How is Israel like?

Question

I confess, I'm very ignorant as far as Israel is concerned. When I think of Israelites, I think of the nomadic society of the Bible fame. I've also heard bits about the eternal war and whatnot, which definitely doesn't portray Israel as a nation.

I'm only curious because the many people from Israel I know speak good English and seem to be "modern." Anyone knows a reliable website about Israel?

Answer 1

If your really interested then you know that Israel is a nation that will survive any and all attempts to remove her.

Israel is a mixture of ancient and modern which makes going there a wonderful experience.
It isnt poluted thats for sure--the best air sweeps through Jerusalem every afternoon off the dead sea. Its awesome!

Israel leads the world in medicine and high tech industries. When you talk on that cell phone or turn on a chat program--think Israel. (just to name a few).

Have fun

Answer 2

OK, we just went through about three months of researching this question in depth, and its a complicated answer.

Israel is changing rapidly. It seems in the course of about a decade it has become a different animal all together. And while Israel is an exotic wonderful place to experience, it is also headed down the
road to self destruction if it doesn't face its faults quickly. Yes, I said SELF destruction. Because at this juncture, it is the Israeli that is its own worst enemy.

Positive aspects of Israel;

Public transportation is wide spread

citizens are covered by affordable socialized health insurance.

The weather is awesome

There is a thriving outdoor culture

The people are beautiful looking

The people are generous and friendly

The places to see there are one of a kind


Negative aspects of Israel;

In Israel, about seventy five percent of the country lives at or bellow the average wage of nineteen thousand dollars a year, that's in a country where the cost of living is comparable to Southern California.
Poverty is a serious problem, and crime and homelessness is very much on the rise in today's Israel because of that fact.

Israel is in a constant state of war with most of its neighbors, and there doesn't seem to be an end to that in sight because of the rise in extremism on both sides.
The country spends a huge amount of its resources that are to maintain a presence in the occupied territories that would otherwise be directed to maintaining important things like social welfare and education departments .

Israel is polluted to the point where taking a shower is dangerous in the gush Dan region (the entire center of the country) And lays claim to one of the most polluted bodies of water (the Kishon) in the world. This river flows directly into the Mediterranean sea, and as a soldier made me very sick, a toxic condition that has reduced my health to this day.
Sludge, raw sewage, powerful industrial chemicals and toxins leak and flow freely into the ground water and sea by both the Israelis and Gazans.
You can not drink the water or go swimming safely. It has also recently been discovered that there is about four meters of gasoline sitting on top of the coastal aquifer.

Israels schools are the worst in the developed world, and they allow various agenda driven organizations of all kinds to teach children in the schools without asking the parents or checking the organizations credentials.
Arab Israeli students receive only fifty percent of the resources that Jewish ones do.

Israel has some of the most dangerous driving conditions in the world per capita. Traffic accidents take the lives of scores of citizens every month, more than war in fact.

In Israel, you are less likely to receive government services and accountability for your taxes paid than any other country in the developed world outside of Italy.
Also, the percentage of bribes paid to officials to receive services is unparalleled by any other place in the developed world.

I can easily go on and on about the negative aspects of today's Israel. While i dearly love the place, It has evolved into a "me" culture over the last twenty years, and risks not existing twenty years from now because of that fact.

with that said, i am a pure Zionist, have no agenda, am a center thinking Israeli/ American that has lived in Israel for a very long time, served in the IDF in a combat unit, respects the rights of both Jews and Arabs, and feels that there can be a future for both if they would stop killing each other.
I also think that for Israel to survive, that it needs to take a good long look at itself in the mirror now before its to late. Regardless how people feel about each other, and whats happened in the past, I feel that the Arabs and Jews have to respect each other, learn to live side by side, and treat each other as they would want to be treated themselves. Both parties have not even come close to doing this. As they say, Compromise makes a marriage last"

In closing, i saw that someone added a comment regarding my thread. Because of that, i have added several more articles and studies by non partisan entities supporting what I have stated.
I do believe one of Israels biggest challenges is admitting it has a problem. Only then will it be able to move toward recovery, which will benefit all of its citizens and neighbors.

Answer 3

Israel is a great country. It's small and has a bit for everyone. Whether you like nature, the beach, hiking, skiing, diving, culture, partying, shopping etc. And its the birthplace of the three monotheistic religions. When i watch tv it looks like there's chaos and war 24/7, but everytime i'm visiting it feels safe and relaxing. Israel is a bridge between the modern west and the mystical east.

Answer 4

Besides a lot of sites that you can find in google, looking for tours, night clubs, and so on, you might want to try blogs written by Israelis. That way you will get their point of view, and you might make some Israeli net-friends.

Also, there is a very good site: www.eganu.com
This is for Israelis to get together for parties and to discuss things that are important to young people all over the world. The people on this site also hope that others will come in and ask questions, start discussions, so they can teach you from their point of view. Give it a try!

Answer 5

I lived in Israel for a year in 2005, and yes the Israeli's are very modern, all students have to pass a certain grade in English in order to graduate, so they all speak it well, and all Israelis from the age of 18 are required for military service. Tel-aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, are the 3 major cities in Israel, Tel-aviv has a beautiful beach along with a boardwalk, where hundreds of beautiful Israeli girls run around in bikinis! and its lots of fun, there are night clubs, historical sites, shopping malls, you name it!

Answer 6

Israel is a war zone there is a war for Independence waged by the native people of Palestine.

Answer 7

Get a glimpse of the country through some photos
http://www.israelimages.com/

Answer 8

Isreal is not a country...and we have all to confess that it's a blooded war zone...