Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with israel

Contemporary Israeli Fiction Filter: Recommendations?

devilsbrigade — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:39:39 -0800

Contemporary Israeli Fiction Filter: recommendations? I'm almost done reading Shammas' Arabesques, which I like, but isn't quite what I was after (the main characters are Christian Arab Israeli, and kind of deal with Israeli culture by, well.. ignoring it). I've already read a lot of Palestinian & Egyptian lit, and no other Israeli lit; I'd like something that focuses more on modern Israel, rather than other groups in Israel.

The only two other Israeli authors I know of are Meir Shalev & A.B. Yehoshua, which are my only leads at the moment. Any recommendations for particular books, or other authors? Modern, post-modern, whatever doesn't bother me.

For bonus points: any recent books from Levantine or Egyptian authors that aren't, er, very heavy? Not that it has to be cheerful, exactly, but the trend seems to be to write about impoverished, repressed, marginalized groups, oppressive or corrupt governments, etc., and after > 5 books like this I'd like to read something a bit different.

Documentaries on the Israel/Palestine conflict?

tybeet — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:03:37 -0800

Documentaries on the Israel/Palestine conflict? My partner is making her birthright trip to Israel soon, and she wants to know more about the conflict there: what it's like, the history of it, the politics, etc...

Have you seen any documentaries that you would recommend to someone who may already sympathize with the Palestinians?

Shalom, kitties!

pointystick — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:48:47 -0800

Asking for a friend: Does anyone know where to find authoritative information on requirments for pets moving to the USA from Israel? Asking for a friend: A US citizen & her Israeli spouse are moving back to the USA from Israel. They have 2 indoor cats who have had regular vet visits & certificates of good health. They have not had rabies shots as that is not required locally as they are indoor only.
Cat mom is panicking that she is not getting consistent information about what documents are required. The US embassy is saying rabies shots not required which seems odd. They don't have any info on quarantine. Who should they (the humans) call? What should they (humans again) read?

They are flying into Orlando next week.

Friend thanks the hivemind in advance!

How can I become an Israeli citizen?

nohat — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:57:28 -0800

My father is Jewish and my mother not. I was bar mitzvahed in a reform synagogue. What are my options for becoming an Israeli citizen? Is there any way I qualify for the right of return? How hard is it to get citizenship by naturalization compared to via right of return?

New career for 60+ info-tech entrepreneur/manager?

r0w — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:10:20 -0800

Demand is way down, and so my dad is closing down his software contracting company. He founded it in 1985, and has always been its primary manager and salesman, so he has no current programming skills. He is over 60, but can't afford to retire yet. What should he do now? He lives in the DC metro area, and many of his clients have been government contractors or telecommunications companies.

From the glowing testimonials the employees wrote for a "memory book" which they gave him, it seems that he has a unique and much-appreciated management style. They describe him and the corporate culture he created as scrupulously ethical, efficient, rational, transparent, putting employees first, and so on.

He's incredibly intelligent, hardworking and committed to tasks that he takes on.

His Myers-Briggs type is INTJ, but over his life he's worked very hard to aquire skills in sales, understanding others, and public speaking, none of which come easily to an Introverted Thinker.

He's also near-fluent in Hebrew and has a lot of handyman skills.

He knows he could get work as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor, but I think it's not really worthy of his abilities.

Are there organizations or career counselors that specialize in finding a new career when you're close to retirement age?

Is there a market for his management style, which inspired such employee loyalty that people turned down offers for much higher-paid jobs?

Should he look for work in the UK, where he was born, or in Israel, as well as in the DC area?

What fields of work will be most welcoming of his personality, which is about 1/2 English, 1/4 Asperger's-ish, and 1/4 rationalist non-conformist?

Any and all ideas are welcome--there's really no box to think inside for this situation.

What is being said in this photograph

fingerbang — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:14:53 -0800

Hebrewfilter. What does this text say or imply?

I need an international drivers license.. on the double!

nakleh — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:53:41 -0800

Has anyone from the US ever had to apply for an international drivers license? I'm a dummy and didn't realize it supposedly takes 4-6 weeks to get one! We learned from the DMV you MUST get them through AAA [which is weird, but whatever].

I'm leaving on August 14th for Israel [staying 8 days, want to rent a car for the entire stay there] / then off to Paris [staying 9 days, need to rent a car for 3] and don't have 4-6 weeks to wait. Can anyone offer some advice or personal experiences obtaining one? We found a few places online that say they can expedite for a fee, but they all look shady.

