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

Yes a couple of times . It’s lovely , I prefer Tel aviv too . Food is great . People where all lovely

I went for work some years ago. Was there about 6 weeks, hosted in 2 separate places by 2 local families, so not a tourist experience.

I would never go back.

I stayed with an Israeli Arab family in an ostensibly well integrated area in north-west Israel where people say how happily the Jews live alongside the Arabs. I will never be able to forget the day I took my host family’s kids for a walk to the beach - a public beach - where I was screamed at to “get those filthy animals away from my kids” by an otherwise normal seeming middle-aged woman. “Those animals” were the two little Arab Israeli children I had with me, one just 6 years old, the cutest, sweetest children you could imagine. That illustrates my time there, it was not a one off. A British colleague who is of Pakistani heritage was constantly harassed and stopped and searched by the police because of her appearance, and had a very difficult time even getting through airport security on arrival.

The old town of Acre was stunning, the old part of Nazareth was lovely, the Sea of Galilee was beautiful; but the violence of the hatred against people whose only “fault” is to be Arab eclipsed all that for me, and I’d never, ever go back.

Yes, aged about 15 with my parents. We went to Christian holy sights, Yad Vashem, Jordan and the Dead Sea. I loved it, but remember being nervous about the check points and my mum (who knows a lot about Israel and Palestine and set up her own charity relating to it - and received an MBE for her work) was quite firm about some rules and it made me realise how serious it all was, in the mid-90s.

Yes, I agree - the Jewish people I know don't seem to share a "look" and I definitely don't mean to imply that. I can also see that I've been a bit flippant about a potentially loaded subject.

When I say that "apparently I look super Jewish" I mean that people in Israel (and some people I've subsequently met elsewhere) would automatically assume I"m Jewish, start speaking to me in Hebrew, etc. The same thing has happened with my siblings.

I don't actually know what it is about our appearance that triggers this. The closest I get to it is that sometimes I see a character on TV and think "oh, he really looks like Dad!" and then it turns out that he's playing the Israeli ambassador or something.

@Mooshamoo What are your thoughts OP now that posters have given you an insight?

Wouldn’t it be lovely if all the horrible stuff that happens to Israeli Arabs and Palestinians was made up… sadly, it is real. And that’s what I saw and experienced. The Arabs very much don’t “blend in” and their lives are seriously restricted.

I don’t know why you think I would have made it up?

Was about to book a trip for October when it started to look a little dicey. I've always wanted to go. And then this. I have a friend in Tel Aviv who advised against it a few weeks ago. She has friends who were at the music festival. So awful.

went almost 30 years ago to work on a kibbutz with a friend - based near Sea of Galilee - it was a great experience to meet people, and see how a kibbutz works. It was something that lots of young people did when we first travelled (cheap and safe way of going to another country, and then with friends that you met, travelling to Turkey , Greece et) Absolutely loved Jerusalem as a place, so much history.

I went 30 years ago and travelled around staying in Kibbutz Guest Houses. I loved it.

I worked on a kibbutz for a few months and loved it. People were lovely to us even though we were a bit useless! Travelled all over and loved the history, food, nightlife. Swimming in the Dead Sea is very cool. Stayed at the uni in Jerusalem and met excellent students - bright, fun (and handsome 😉). I would love to go back one day.

This is based on my husband who lived there for a year working with UN around 2001.

A nice place with beautiful architecture. Food is good. Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa are great places. KEin Gedi is like oasis.

At least some kibbutzes are built on the sites of "depopulated" Palestinian villages from the 1930s: There's a rather chilling documentary called "Tantura" that talks about one man's attempts to uncover the events in one village: full version is available on DailyMotion

I went as a student. Jerusalem is beautiful. I spent two weeks in East Jerusalem with friends staying on the roof of a hostel as we had very little money. The owner was an anthropologist and would talk about Palistinian culture. We also chatted to a seller of historical clothing and discuss the importance of embroidery (Tatreez). Also, made friends with a young Palistinian boy who would talk about his families struggles.

We also spent time with the Israeli Antiquity Authority on a dig on a kibbutz. But they weren't friendly as they didn't want the dig to take place on their land. 4.30 am starts weren't much fun, so we moved on to Sinai after two weeks.

It’s a fabulous country full of amazing sites and history. The food is great. Tel Aviv is very modern and chilled - a city with a beach. The hotels are very good. In parts of Jerusalem, where the ultra Orthodox live, you are expected to dress demurely. Arabs and Jews live alongside each other in peace and harmony. We had one stay in Abu Gosh which is a Christian Arab village.I’ve been three times and plan to take DD.

Arabs and Jews live alongside each other in peace and harmony.

@Rocknrollstar have you seen the news at all over the past 10 months? This is demonstrably untrue!

That poster is presumably referring to Arab Israelis, rather than Palestinians.

Never been. Have friends in Tel Aviv. Have really wanted to go for many years and nearly went in 2018 but the person I was going to travel with fell ill. Now doesn’t seem like the optimal moment. Very sad.

I would disagree that they live in peace and harmony.

www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-know-about-arab-citizens-israel

I've found this thread really informative. Overall opinions seem extremely positive and where previously I hadn't given much thought to it as a destination, now I really want to go. It sounds magical.

I went many years ago and it was great. Great nightlife, lots to do.

I’ve been twice, a good friend used to live in Tel Aviv and I stated there both times, great city, lovely beaches, great bars & restaurants.

I visited Jerusalem which is amazing, the Sea of Galilee and went to the Jaffa side of Tel Aviv. I’d have gone again had she not moved back to the UK.

At the time the only reminder of the issues in the region was that I’d have liked to have visited Bethlehem, but as it involved crossing a border it was advised against so we just left it.

I went nearly 20 years ago. It was an educational study visit based at Yad Vashem (the Holocaust museum). Mainly stayed in Jerusalem, just an amazing place with so much history. I would love to go back and travel more.

Surely the tourism to Israel is over for the foreseeable? I think most flights even stopped? Would love to go back one day but won’t be for a long time