Has anyone been to Israel?

[Mooshamoo]

I was just wondering what it is like.

My friend went a couple of years ago and did a tour around the history sites. But he didn't see much.

Im really interested to know about people's experiences of Israel

Loved it. Spent a week travelling around tel aviv, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the fort at Masada and the Dead Sea. Guides were amazing. The contrasts in each of those places was fascinating. Security was shit hot everywhere. The Holy Sepulchre was the least spiritual place I’ve ever been with hoards of people climbing over each other to reach parts of the tomb they wanted. Masada was hotter than anything I’ve ever felt anywhere before.

As someone else said though, we were questioned extensively but border officials as we left.

Yes, worked on an archaeological dig there in 2010 with Israelis, I left without much hope that the conflict will be resolved.

On the other hand, it's a fascinating place to be a tourist (and I'm an atheist so visited a mixture of holy sites) Went to Masada, floated in the dead sea, spent a day "over the wall" on the west bank.

It's an amazingly fantastic country with something for everyone regardless of age/colour/creed/religion/gender.
Just not at the moment!

Yes, I have been to Israel, many, many times. Stayed all over the place, including a Moshav owned by friends. Went there at every opportunity, and then the building of hotels increased, shopping centres, the dry heat became more humid due to the increase in everything.

Tourism increased massively, and so did crime. Beachfronts became filled with stalls of tat at night and instead of just men hassling you if you were a woman (mostly) there were hookers hassling the men.

Aside from all this, it was, and probably still is, a beautiful country, you can see goats if you look up from the side of the roads, if you can see them against the sand of the hills. Checkpoints where you have to slow down are frequent, in some hotels you share breakfast tables with young men in Army uniform and a machine gun on the spare seat. Driving a hire car in some places in Jerusalem or Bethlehem will get rocks thrown through the windows.

You will be questioned if you have no children, people are friendly, and direct. You will be questioned about many things, if they are of interest. Speaking in Evrit will achieve rapid results, as opposed to any other language when needing to pass through a crowd of young people and if you are assumed to be a visitor.

Sandy beaches, clear water, ideal for snorkelling, baking hot in summer and everyone goes on holiday in August, to the south. Public holidays they are all on the beach, crammed in. Huge firework displays. Buzzing with life in the resorts of an evening, falafel bars, easy to find food if you are a vegetarian.

Airport security is excellent.

Lots of history to see, Masada, Jordan, Dead Sea, Gallilee. Jerusalem etc. I miss it, but didn't like how it inevitably changed.

Went to Israel and Palestine earlier this year on pilgrimage with my church.
It was beautiful and peaceful at the time, I preferred the "wild" places to the hotspots though. The church of the Beatitudes and the archaeological dig at Magdala were wonderful. The Dead Sea was disappointing as it's lost so much water that it's a long walk down from the car park. The Via Dolorosa was lovely, especially the Lithostratus under Jerusalem.
I saw the sun rise over lake Galilee.

Yes, but only to Eilat, a seaside resort, and to Jerusalem on a day trip from there, and it was about 25 years ago (plus Bethlehem, before the wall was built). I loved it - the history is so fascinating, and to see the difference between the four quarters of the Old City. Even if you are not a believer, to see sites such as the Mount of Olives, Dome of the Rock and Church of the Holy Sepulchre was just incredible. Also visited an old synagogue and the Western Wall too.
It does bring alive how the three major faiths are attempting to co-exist in such a special place for all of them. I have always wanted to go back for longer, and I still hope that can happen one day 🙏

DH and I were in Jerusalem for a day, around 20 years ago, as part of a cruise stop off.

I did like it although the main square is very touristy and crowded. We were provided with a packed lunch from the cruise ship because there had been some food poisoning issues from restaurants.

I do remember being in a souvenir shop and pointing out Israel on a lovely carved marble globe. The man in the shop shouted at us that we were in Palestine not Israel. There was definitely a lot of tension and a lot of security personnel.

One visit was enough. It's not somewhere you can feel completely relaxed.

I've been Israel and Palenstine. Beautiful place, very friendly people. Not at all what I was expecting. I had the best pizza I've ever eat there. It took me a while to work out why I couldn't get Pepperoni, bit slow there! Christmas Eve in Bethlehem was spent listening to local bands. There was a very surreal moment as I stood there with a hundred or so other people listening to a band sing "Weak" by Skunk Anasie. It felt very safe, I travelled alone as a female in my normal Western clothing and felt safer there than anywhere I have lived in the UK. The amount of guards is a bit weird but you get used to it and they were so friendly and helpful. Definitely reccomend holidaying there in future.

Spent a lot of time there.
Tel Aviv is amazing.
Dynamic, cosmopolitan, friendly, vibrant, great beaches, diverse, old, new, not to mention amazing food.
Yes some Israelis can come across as abrubt if you arent used to them - but they are also warm and kind, but passionate & straight forward.
Jerusalem, beautiful and so interesting
Sea of Galilee - very special - so zen, almost lush
Dead Sea & Desert - also beautiful and total opposite vibes to Galilee
Eilat & Red Sea - incredible diving

It is a complex country on many levels, but beautiful with lots and lots to see and do

It's an terrible impossible situation and my heart breaks for all the innocent civilians on both sides

I was in Israel and Palestine earlier this year, and unfortunately left with quite a bad impression of Israel as as a person of color (not Arabic & not Muslim not that it ever should matter) I was continuously perceived as “suspicious” and a potential threat and “officials” continuously checked me and treated me appallingly on a repetitive basis.

