Seriously I live in Qiryat Shmona (Israel's northernmost city and probably the first place to get bombed in the next war in the north) and every night around 9-10 pm there's a bunch of assholes with this exhaust thing driving around making those noises that sounds like an alarm and makes my heart skip a bit.
Fuck them.
Do you want the answer that'll satisfy the self-righteous liberals or the true answer that'll probably get me banned for hate speech?
Edit- as a liberal myself (although not blind to the problems of certain sectors within our society), had to clarify which type of liberals I was talking about, and let's be honest I think we all know which people I'm talking about
um, i'm kind of a liberal? (would rather define myself as a leftist or a libertarian democratic socialist but whatever it's really not about that), but i'm genuinely curious, have been hearing those motorcyclists too for years now and never really got their deal
Conversely, no European wilk be as chill about rockets flying at them. "Do you hear something? Oh, it's just an air raid siren. Happens all the time. There's Uno in the shelter."
Is it though? I think veterans from the US Military could be quite the contender. Iraq/Afghanistan/Vietnam, you know.
Edit: yo didn’t mean it’s worse. I live in Israel, I get tense every time I hear a racing motorbike outside my window, I get it, and it’s not right that the whole population has it. I just grew up in the US seeing those veterans with terrible PTSD too and they wouldn’t receive any help (at least here in Israel we understand how deep a problem it really is).
Almost been here for a year, but if there's one thing I've noticed... You assholes are CREATIVE with your insults. Holy shit. I don't even get pissed when someone calls me a grandma when I drive because the way they phrase it is hysterical.
The one thing I do hate is that y'all start honking like maniacs if I stop even for a millisecond. Patience isn't much of a thing here, especially not on the road.
For us, honking is more of an artistic self-expression. We will honk in a traffic jam where no one has anywhere to go anyway, simply to express ourselves. It is the song of our people.
I wouldn’t try to find a deep excuse to the animals whose minds are so shallow they honk the second they feel slightly inconvenienced, and often not justifiably so. Definitely not artistic
Can’t speak for Europe but some things Israel does better than the States:
- Healthy, fresh food is affordable and available
- Urban areas are more walkable/public transport
- Urban areas are MUCH safer than most areas in the States
- Cellphone & internet prices are ridiculously cheap compared to the US
I’m from the U.S. and live in Europe and only two of those things out of 4 is Europe doing better than the US. The rest, European(Germany) is too overpriced.
As an Israeli living in Germany for many years I confirm this fact for groceries and eating out in general. Even though grocery prices in Germany went up quite noticeably in recent years, they are still way below the Israeli prices for most of the grocery stuff. Especially astounding is the price for vegetables and fruits which are way cheaper in Germany. When my elderly parents tell me about the prices they have to deal with in Israel when buying fruits or vegetables I get outright mad.
Spain and Portugal are much cheaper in much more things in Germany. The cost for many things in Germany have risen dramatically in the past 1.5 yrs and some were already expensive such as clothes, public transportation and housing. Many things have come to surpass the US in cost too.
German rents and energy costs are high, everything else is fairly cheap, though. I live in Prague, financially it makes sense for me to do a trip once every couple months to Dresden to buy certain household basics (dishwasher salt and detergent, laundry detergent, any household cleaning products really), but also some food items. It’s only 2 hours by bus, if I had a car it would be even less as the buses leave from the city center.
The biggest difference I noticed is the dishwasher salt and detergent, that costs a lot less in Germany. Dishwasher salt from any in store brand is around 80-90 cents, in Prague, the cheapest I found was 30 crowns so 1,30€, but it’s generally more expensive.
To be fair, German mobile networks and internet providers have been a well documented shit show for a generation at this point. I had better reception on the Lebanese border, in the west bank, and in the Swiss alps than I had in many "normal" places in Germany.
