Looking for German Expats in Israel?

Is Israel a good move for Germans? These pros and cons come from the InterNations Expat Insider survey, in which thousands of expats around the world share what they like and don't like about life abroad each year. Country-level percentages aren't broken out for Israel, so the points below reflect what German expats there wrote in their own words. This is a small sample, so read it as a friendly snapshot rather than the last word.

• The people are the highlight. Germans describe open, helpful, and welcoming locals as the best part of daily life there.

• There's freedom and opportunity. Job opportunities and a sense of personal freedom come up as real draws.

• The scenery is beautiful. The landscape and surroundings earn genuine praise.

• It's easy to adapt and travel home. Germans mention adapting culturally with relative ease and convenient trips back to Europe.

• The cost of living is high. Germans describe day-to-day life as expensive.

• Political tension is ever-present. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a constant backdrop that weighs on people.

• The security situation adds pressure. An underlying sense of instability and impatience comes through in the answers.

• Discrimination surfaces. At least one German points to everyday racism as a downside.

For Germans, Israel offers warm, open people, real opportunity, and a strong sense of place. The trade-offs are the cost of living and the tension that comes with an unstable security situation. With so few German respondents there, though, treat this as a first impression rather than the final word.

Every year, we publish one of the biggest global surveys among expats — asking them about various aspects of their life, from work to leisure. Learn what motivated our German members to move abroad, what keeps them there, and what they struggle with or miss about home.

Obviously, embarking on expat life in Israel is not only about packing boxes and getting some paperwork done. The regular exchange with your German compatriots is also an important aspect of the expat experience and can help you get accustomed to the Israeli culture and people. InterNations helps you meet and interact with other Germans in Israel, living in Jerusalem, Beer Sheva, Tel-Aviv and many other places across the country. Just take a look at our group ofGermans in Tel Aviv orGermans in Jerusalem.

So, if you should ever feel like speaking your mother tongue, finding out where to shop for German food, or chatting about your favorite team’s latest match, join the German InterNations Community:

• Browse our high-quality expat network to find like-minded expatriates from Germany in Israel.
• Receive and share advice in our Israel Expat Forums – e.g. how to find a nanny speaking your kids’ native tongue or where to shop for roast pork with Knödel in Jerusalem...
• Browse the InterNations Places database for Israel to find institutions like the nearest German embassy and many others.

From the populous areas on the Mediterranean shores to the mountainous and arid region of Judea, we’ll get you in touch with helpful and friendly German expats in Israel.

Additionally, you are cordially invited to participate in our regular expat events and activities taking place in Israel. Our events cover various interests and range from a small expat dinner to enjoy the traditional Israeli falafel, to big expat get-togethers with hundreds of guests in Jerusalem's top locations. You may also join one of our expat excursions for a weekend trip to visit the hill ranges and the Sea of Galilee, the fertile, hilly hinterland and the arid Negev Desert, and other impressive landmarks across Israel.

This way, our events and activities are a very nice occasion to meet fellow expats from Germany and around the world in a casual atmosphere. Interested? Sign up for membership and you’ll soon be welcomed with a warm Grüß Gott from our Germans living in Israel!