Cassiopaean Sandbox > Travelogues

Tel-aviv, Israel

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j0da:
I've just got an offer to relocate to Israel, Tel-aviv, to work on one year contract. The offer is interesting enough to ponder on it a little. While there are many pages and blogs to look into I'd love to hear some impressions from SOTT forum members.

Anyone living there, or been there for a while? Or maybe someone knows some web-pages, blogs worthy reading, which would help me to get an idea how everyday life looks like, how are the people and so on?

Taking into consideration present geo-political situation relocating to Israel can look like going into the "Lion's mouth", but maybe it's not exactly correct assumption? There are also so many prevalent stereotypes regarding Jews in my country, that although I try to think in objective terms my opinions have high probability of being skewed to bigger or lesser degree. I'd be most gratefull for any feedback. (I hope I posted in in the right section.)

Heimdallr:
Geez, I wouldn't go there!  Do you realize that Israel operates under essentially a military state?  That the military can go in and take anyone they wish without recourse or due process?  Regardless of whether or not this may happen to you, why would you want to go to a place that is so dehumanizing to people?  

And on top of this, the entire area is a powder keg waiting for the fuse to be lit.  If your survival depends upon taking this job, then maybe, maybe consider it.  Otherwise I would turn down this opportunity.  

I know there are a few members from that area that could offer a little better insight into the state of the region as well.

just my 2 pennies

anart:

--- Quote from: Joda ---Taking into consideration present geo-political situation relocating to Israel can look like going into the "Lion's mouth", but maybe it's not exactly correct assumption?
--- End quote ---
Or, maybe, it is exactly the correct assumption.  In all honesty, I would not even vaguely consider moving anywhere near this area.  Not only are all indications pointing toward major conflict and destruction in the near future, but the environment as a whole seems to be completely ponerized.  I'm sure others can provide more details, but it would seem that moving to Israel could very well be suicide at this point in time.

rs:
I had to travel to Haifa on business for a week about 10 years ago.  Since then things have changed radically, I'm sure.

My observation is that the tension in the air is so thick you can cut it with a knife.  It is overwhelming, and like the summer humidity in Houston Texas, it envelops you in a way that you cannot escape it.

It is hard to fully describe and it has after all been 10 years but having been there once for only a week, I will never set foot in Israel again, for any reason.

The building I went in had a sign in the lobby for employees to check in their guns at the front desk.  This check in proceedure was not an idle commentary, it was an actuality.  People walked into the building and checked in their Glock like it was nothing.

There were a bunch of us from the US and our hosts treated us to some recreation when we first arrived.  Our lead host got out of the car, grabbed his 9mm and shoved it into his belt.  It freaked me out.

On the street clusters of fully armed soldiers are not just a common occurance, they are simply part of the landscape.

You can easily tell the difference between the Jewish Israelis and the Arab Israelis, as easily as if they were wearing arm bands.

Every meeting with the local work force *always* degenerated into a passionate and loud argument with the Israel participants defaulting to Hebrew leaving the Americans out-of-the-loop.  It is not that these people hated each other, it is simply how they resolved conflict.  By fighting.  After a loud passionate heated argument, at the end of the meeting they would get up, go to the coffee machine, get a cup of coffee and talk about their weekend plans.  You might be seeing interviews of Israelis after bomb attacks waving their arms in the air, screaming and yelling.  I guarantee you that 5 seconds after the cameras turn off, their whole demeanor changes and they go back to talking about their weekend plans.

The hatred expressed by many of the Israeli Jews towards the Palestinians makes the race problems in the Southern states during the "separate but equal" and lynch mob phase in American history seem tame.  This is true regardless of educational background.

If you go, plan on one of two outcomes:

1) you will "disconnect" and bury yourself in your work, working 16 hours a day just to escape.
2) the strain will rapidly cause you to go nuts and you will default on your contract.

Our company sent a whole group of people to Haifa for a year.  Nobody "liked" it and almost everyone defaulted to option 1 except for one woman who used her pregnancy as an excuse to bail out early.  Also interestingly, everyone got into a serious automobile accident.

Since 10 years ago I can only imagine that the emotional environment has become significantly worse.

Puck:
I've been to israel once, in march of 2001, and i saw more auto accidents then i've seen anywhere else. rs' comment reminded me.

Other then that, trust your gut, do what you feel you need to do in order to grow that said,  Yes the area is a powder keg with a lit fuse, and No i do not reccomend moving there. :-)

Where's Keit at?

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