I live in NYC, and have a valid US drivers license. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!

Book concerning the origins of the Israeli state and it's conflict with Palestine

phrontist — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:11:25 -0800

What book should I read to get an understanding of the the current Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the history of the Israeli state? My ignorance is unparalleled.

Where did Zionism come from (I understand it's a heading some pretty diverse ideologies fall under)? Why was Israel set up the way it was? Who thought it needed to be a separate nation to begin with? To what extent did religious belief inform the various actor's decisions in the early post-war days (including the nominally secular leaders of allied powers after the war)? To what extent is the current conflict about religious belief?

If at all possible, I'd like something unbiased and reasonably academic (though readability takes presence over the latter). The ideal text would take me from the earliest proponents of Zionism, through the founding of the state, through it's first several decades of existence.

Looking for a 3D map of Israel

jcdill — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:57:15 -0800

Looking for a 3D map of Israel I'm looking for an illustration type of map, a view as if one were flying over the Mediterranean looking east at an elevation of about 10,000 feet. This illustration would show the relative elevation of major land areas in and around Israel. I'm trying to get a better understanding of how the geography of the region affects the politics. A traditional "flat map" doesn't show (for example) how the Golan Heights area looms over the land to the west and that hostile people and armies in that area endanger the safety of the people to the west (in Israel). I want to better understand the rest of the region's geography. Topographic maps aren't as useful (for me, for this purpose) as a 3D rendering.

Clues on Israeli superstition?

zadcat — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:06:45 -0800

Hints on Israeli superstitions? I am currently working for an Israeli guy in his thirties and have quietly been told by a third party that he's quite superstitious. For example, I am never to put my bag or purse on the floor, because so doing suggests one does not value one's possessions. And then today, I picked up one of those multi-color ballpoint pens that was lying around to take a few notes, and happened to start writing in red ink. He gasped, told me one NEVER writes in red ink, took the pen away from me and gave me a different one.

Granted he may have his own hangups, but I can only assume that, like anyone else, he's picked up some of these ideas from his own culture. Are there any other Israeli cultural taboos I should be careful of? (He doesn't seem to be especially religious, dresses very casually and has indicated I can also dress casually, and seems otherwise fairly down-to-earth. I'm not so much interested in taboos connected with Judaism as with the current culture in Israel.)

Trip Filter: Can't see it all, so help me decide

TravellingCari — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:01:59 -0800

What's not to be missed during nine days in Israel? Following this post we decided on and booked Israel from 16-26 July. We're working on what to see and do, but I wanted to run it past Hivemind for suggestions/ideas/etc. On the list so far in relative order of must-see:
*Tel Aviv (crash pad after landing)
*Jerusalem
*Eilat (to do Petra)
*Massada/Dead Sea
*Caesarea, Acre (Akko) & Rosh Hanikra
*Nazareth/Galilee
*Bethlehem
*Tiberias

We are, of course, using traditional trip planners, books, asking friends, but I wanted additional input. Anything we're missing? Anything that can/should wait for future trip? I know we're going to need to cut this down as there isn't enough time but we were time limited. We used the initial list as a brain storm. I've readthis thread but it's two years old and I thought there might be updates.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Clue Bats?

I've Got to Hear More of This!

konig — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:56:01 -0800

I've just discovered Kutiman on YouTube. Does anyone else come close to his mashup genius? He is an Israeli musician who apparently is new to his craft, but his work is awesome! The samples linked are of the R&B/Funk variety, not sure if he does anything else, but I love this stuff. If you know anyone else even close to being this talented, please advise. Listen to this and this and this. If this is the future of music, I am all aboard!

Israeli Birth Certificate woes

sapphirebbw — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:27:14 -0800

Can you get a copy of an Israeli Birth Certificate without having your Israeli ID number? Sorry for the long explanation.

My hubby was born in Israel in 1953. His father was an Israeli citizen and his mother Austrian. The family moved to Brazil when he was 2 yrs old. When he was 14 yrs old, his parents divorced, and he and his mom moved to the UK.

We are now going through the immigration process for him to live and work permanently in the US and need his Israeli birth certificate. The only existing copy of his birth certificate is back in England. A friend has looked for it but cannot find it. Hubby knows he can find it, but he is here and cannot leave without permission. We do plan to file for permission for him to travel, but we are trying to come up with a back up plan just in case he is denied permission or, otherwise, can't find the birth certificate.