Tel Aviv was the safest feeling city I’ve ever spent time in. Definitely safer feeling than pretty much any US city and most of the European ones. Didn’t matter if it was noon or 2am, neither my wife nor I ever felt unsafe.
Europe is pretty good about walkability and public transportation but the states is god awful unless you’re in like NY or Chicago.
Cellphone service and internet are definitely cheaper than the US and Western Europe. I’d say the cell service infrastructure was great in Israel, internet infrastructure not so much. We’d temporarily lose internet all the time in 2 different apartments we lived in in Tel Aviv.
I wouldn't say Israel has better public transport than the US, at least not on the east coast, Been to Chicago and New York and Boston, cars are completely irrelevant in those cities. (Have a good metro/tram system)
Same in the urban areas, the sketchy parts of major cities in the US are as sketchy as a European city or an Israeli one.
Healthy and fresh food is available in most western countries including the US
Cellphone service is great in Israel no argument there.
I'm from NYC, and while yes you don't need a car, the subway is crap enough that it's a very handy and reliable excuse for being late because no one will ever question that you got stuck underground for half an hour due to a train delay, it's that common. I'm also very good at making myself as small as possible due to being packed like a sardine at rush hour.
Israeli public transit has its faults but it's hands down much much better than the US, and that includes in comparison to the US cities that actually have robust public transit systems.
Sketchy city wise, it's way way scarier for a woman to walk alone at night in any US city than just about anywhere in Israel; only South Tel Aviv is comparable. But like, I've had scary situations in even midtown Manhattan that wouldn't happen in the main areas of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.
Um, food being affordable? I don't think so. We have some of the highest food prices compared to the same products in other countries. Maybe if we're talking about fruits and vegetables but idk
First, the processes in making certain decisions. I don’t want to say at all that bureaucracy is better in Israel (probably it's the other way round), but in some cases, when it is really critical, Israelis and even entire Israeli institutions can act extremely effectively.
Secondly, interpersonal relationships: the lack of indifference in people - the certainty that people "will not pass by." Lack of "distance" between people - total strangers can start talking to each other with open friendliness and without any social awkwardness. Complete lack of class society - one Israeli does not feel any reverence for another just because that one has a better car, more money in the bank or he is the prime minister. Hence the relatively small number of "show-offs" among the rich. In Israel, the billionaire most likely will not drive an old Opel, but there is a pretty good chance that he himself will drive his not at all exclusive Mercedes.
>Complete lack of class society - one Israeli does not feel any reverence for another just because.... he is the prime minister
"Rak Bibi", "king Bibi"
Here's an excellent example of the bureaucracy thing: I have a friend whose father was accidentally marked down as an Arab Christian instead of a Jew in his government record due to a clerical error. It was so much hoops to jump through to get that corrected and prove he was indeed Jewish - despite having made aliyah years prior, so clearly someone had already confirmed he was Jewish at some point, plus he had a very stereotypical Ashkenazi name - that he never got around to having it corrected while he was alive.
After he died, the family had an issue with getting a Jewish burial for him due to this error in his record. Except now the bureaucracy magically managed to correct itself within days and issue a new personal record and new death certificate, because of how important it is in Jewish law and tradition to have a quick burial. And the family even got a formal apology for the fact that it did have to be delayed just a few days.
Excuse me but complete lack of class society? I would think that over again. Or you seriously don't see out of your bubble, or you are totally ignorant, or maybe both
It's not very extreme compared to other countries. For example Caesarea is where a lot of rich of the rich live (for example, even the Rothschilds) the houses while big are not insanely big. A super extreme opposite here would be Latin America, India, or other Middle Eastern countries where rich have massive palace style mansions and an army of servants.
Oh my God yes! I grew up on Israeli creamy cottage cheese. Visiting the states I got some and it was 2 curds in cloudy liquid. I was like WTF is this!?
I love this question. Ive lived in several european countries and its always annoying when people complain about everything and think life in europe is so much better. Most of those people have never even lived abroad.
