addendum: I read that the exemption of the ultra orthodox was now considered unconstitutional, but there are several exemptions: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exemption_from_military_service_in_Israel
https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/The-myth-of-compulsory-military-service-in-Israel-569779 mentions that Arab Israelis and ultra-Orthodox are exempt and make up about 30% of the Israeli population. It also mentions that “The enlistment rate among Israelis who are obligated to serve has plummeted from 75% to less than 50% in only 20 years”, so that “35% of the Israeli population carries the burden” of mandatory military service.
Ok…I’ll put it out there. If someone is going on a tour in Israel, would they have an Arab tour guide?
These tour companies are not interested in having their patrons get hurt or whatever. That wouldn’t be good for future business, would it? I would guess that they know the lay of the land, and are very cognizant of issues that might surface…and can deal,with them.
oops duplicate post, but would nonetheless prefer to get back on topic.
Apparently, there is a market for Arabic-speaking tour guides in Israel, some of whom appear to be Arab:
Why would an Arab Israeli tour guide be necessarily more dangerous, if that is what you are implying?
I never said an Arab guide would be more dangerous. Please don’t put words in my mouth @ucbalumnus
What I said was that tour companies are careful, and take care of their patrons.
I never…never mentioned the nationalities of the companies, because frankly that doesn’t matter.
ETA…I’m sure there is a market for Arab speaking guides…but how many folks traveling from the United States to Israel are looking for Arab speaking guides? Unless they are bilingual English.
Sooo… back to topic, assuming a group has the tour guide of their choice, any specific additional recommendations in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, etc?
In terms of the concerns people have raised: You never know when or where a terrorist event will happen. Would tourists to lower Manhattan on 9/11/2001 have expected what happened? And violence has happened unexpectedly in many places in the United States and elsewhere. The training of your tour leader won’t matter for certain types of violence. There is risk whether you travel or stay home. Unless the U.S. has issued a travel advisory warning against visiting a country due to imminent war or other problems, in which case you should stay away, all you can do is pick a place you want to visit and hope for the best. You can’t live your life in fear. Just be as alert to your surroundings as you can, while living your life and doing the things you want to do.
When my in-laws brought us on a trip to Israel to meet our relatives a few years ago, I was apprehensive before going, but really Israel feels pretty quiet and normalized these days. And Israelis take security seriously. You’ll see plenty of security checks and soldiers around. The biggest risk is probably sunburn. Use sunblock and wear a hat!
@jym626 , have a wonderful trip! Israel is a beautiful and exciting place to visit.
I hope you get some more advice on this thread about where to visit; you’ve seen mine in an earlier post in this thread. Having just seen your latest post, I recommend in Jerusalem:
View from the YMCA tower
Yad Vashem (Holocaust museum)
Pedestrian part of Ben Yehuda street and also Mechaneh Yehuda market for casual dining and strolling
Old City: Hurva Square, Western Wall, Temple Mount (if calm), the Muslim souk (market), Via Dolorosa, roof of Austrian hospice, Church of the Holy Sepulchre
View from Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane
Ammunition Hill and the cool museum there with an inspiring lighted 3-D map/movie about the 1967 war
In Tel Aviv, we mostly spent time at our relatives’ home, so I will leave the recommendations to others.
@privatebanker , whether your family ultimately chooses to visit Israel or another wonderful destination, enjoy your trip as well.
Thanks, @TheGreyKing. Hoping the only thing that gets hijacked is this thread (i’d insert the tongue sticking out emoji here if we still had emojis available!)
If you can get to Masada, do it! The Dead Sea and Ein Gedi are along the way. I drove there with DH. No problems, but we are used to doing that sort of thing. Masada has a nice hostel (we had our room and bath) and a buffet dinner, which was some of the best food we had in Israel. A friend of mine was just there and got a driver/guide for the day to see Masada. Cost was about $250. Can ask her for more info.
Independence Museum in Tel Aviv. We loved the Eucalyptus Restaurant in Jerusalem. Chef uses Biblical ingredients and came to our table several times to discuss. It was a worthy splurge.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Let’s assume that the OP has done due diligence and has reviewed State Dept warnings.She did not ask about military requirements, or who is exempt from military requirements, or the general political environment in Israel. Please review her question and answer accordingly (or refrain from answering)
edited to add. just noticed that the OP asked this question last year. For future reference, old threads should be used for research, but should not be bumped. It’s better to just start a new thread. Since jym has gotten some feedback, I’ll not split the thread this time.
I’ll offer some more Tel Aviv ideas. Go to the boardwalk and enjoy swimming and people watching. You could walk all the way to Jaffa and explore the old city and the galleries there. My favorite places to eat in that area are Ali Karavan, the old one on Dolphin street in Jaffa, for hummus, and Manta Ray on the beach for sea food and watching a sunset. Ali Karavan has been there forever and serves just hummus. No menu. Fight for a seat (or sit outside on the wall) and order plain hummus, hummus masabacha ( my fave), or hummus fool (with those big beans). Cheap eats. Manta Ray is fancier. There is a written menu and plenty of English. If you like to swim, there is a wonderful 50m seawater fed swimming pool near the Hilton. Also good for people watching. There are coffee shops on the beach, including a local chain and I am drawing a blank on the name, but next to that big pool.
