Do Charedim Believe Jews Are Safer in Eretz Yisrael or in the Diaspora?

Last updated on 25 Aug 2025

“There’s no place safer for a Jew than Eretz Yisrael.”

It’s a phrase that gets said often—sometimes when rockets are falling, sometimes when the streets of Brooklyn or Paris turn hostile. And at first glance, it seems like wishful thinking.

But in the Charedi world, “safe” doesn’t mean bulletproof vests and government briefings. It means Hashgachah Pratis. Divine oversight. Being under the direct gaze of Hashem, in the Land where He promised His eyes would never turn away.

And when you look through that lens, Eretz Yisrael isn't just spiritually safer—it is often miraculously safer, even physically.

“If Hashem Does Not Guard the City…”

The Torah says it clearly:

“אם ה’ לא ישמור עיר, שוא שקד שומר.” “If Hashem does not guard a city, the guard stands watch in vain.” —Tehillim 127:1

It’s not that Charedim ignore security. But they know that ultimately, our protection doesn’t come from iron domes or IDF battalions—it comes from Above.

“ארץ אשר תמיד עיני ה’ אלוקיך בה...” “A Land that Hashem your G-d constantly watches; His eyes are upon it from the beginning of the year until the end.” —Devarim 11:12

That’s not a metaphor. That’s a spiritual reality. And in recent times, we’ve seen it with our own eyes.

Gulf War, 1991: 39 Missiles, Zero Logic

Let’s go back to the First Gulf War. It’s one of the most openly miraculous episodes in recent Israeli history.

In January–February 1991, Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein launched 39 Scud missiles directly at Israeli population centers—including Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Entire buildings were destroyed. Glass exploded across city blocks. Hundreds were hospitalized with injuries.

And yet, what happened?

Only one Jew died from a direct missile impact. And—this detail is well-known among those who were here—the individual who died was an importer of pork into Israel.

Thousands of people wore gas masks. Families huddled in sealed rooms. But Charedim, with calm emunah, saw something else:

“Hashem is protecting His children. This is not statistics. This is salvation.”

There was no Iron Dome. No missile defense. And yet, entire neighborhoods were spared.

Those who were here will never forget it. You can’t witness something like that and not see the Yad Hashem.

April 2024: The Iranian Missile Barrage

Fast forward to April 13, 2024.

Iran launched the most coordinated and massive attack on Eretz Yisrael in its modern history:

Over 300 projectiles—ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones—launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
Western analysts predicted widespread destruction and hundreds of deaths.

And yet?

99% were intercepted.
Many were destroyed before they even entered Israeli airspace.
Miraculously, not a single Jewish life was lost.

Even secular analysts struggled to explain it. But for those who live with emunah, it was clear:

“When Hashem watches the Land, no missile can land unless He allows it.”

West Point and the Wars of Eretz Yisrael

After the Six Day War in 1967, a top official at West Point, the U.S. military academy, was asked why the Israeli military strategy wasn't included in their curriculum.

His response?

“We do not teach miracles.”

Exactly.

The wars of Eretz Yisrael don’t follow the rules of war. They follow the rules of Hashgachah.

Meanwhile, in the Diaspora: Danger in Every Direction

While miracles protect Eretz Yisrael, the exile is beginning to unravel.

United States:

Pittsburgh (2018) – Eleven Jews murdered during davening.
Monsey (2019) – Multiple Jews stabbed at a Chanukah celebration.
Jersey City (2019) – Four murdered in a kosher grocery store.
2023–2024 – Antisemitism explodes on college campuses, in subways, and online. Jewish students told to hide their yarmulkes. Shuls are guarded like fortresses.

France:

Brutal antisemitic attacks in Paris and beyond.
Soldiers patrol Jewish schools.
Tens of thousands have fled for Eretz Yisrael.

United Kingdom:

Record antisemitic incidents in 2024.
Harassment in the streets of Stamford Hill and Golders Green.
Jewish businesses and homes targeted.

The golden exile is tarnishing quickly.

So Is Eretz Yisrael Safer? Charedim Say: Unequivocally, Yes.

Physically? Yes. Spiritually? Absolutely.

“Better to live with Hashem in a storm than hide in exile under false shelter.”

Charedim believe that Eretz Yisrael is not just a place—it’s a promise. And that promise includes protection that defies reason.

When missiles fall, they miss.
When buildings collapse, lives are spared.
When hundreds of rockets fly, they are stopped by the Hand that never sleeps.

The Deepest Kind of Safety

Charedim don’t make aliyah for political reasons. They don’t remain here because it’s easier. They remain because they believe:

“אין עוד מלבדו” — “There is nothing but Him.”

Eretz Yisrael is Hashem’s Land. He watches it. He guards it. And He welcomes His children home—under the protection that only a Father can provide.

Sources & Footnotes

Tehillim 127:1 – “If Hashem does not guard a city, the guard is watching in vain.”
Devarim 11:12 – “A land that Hashem your G-d constantly watches…”
Gulf War, 1991 – 39 Scud missiles struck Israel. Over 200 injured; only one death from direct missile impact (widely reported and discussed in Israeli media and Torah circles).
Iranian Missile Attack, April 2024 – Reported by IDF and major global media; over 300 projectiles; 99% interception; no Jewish casualties.
West Point quote – Recounted by Israeli generals; referenced in speeches by Rav Zev Leff and others.
ADL, FBI, CST (UK), CRIF (France) – Antisemitism data 2018–2024; available via public reports.
Chazon Ish, Pe’er HaDor – Demonstrated calm and unwavering trust in Hashem during wartime in Bnei Brak.