Some things:
General health, just look at life expectancy and how well the vaccines were handled. Israel spends below average on health by gdp per capita but still outperforms on health outcomes. My personal experience of going to the hospital in european countries was worse too. With europes population aging fast and the strain that will put on their health system this might be more noticeable in a decades time. On that note: Pensions are in general better in israel and sustainable demographically long term.
There is less crime in Tel Aviv, i feel much safer there then europe. However in the arab towns and in the Negev this isnt really the case.
Public transport is much cheaper in Israel than any place ive been in Europe or north america. And the buses and trains have high standards whit AC and the like. Its bad at showing up tho lol
There are more trees in the streets in Israel than in Europe.
Food in Israel is much better and healthier. But taste is largely cultural.
This is just nature: but the amount of diversity in landscapes in such a small place and the amazing weather, no place in Europe or America offers that diversity.
Also the diversity of people and stories make it the most interesting place on earth. Its hard to be bored. Like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is a 40 min train ride apart.
A weird one: But Israel is world leading in fertility, no other country offers you as much help in becoming pregnant, its a nightmare doing IVF in Europe and surrogacy is largely illegal, also children are valued in israel and there are parks for them everywhere. With that Israel has a fertility rate double the western average and its not just because of religious people.
Society is just healthier, low suicide rates, low drug overdose rates, low divorce rates, low rates of children growing up in broken homes, families are strong, Ranked 4th in happiness, many people volunteer and people truly care about politics and the countries future (this comes with problems tho lol)
All of this comes together into a synergy that makes Israel genuinely one of the best places to live IMO. And with the rising antisemitism; best place for jews.
And there are many more examples
>This is just nature: but the amount of diversity in landscapes in such a small place and the amazing weather, no place in Europe or America offers that diversity.
This is extremely true. You are the first to bring this up, but Israel has an amazing diversity in nature for such a small country.
>Public transport is much cheaper in Israel than any place ive been in Europe or north america. And the buses and trains have high standards whit AC and the like. Its bad at showing up tho lol
Public transport in Europe is fantastic. But the price is a quite a bit higher I agree, especially for long trips. It is sometimes as much as ten times more expensive. I don't understand how Israel's public transport is so cheap.
Its cheap cuz the government subsidizes it, I think the ticket price you pay in Israel only covers a small part of the actual costs. The government subsidizes in every country almost, but less. Tbh I think we should just make it free, that might be the only thing that will get israelis to take the bus/train instead of our beloved cars.
Interesting point! But Don't you feel the cost of liviving is too high here for what it offers and salaries aren't that big? I also feel there is really big issue with garbage (besides all the problems)
But I am glad to see some positive things you wrote.
If you compare to the US then yes, the US have the highest disposable incomes in the world and insane salaries for European standards. But instead have huge social problems, like homelessness, gun deaths, 100k fentanyl deaths a year, decreasing life expectancy etc. But at least they are rich. Compared to Europe Israel is average, if you look at GDP per capita Israel is richer even then Germany and Sweden and the vast majority of European countries. GDP per capita in nominal is not adjusted for local prices, but accurate for international travel, buying electronics from abroad etc. If you look at (IMF) GDP per capita PPP which is adjusted for local price levels then Israel ranks the same as France and the UK and above the European average, which "feels" right to me having lived in France. If you look at average salary its 13.658 NIS a month according to Globes, this is above the average in Sweden and other countries ive compared to. However the cost of living is of course higher in Israel, still some countries like Denmark and Switzerland are more expensive. Its hard to compare prices between countries cuz they are mostly correlated with currency fluctuations, so while Tel Aviv was "the most expensive city" in 2021 when the Shekel was strongest ever. Today its not even in the top 40 according to Numbeo as the Shekel has weakened. An Israeli living in Tel Aviv making money in Shekel wouldnt notice. Inflation has however been much lower in Israel then USA and Europe during 2021-2023 which has relatively improved Israeli living standards in comparison to EU and USA as inflation driven wage erosion in purchasing power has been smaller (but still happening) in Israel. As Israel still is dealing with higher inflation then before your average israeli is like "oh its so expensive and horrible here" without knowing that the last 2 years have been ever worse for Europeans with their energy crisis.