He has emailed the Israeli Consulate and been told that they need his Israeli ID number in order to obtain a copy of his birth certificate. He didn't even know he had an Israeli ID number. They told him that the number was on his birth certificate.....and around and around we go! A helpful woman at immigration suggested he get in touch with the US Department of State to see if they could help out, so he did. They sent him back info on how to obtain a US birth certificate.

I might be wrong but I just do not believe that someone needing their Israeli birth certificate but not having their Israeli ID number is a unique situation. I also do not believe that desiring immigration but being unable to produce a birth certificate is a unique situation with US Immigration. He is planning on contacting the Israeli Consulate again next week, hoping to set up a meeting with someone.

FWIW, this is our second attempt at immigration. We had an expensive lawyer. The lawyer screwed up royally, and hubby's application for immigration was completely denied for not supplying the birth certificate. He had just been issued permission to travel which was promptly revoked with the denial. This all happened two days before he was supposed to leave . . . to get the birth certificate, as a matter of fact. Lawyer was promptly fired, and this time we are relying on ourselves and the services of a charitable organization which already seems to know more than the lawyer, who came with outstanding credentials, btw. We live and learn sometimes.....

Any advice on either getting the birth certificate or working around having to have it (legally, of course) would be much appreciated.

Why did Israel withdraw from Gaza on the eve of Obama's inauguration?

mqk — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:44:26 -0800

Why did Israel withdraw from Gaza on the eve of Obama's inauguration? I don't get it. I can see how Israel invading Gaza shortly before Obama takes over perhaps makes sense, if you're trying to force a declaration of alliance with Israel's interests from the US asap. But then why pull out right before? Isn't this allowing Obama's new administration to get off easy? Was Israel just trying to get a quick strike in before Bush leaves office?

What do Americans think of Israel now?

minicloud — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:54:21 -0800

Is American support for Israel waning because of the Gaza crisis? I have been trying to find recent polls or articles that reflect what Americans are thinking about the Israeli strikes on Gaza and the US's relationship with Israel in general. It seems to me that given the civilian toll, more people should be questioning whether Israel is justified in using such force to stop Hamas. In discussion threads on Change.gov such as this one people seem to be opposed to Israel's recent actions and think we should re-evaluate our aid to the country, but I haven't heard any news about radical shifts in American attitudes towards Israel.

full disclosure: I am an American Jew (though secular) and I am not supportive of Israel's behavior in this recent bout of fighting. I don't want this thread to turn into an argument or a debate on the issue of whether Israel is right or wrong here, I only want to know about what Americans in general are thinking.

Whose Gaza is it anyway?

parmanparman — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:37:46 -0800

Is Gaza considered a separate nation-state from the Palestinian Authority by the Israeli government? Israel is at war with Hamas, the militant group/political party that won elections in the Palestinian Authority a few years ago and then recently took control of Gaza in a military coup that routed Fatah militias and the Palestinian Authority's police. If both of those groups are not present in Gaza, doesn't that mean that Hamas has instituted a wholly separately Palestinian nation with a different political structure?

The West Bank is run by the Palestinian Authority and the Fatah Party. If Hamas runs Gaza, is it still a part of the Palestinian Authority? Or, is it considered by Israel to be a second Palestinian nation-state that is entirely separated from West Bank/Palestinian Authority? If Hamas is decimated in Gaza, who is the de facto head of state?

Take this money—it'll keep you safe.

ocherdraco — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:56:25 -0800

My friend is going to the West Bank next week. He's Jewish. I'm worried, but nothing I do is going to stop him. My roommate told me about a tradition in the Jewish community where travelers are given money to give to charity at the end of their journey, with the idea that the intention to do good will protect them on their way. Tomorrow, I'm going to send my friend some money and tell him to give it to charity—when he gets back to the States. What other things can I send with the money, to let him know that I really care about him before he goes to this really dangerous place, or that might help him while he's there? Until tonight, I didn't know that his trip to Israel was really going to be a trip to the West Bank. Part of me wants to say "don't go!" but I'm certain that will be a wasted effort—the worries of his parents, whom he loves more than anyone, haven't seemed to do anything to change his mind. The main reason he's going is to make sure his brother (the primary proponent of the trip) won't do anything really stupid, and to decide, once they're in Israel, whether or not they're risking too much by trying to go into the West Bank.

