Safety w/ missiles near Ben Gurion/MISH?

[futuresadoc]

I'm an applicant to MSIH and am a little nervous with all the recent missile attacks, etc. It seems like more missiles were fired tonight and people had to run to bomb shelters. Is safety an issue there, especially right now with the area teetering on another war?

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[JCaesar]

Hey Futuresadoc,

I've been here in Be'er sheva for almost 2 years. I've never felt unsafe here. In fact, I feel A LOT safer here than most cities in the US. I know I had a very distorted view of Israel before I came here. It's definitely very different than what is portrayed in the media.

There have been some recent rockets being fired at Be'er sheva, but it's very easy to find a safe place to get to in time. There is a siren about 1 minute before the rocket hits. Generally, as long as there are 2 walls between you and the outside of the building, it is considered safe. A lot of the MSIH students have not even bothered to get out of bed during the siren.

I don't think there will be war though. Both sides seem to be quite reluctant for war. I don't think studies would be halted if there was war though. The university has bomb shelter rooms in case students have to take exams during war time. Overall, the rocket situation has been a total non-issue for myself and my friends here. However, I encourage you to email other MSIH students and ask them what they think about the rocket situation. It's always nice to get different viewpoints.

 

[rabsa]

I'm an applicant to MSIH and am a little nervous with all the recent missile attacks, etc. It seems like more missiles were fired tonight and people had to run to bomb shelters. Is safety an issue there, especially right now with the area teetering on another war?

Statistically, you have a higher chance of being robbed in the US than getting injured by a terrorist attack in Israel. I actually feel much safer in Israel and would have little qualms about being in the street late at night in most places. Can't say the same about the US.

Re the area teetering on another war...this is the Middle East! The area will ALWAYS be teetering on another war.

 

[MissGlassSir]

I am an incoming student and am very concerned about the rockets too. I feel like I totally forgot about the nearly-constant Arab-Israeli conflict when I applied, and the recent violence has been a reminder and I'm totally freaked out (I am even thinking about reapplying to U.S. schools for next year). The whole "you feel safe" thing is what everyone in Israel says. "Feeling safe" is great, but it's not the same thing as being safe. Rockets being fired at your university is not safe.

 

[rabsa]

"Feeling safe" is great, but it's not the same thing as being safe. Rockets being fired at your university is not safe.

1) You're missing the point. Statistically you ARE safer there. The last incident was just one rocket, and nobody was hurt. Rockets aren't being fired at Ben Gurion university. Beer Sheva is far enough from Gaza that a projectile fired from Gaza never usually lands there. Also, a new rocket interception project called the Iron Dome was just put into use last week. Almost all of the rockets fired from Gaza since then have been intercepted.

2) You can't really comment on safety unless you've actually lived there. Some of us have, which is why there is truth to what we say. Ever been to USC, Yale, UChicago, or Temple? These schools are all in crappy areas, much worse than Beer Sheva.

3) Of course you could re-apply next year to US schools. If you are aiming for some highly competitive residency, this is a no-brainer. But you wouldn't get the irreproducible experience of living in another part of the world, and you wouldn't get to engage with the diverse population groups of Israel.

 

[JCaesar]

Rabsa is absolutely right. Be'er sheva is VERY safe. I would only say this if I totally believed it. The only thing I would worry about in Be'er sheva is the road safety. Israelis are pretty poor drivers and pedestrian accidents are quite high for a developed country. I really wouldn't worry too much about road safety though.

I've been here 2 years and we've had 3 sirens go off (only over the last couple of months). Most of the time when the siren goes off due to an incoming rocket, the rocket usually hits outside the city into some field. If the rocket is headed for the city, the new Iron Dome system will neutralize it. The Iron Dome system is new and it's working well. However, even without it, I've never been worried.

I encourage anyone who has major doubts about the safety of Israel to come visit the country before starting the program. I know I had a greatly distorted view of this country before coming here.