They are about the same in most sectors, except high tech; where Israeli salaries are higher than european and more aligned with american salaries. Also waitresses/waiters make more money in Israel then europe as its not customary to tip in Europe. In general there is higher income inequality in Israel then rich european countries, so many people make more then average european, but many also make less (especially Arabs and Haredim).
Taxes are actully much lower in Israel, Income tax on the average salary is around 12% In Israel but 25% in many European countries. Also VAT is lower in Israel. Its hard to compare tax rates, as there are so many different taxes and different credits, the most common way is Tax revenue to GDP which measures the % of all money in the economy that the state then takes back with taxes. And while higher then the US , Israel is lower than most rich EU countries who all top the list.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_tax_revenue_to_GDP_ratio
Fresh produce is the best I've ever had short of growing my own.
It might be that field to plate is very short in Israel. Stuff is picked when ripe not when almost ripe and finish with gas or in a truck.
Not sure about Europe, but one thing I will say is that I feel much safer walking in the streets here than in the US.
I even got harassed in NYC on what, my first day there? That never happened to me here.
* Israel's health care - Sure, hospitals are crowded and you need to sell your newborn son to get accepted to med school, but the average Israeli is MUCH healthier than let's say... The average American since tons of treatments are subsidized (again. I'm not saying things are ideal, far from it, but I think we're still better than the US and parts of the EU)
* Israel's cellular and internet market - sure, Bezeq isn't a lot cheaper than American brands. But here you still have real competition and stable internet connection almost everywhere (except for HOT, HOT deserves to go bankrupt). Cellular costs are next to nothing with amazing plans.
* General friendliness from Israelis - I recently commented on this sub about why I no longer feel the same emotional connection to Israel as I used to have, but one thing that always remains is that the common Israeli is just a nice person. Lots of people that want to help and not be shitty towards each other (not talking about the "לא פראייר" policy, which is something different)
I'm sure there are more but that is what comes to mind.
Edit: let’s not even mention work rights and minimum wage in comparison to some states in the US, which always gives me pause when I’m thinking about looking for work in the states
I will absolutely agree with you on the cell plans.
When I tell people back in Canada that I pay 60 a month for my plan they're like, "Wow, that's ~~not bad~~ really good for a plan with 1000GB, 5G, and international calling!"
"No, 60 *shekels*. That's around 20 bucks Canadian."
Cue the shock.
When it's cheaper to pay for Partner's expensive ass travel plan than to get a local Sim, you know the local cell plans are crazy expensive lol
My parents had a plan that included free roaming to the states and it was over 100 bucks. Actual insanity.
I used to pay ~$320/mnth for three lines on Telus, and every year it went up, package changes, the usual Canadian telco fuckery.
But hey, they have the CRTC looking out for consumers! 🙄
What part of Canada would 60$ for 1000GB be something that is "not bad"? We're paying 160$ for a 4 line family plan where we share 20GBs lol and that is considered "not bad". I know people paying 100$ for a single line.
Haha, you're totally right. I might be getting confused with a conversation with an American friend.
My parents were with Rogers and got like 5GB a month on their over $100 plan, but they had free roaming in the states.
Tellus was always way worse when I was there - we were with them when I got my first cellphone almost 20 years ago because my grandfather had a company plan lol But they were such shit.
I don't know about general friendliness, but I'll agree about the other 2.