I was honestly quite appalled and yet sad about it because Israel had been really high on my list of countries to visit as I love Jewish culture and had only heard positive thing about the country, and while most people were nice, being treated this way just ruined the stay for me (and I definitely wasn’t an exception in my treatment, anyone who wasn’t white or with a European sounding last name was treated very similarly to me). As someone who travels a lot I was also quite underwhelmed by the country as such. Jerusalem is beautiful and worth seeing and did meet quite a few cool people in Tel Aviv. But honestly I was underwhelmed and the blatant profiling and discrimination just was a deal breaker.

I alas, wouldn’t go back I think, but I did love Palestine (people were friendlier and I also found it) and Jordan is a must-go.

if you are a person of color, skip Israel, if you are not then I am sure it will be fine and I guess still remain worth seeing for what it has to offer.

It's a beautiful place. My cousin lives and works in Ashkelon it's just a short journey from there to TelAviv which is a wonderful metropolitan city.

Recommended! Tel Aviv is a party town, then Jerusalem is totally different. Quite solemn. Sense of real history and uniformity in the buildings there which adds to the sense of an ancient place.

Israeli wine is also very good.

I was due to go later this year. I guess that’s not very likely now. 😢

I work with many Israeli’s and have been to Tel Aviv fairly often. As everyone has said, it’s amazing city and very modern and vibrant. It’s been a horrible few days thinking about everyone I’ve worked with and trying to get in touch with them. I spoke to a colleague on Monday who had her daughter sitting colouring with her and she was shell-shocked, is the only word that came to mind.

The country itself was good, lots of interesting sites to see all over.
The people, however, let it down. I found them blunt, condescending and rude. And arrogant.

I have also been overseas where Israelis are travelling (India, Bolivia, Nepal) and they seem to congregate with other Israelis in pubs or cafes and become loud, obnoxious and think they are the only ones that exist.

It put me off ever going back.

Which is a shame.

I saw many Ethiopian Jews in Tel Aviv, young and old.
They seem to blend into the life there alright.

I've travelled there for work. Everyone I met was very welcoming and open. The food was fantastic too (although the milk/meat divide in some restaurants takes a bit of getting used to). Tel Aviv is very cosmopolitan and has quite a young party vibe. But even in peaceful times there the bombed nightclub remains on the seafront are a sober reminder of the political backdrop.

Jaffa is impressive. Our hosts offered a tour of Jerusalem. I couldn't make it work with my flights but my colleagues that went said it was amazing.

As a lone female security at the airport was oppressive (the only successful airport security breach was by a lone woman).

Yes. The biblical archaeological sites are unparalleled. Truly mind blowing some of the sites and artefacts they have preserved and unearthed.

What is your point? If you saw me in a club or at a bar in Tel Aviv you would think « I fit in alright » doesn’t change the fact that in the one week I was there I was pulled away no less than 4 times for interrogation purposes (!) (some of them lasting for over an hour with armed personal), my last name was made fun of and my life/background picked apart and my hair (I have braids) & body thoroughly examined, and that when on my way back I was (of course) pulled from the line & made to go through « special security » the only people there were black people and people with an Arabic sounding last name.

Your message is like someone saying « I was discriminated against in England as a Muslim/Black person » and you saying « how strange I see plenty of black people and Muslims in London having a good time ». Hmm, yes not everyone is racist and yes, plenty of Israeli citizens (the majority likely) are fine and welcoming and if you saw me in Israel you wouldn’t have been able to tell from « seeing me on the street » what my experience was and had been like. My message was pointing at people who have the ability to treat you as such (aka security personnel, immigration officers, police officers and the else).

it’s frankly odd to think you can tell the experience of Ethiopian Jews from seeing them and while also failing to acknowledge that maybe them being Jewish changes things a big in a country like Israel where being Jewish is the norm and the most common bonding factor.

Anyhow, while most Israelis are fine and didn’t seem to have a problem with me the fact that authorities did, or were biased against me made my stay massively less enjoyable and as a result I do not recommend Israel as a destination to people who would feel similarly to me if put in the same situation. Even less so now, with what’s going on.

That's sad and strange. I went away with a group of about 30 black people (African) and didn't notice any such treatment. But of course I can't deny your experience.

Beautiful, great nightlife, friendly people, amazing food... also have an Iranian surname and had no discrimination

I have been to Israel and Palestine, AMA if you want to.

But you are by trying to imply that it’s « sad and strange » and bringing Jewish Ethiopian to counteract my experience.

in the end, I answered the OP and explained my stance. Maybe Jewish people of color will be and feel welcome but I am not Jewish (despite spending lots of time with Jewish folks and loving taking parts in the traditions and celebrations when invited to) and likely that does change things.

Anyway, I don’t know when you went (like I said my experience is recent) and I am glad you and your fellow Jewish African friends had fun but that simply wasn’t my experience and as a result my opinion of Israel is the one I have just described.

My very well travelled DD said it was the only country where she felt unwelcome, and she's been pretty much everywhere; she said she couldn't put her finger on it but would never go back. She's typically British looking, brown hair, fair skin so I don't think it was race related, she entered via Egypt and Jordan with a very reputable tour company.

This definitely describes Britain to a T.