyone home and threatened the protestors with arrest.

Donald Trump's far from perfect, but he should have been helped and supported, rather than being condemned for every breath. So, now he's feeling paranoid. Who wouldn't be when attacked the way he has been.

I am so thankful to be in Israel. Even with the attacks here on Bibi and Sara Netanyahu the political situation is more placid.

True, no place is 100% perfect, but I'm perfectly happy living in Israel.