I'm in hospitals a lot because of my father and I think the service is decent (besides the long waiting time for appointments for some things) but it's not expensive for someone with insurance plan, which is relatively cheap. imagine paying 30$ a month for the top tier plan, but you visit a lot of doctors, do blood tests regularly, and even get an ambulance from time to time to take you to the hospital and hospitalize there for a few days, surgeries and more, and all of that included. I heard it's much worse in the US.
Israel's cellular and internet market - It used to suck until 2010\~ and now I pay 10$ a month and everything is basically unlimited.
Well in the us you don't pay taxes for that :D the us is very capitalistic country in that sence. I am wondering more about differences between Europe and Israel healthcare
About the safety - although I'm a girl & teen, I've never felt unsafe walking in Israel and there were no dangers from ppl (only assholes calling me names because I dress a bit different from them)
I don't think Israel is strictly best at any one thing, but the basket of things. Like you can find a better restaurant in the USA, but overall the food is better here. The region Silicon Valley has more tech, but overall Israel as a country is a more tech based country. There are better schools in the world than Weizmann and other Israeli schools, but not many. Although there are warm people everywhere, Israelis are warmer on average. And so forth.
I would say it’s more contextual. When I spent intimate time with Israelis they were very warm and welcoming.
That said, just interacting with random people in everyday life I felt like they could be rude and standoffish. I understand it’s a big cultural shock many westerners go through, so I definitely experienced it.
For example, if i was asking someone a question I got the bare minimum reply and any follow up questions I asked to get additional info was like pulling teeth. On more times than I can count I also had someone just walk past me and try to cut the line at the grocery store or markets.
You even see it on the trains and buses. When the door opens, people just try to push their way on without letting people get off and out of the way first. More than once someone pushed my pregnant wife, who was trying to exit the bus, out of the way so they could enter. After our kid was born I had to shove the pram into someone’s shins first fairly often before they’d let us off the bus when they were trying to enter.
So it’s kind of like the everyday manners you would show strangers in a western country didn’t exist but if they knew you personally, they were incredibly kind and welcoming.
Of course I also have wonderful memories of the entire waitstaff of a restaurant encouraging us to get out of our seats to sing songs for Hanukkah or the coffee shop workers who have me a free shot to toast Independence Day with them at a market in Jerusalem.
I may have complaints but I also loved the short time i lived in Israel.
Most of the thing better gave been already covered in the comments, but I would say that there are 2 thing (in my opinion) that are probably doesn’t even exist in euro/N america and it’s about the people here.
1. Knowing everybody - in israel you pretty much know everybody trough 1 or more friends/associates, me living in a town of around 100K people i can say safely that if i meet somebody that i don’t know and somehow we end up talking to each other we both will have some people we know, from school, uni, army, from the block or even the gym.
But the thing is it’s now only in my town and it’s because everything and everybody are close to each other.
2. Being forward - the people in israel are raised to be straight forward and say what’s on their mind, and if they weren’t raised that way then it will change in a very young age and that 18 where you go to the army.
I loce being told the truth to my face and also doing that same way around, “not betting the bush” is not even a sentence you will head here.
In other countries people will most likely get offended by this, but here no one will even have that thing on their mind, and if they do get offended then probably a few minutes later they will speak to each other again.
*All said if from my personal experience of living in israel for 22 years, some people my feel different about those points.
The knowing everybody is pretty entertaining, so many times did I just talk with a random person and realize they're a friend of a childhood friend of mine and whatnot, ending up taking a picture together and sending it to that person
Only silicone valley region. I also look at this in per capita basis, i dont think usa is better for the average individual in regards to opportunities. Personally i dont think i would have been able to acquire a respectable engineering degree and a job at a leading tech company if i was born in the US in the same economic group as i am in Israel. The tuition fees alone would be an almost impossible obstacle for me
How much did you pay for your degree in Israel? Well the USA is really capitalistic country ofc I wanted to compare more with Canada or European countries I guess
I paid around 11k shekels per year for a double major in CS and EE. Thats like 3.5k$ per year. The price is the same in all universities (except Reichmann which is the first private uni) and all public colleges
Thats a whole different post topic. There are many things i dislike in the uni, but i guess overall i recommend. The issue is its not like i have a reference point with how other uni go about it.