The Diaspora Museum on the campus of the U of TA is nice as is Independence Hall, mentioned above. Walking around on Rothschild Blvd at night with the cool, young people is fun. Lots of new places to eat. This is a great time to eat in TA. The kids go on big trips after their military service and come back with all kinds of interesting food fusion ideas.
The old TA train station has been renovated and is nice, as has the northern part of the pier of TA. Lots of people watching and good places to eat. (Hmm, the train station in Jerusalem has also been renovated and is nice to visit.) The area near the Central Command in TA, Sharona, has new restaurants and stores, but many of the shops are big chains. Locals go there, but you may prefer the food to the shopping as a visitor.
Safety? If you are with a guide, you will be kept safe. It doesn’t feel as unsafe as the news would lead you to believe. Just walking around late at night, you will likely feel safer than at home. If something unexpected happens, your guide will tell you what to do or follow the lead of the locals. (I was in Israel for the last few wars.)
People are more abrupt and less good at standing in lines. That was a bigger hurdle for me. Kind of like in Italy or China.
So the escalation in rockets fired to/from Israel in recent days is a bit unsettling. Still planning to go, but…
I thought of you when I read about it.
Finally starting to pack. Checking weather in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Herzeliya and wherever the kibbutz is (Hotel Lavi). Itinerary includes: Independence Hall, Tzevet, Haganah Museum, Latroun, underground bullet factory, Weitzman Institute, Mount of Olives, Mt Zion, Room of last supper/King Davids tomb, the Old City, Bethlehem, Yad Vashem, National Memorial Center, Davidson Center, Western Wall, Dead Sea, Tomb of Patriarch, Naharyia, Gallilee, Kfar Nahum, Tiberias, hoe of Donna Gracia, Golan Heights, Mitxpeh Shalom, Mt Bental, Sfat, Misgav Am, Nazareth, Church of the Annunciation, Haifa, (view of Baha’i gardens). Not sure of al of these are stops, and we will be a big group of middle aged and older, so… who knows.
Thoughts?
@jym626, how long is your trip or did I miss that earlier in the thread? I ask because your itinerary is very ambitious. My S lived in Israel for 2 years (got his MA at Tel Aviv University) and my D worked in Tel Aviv the summer of the last Gaza War. Made me crazy, but she made friends with the other tenants as they waited out the bomb alerts. She sent pictures of Iron Dome exploding rockets high over the city…she thought it was funny, me, not so much. Seriously, although I’m sure the current situation is a little disconcerting, they handle it well there and I wouldn’t worry any more now than usual.
It’s a great itinerary - you will have a wonderful time! It will be fascinating to be there around the time of an election. And you will be totally safe in all those places. I guarantee you you’re safer there (simply as an empirical, statistical matter) than walking around many U.S. cities. Have a fantastic trip!
If you wanted to wear a tallit to the Wall, I would give that a second thought. The ultra-Orthodox are vehemently opposed to women wearing them. I almost took mine in 2012 and didn’t only because it’s all hand-embroidered and I didn’t want to lose it. Had no idea of the controversy until I got home afterwards.
Take a long, light scarf – most houses of worship expect women to cover their heads/shoulders. A long skirt is also useful, esp in Jerusalem. Some women wear pants, but I felt l looked less like a tourist if I had my shoulders covered and was wearing a skirt. Things are much less circumscribed in Tel Aviv. In Ukraine, the Orthodox cathedrals require skirts and headscarves and they will give you a wraparound skirt if what you’re wearing isn’t appropriate to their standards. I bought a lovely white lace scarf there last summer and may turn it into a Yom Kippur tallit one of these days.
Thanks, @CountingDown , @runnersmom, @GoodPoint, @Lizardly, @TheGreyKing et al. We will be there for 10 days, and thanks to the wonders of compression packing cubes, I have fit everything in carry-on! DH will fall over when he gets home and sees this!
Funny you should mention a skirt, @CountingDown. I was thinking about it but was ambivalent, but its perfect to take in my smaller carry-on if somehow I get separated from my rollerboard (I have one change of clothes in that smaller bag). So thanks for that- its now packed. I have heard about the issues at the wall, so am not bringing a tallit. I have a long scarf and various sweaters and jackets as I get cold and the temps look quite variable. I assume all the hotels will have hairdryers so am not bringing one, but I did buy a small travel flat iron that says it will change voltage automatically (that will be great if it actually works.) I have all sorts of plug adapters. Is there anywhere I will be better off in a skirt than pants or leggings and a tunic thing
@CountingDown - de we need an advance reservation for the Eucalyptus restaurant?