This proverb/idiom is well suited to the conflicts that are taking place in Syria, Iraq and in the Gaza strip, including the West Bank. Things may seem quiet in Gaza and the West Bank, but be assured there is fighting; and lives are getting crushed.
Persecution in Israel is not new. Being a Messianic Jew or a Christian Arab, Christian persecution is on the rise. This is not a race/cultural issue, it is simply being a follower of Yeshua [Jesus] that is provoking such hostility. Messianic believers in Israel have been severely persecuted mainly by the Ultra Orthodox [Haredi] organizations, whose acts of violence and harassment in recent years are meant to intimidate and suppress the free practice of faith in Yashua [Jesus] the true Messiah.