Yes, a city that is under threat from terrorist rocket barrages and who's national army is currently occupying a foreign state is safer than a city that barely sees homicides.
Let's not confuse perceived threats from real ones, backed by data.
Maybe the residents of Tel Aviv do not perceive their city as unsafe. I guess that people become accustomed to terrorism happening rather regularly. A city with less homicides but more reported ones in the media is maybe perceived less safe by the residents?
Compare:
"Tel Aviv is dangerous, the threat of war is everpresent and I often hear mortar fire, but the border to Gaza just 45 minutes away is substantially more dangerous"
vs.
"Toronto is dangerous, there's Jane and Finch and many homeless people, the suburbs of Newmarket just 45 minutes away are substantially safer"
It is interesting, too, that safety is typically a feeling you get when there's not much competition for survival. In an age and time of such abundance, it really baffles me how it is taking so long (in some regards) but, as the great Matthew Wilder say, ain't nothin' gonna break my stride. Ain't nothin' gonna slow me down.
Just some thoughts.
If you look at the raw numbers, Terrorism is just minor nuisance, even rocket barrages.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_...
Tel Aviv seems great honestly. Really my only complaint against Israel is the expansion of settlements and the alliance with South Africa during apartheid.
If you look at the raw numbers, only 3 people died in the boston bombings. But if you look at the economic costs,
- The entire boston transit system was shut down for security reasons, disrupting the entire city
- Large numbers of people did not go to work the next day, costing hundreds of millions in lost productivity
- An enormous manhunt ensued, at the cost of over 300 million
- Entire parts of the city were shut down, preventing them from going to work
- 10s of millions in costs to the victims
- Tens of thousands of hours of additional work for public employees
- Billions in lost productivity nationwide as people focused on the media saga
All this cost the terrorists only $200 in explosives. In your words, billions of dollars in economic damage "is just minor nuisance".
What you're identifying as cost here is actually a service that a business can provide. The close military connections (also supported by the conscription) are actually an asset for the country in terms of technological progress. Think of it like a messy version of the cold war.
How badly did startup scene in Boston suffer?
Economic damage was the result of was fear and overreaction. Tel Aviv would not scare so easily.
America is probably the most jumpy country to live on and vulnerable to terrorism as a result. London, Paris and other big cities can suck in the damage with smaller cost.