Basically, I feel like there's a much higher chance than normal in the next few weeks that this close friend of mine is going to die, and I want to make sure he knows how important he is to me and how much I love him before he leaves for this trip, given that telling him not to go isn't going to get me anywhere. Giving him the money is just a talisman, I know, but when I feel powerless to change the situation, gestures like this seem a lot more meaningful.

Should I cancel my travel to Istanbul?

Manouk — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:11:15 -0800

I'm jewish (non israeli) and in 3 weeks I'll be travelling from israel to Istanbul for 3 days. Should I reconsider for security reasons in view of Gaza's events?

What should I get for a coworker moving to Israel?

kittyprecious — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:36:00 -0800

Office Gift Filter: My senior coworker, who has been something of a mentor for the past year, is about to move back to Israel to care for his parents for the next two years. What would be a good "best-wishes" kind of gift? We're in DC. He's late-30s, married with two small kids, not really religious (and I espcially don't think anything Hanukkah-themed is appropriate in this case). We've talked a good deal about Middle East politics and current events, but apart from that and his family I haven't really learned much about his interests.

I was thinking something in the $20-30 range, but really have no idea what. And "moleskine" is not the answer to every gift question.

New Year's Eve in Jerusalem?

ericbop — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:51:55 -0800

I'm excitedly returning to Israel for the first time since I lived in Jerusalem for a year in the mid-nineties. I'm co-leading an intergenerational synagogue trip in a few weeks, and I'd love any recommendations.

-New Year's Eve in Jerusalem? (We're staying at the Mt. Zion hotel, near the Liberty Bell Garden). Any happening places in the Russian Quarter? Nice restaurants downtown that would have a New Year's celebration (I know it's not a holiday in Israel, but still...)

-Shabbat afternoon in Tel Aviv (we're staying at the Marriott Renaissance, on the beach). Are restaurants, museums or shops generally open or closed on Shabbat?

Thanks for your help!

Said's last word

anonymous78 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:25:46 -0800

Where can I find Edward Said's last position vis-a-vis a one-state/two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? I'm ONLY interested in links to articles he wrote on the topic between 2002 and 2003 so please spare me personal opinions and/or summaries of his ideas.

Identify these maps

bru — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:43:47 -0800

What are the countries, provinces or states shown in this image? There is Israel twice, unknown, Alberta and unknown (could be California + Cascadia but I am not sure).

Bonus question: this might be just a mysterious work of art but it looks like a riddle. There are some kind of city grids as background spelling (I think) THEFT so the riddle must be political and probably anti US. I don't see what is being stolen in Alberta (oil sands are handsomely bought).

Category: I suppose that "geography" fits inside "science & nature", right?

Volunteer/work/study programs for toursits in Israel?

alona — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:44:04 -0800

Things for a Canadian teen to do in Israel? (lots and lots more inside) My friend is 17. He's out of high school already and killing time for the next few months. He is here from Canada and did a two-week Sar-El volunteer program, and he's looking for something to do for the next little while (either work, volunteer or study) to keep himself occupied. His Hebrew is very, very basic. We've looked at several ulpans but most of them are either religious, summer-only, or extremely expensive (one in Netanya looked great but it's 5,000 USD if he wants to board and almost 2,000 if he's just studying there.)
I also know there are many websites dedicated to volunteer programs in Israel but the ones that take place right now are mostly 18+ and the ones that are open to younger people generally take place in the summer.

Any help would be appreciated! Phone numbers, websites, general ideas or anything else.

תודה רבה על העזרה :) אנחנו ממש תקועים בלי רעיונות...

what made ancient canaan special?

minicloud — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:36:42 -0800

Why was Canaan/Palestine/Israel such desired territory in ancient times? I'm talking before Jerusalem became an important holy site. Is it just because the area was situated between other important civilizations and was therefore a trading hub? It doesnt seem like it was exactly rich in natural resources. Also, why did Jerusalem end up being the capitol of the Kingdom of Israel instead of someplace like Jaffa which seems to be a more convenient location for trade?

Should I take a chance on my last chance?

missjamielynn — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:40:35 -0800

Has anyone been on the Israel Birthright trip? I'm turning 26 in November, so this would be my last chance to take this trip. I'm not religious at all, but the free trip is tempting and I think I would like to check out Israel. I'm on the fence because of the current political climate and I'd be going solo. I would love to hear feedback from those who have participated. Was it worth it?