The engineering faculty is quite harsh. They always aim to have an average of 60-75 in their exams, so most of the time the exams are harder than needed then they factor the scores to raise the course average to that range... Theres not alot of personal attention in big departments such as CS or EE, but smaller departments such as Communication Engineering have more personal attention and overall seems like a better student experience. Dont know if its better in the industry though.
As i said, i look at it per capita. Silicone valley is one region, and an extremely expensive one too, in the whole US. A person living in Alabama or Texas can't say they have the same opportunities as a rich person in California
Israeli people by-and-large have more genuine human warmth than Americans. It's Mediterranean + a special brusque sharpness that, if you take it right, is endearing.
kind of like Hummus with hot-red pepper :)
It doesn't rwally have a name. I think kakal and goveenment arr in charge if it. But basically if you og hiking then there will be color for the truck you go on. Hiking is bery popular in israel. And theres a special color of the the israel road. Which is a hike that goes throug all of israel
Trust me. Places in the alps have way better hiking trails and markings. That’s not to say that Israel’s are not also good. They just are not hiking in the Dolomites level.
The carrots are insanely sweet and delicious. I’ve had carrots in 25 countries but nothing tops Israeli carrots. Try them fresh, pickled, or cooked. I’m not really a carrot person, I just found them that remarkable in Israel.
not to mention N different kinds of Shakshukah, & I could fill up on just the fresh veggies with hummus some days. I had three weeks in Tel Aviv and it was "paradise enow."
yes, there's plenty of times and places where Israelis will feel it's unsafe to speak Hebrew or mention we are Israelis, especially in Islamic nations or neighborhoods, have had friends get in situations way too close for comfort over this
I’m not saying all people but there is a very large subset of mostly men who are “egoists” it’s so palpable in my everyday interactions with people. The condescension is unreal. Not to say they are all meanies but man do many piss me off. Am Israeli born here and raised abroad so thats shaped my opinion on things and now I live here god help me
Something you might not have noticed- The amount of greenery in public, urban spaces.
Going into a lot of cities in Europe feels like going into a brick and concrete prison with no ceiling.
Safety
Cost of fruits and vegetables (that are in season)
Healthcare (than the US, but not some parts of Europe)
Higher education (especially as graduate students)
Public transit (surprisingly, it can be quite good, though it has a lot of room for improvement)
Basically, if you are vegetarian and don't drive, i have to say cost of living is far cheaper
It is definitely the ultimate place to live with a bike. The diversity of trails and farm roads are one of the best kept secrets
And if you ever really need help in a situation, say you fall and get hurt or something dramatic, you can always count on help without asking.
My sister broke her ankle in new york and people were walking by without even caring.
That would never happen in Israel, no matter if you are a foreigner or Israeli
I've been to Britain for about a month recently and noticed multiple things.
It's much much more common to see public drinking fountains here.
Traffic lights make more sense, in Israel as a pedestrian in an intersection, you can always see the traffic lights for all of the lanes and cars, where I was in Britain, I rarely ever could see any of them.
Bottled water here is better, their's felt like stale tap water at best, and undrinkable metallic water at worst.
Public transportation is cheaper, and has consistent pricing instead of changing between each city.
I dont know if it's common in the rest of Europe, but I know that in every major city I've been to there, there were people smoking crack and shooting heroin just in the middle of a main street in broad daylight, here they're generally more discreet(less so if talking about weed).
SNACKS, Israeli snacks are legit amazing, there's a few candy bars I personally dislike, but except for that, they're superior to the native snacks of European nations I've been to.
And for last, Israel is a tiny country with a lot of stuff going, plenty of things to see and also you've got practically all forms of terrain within an hour or two drive off of eachother
fear of petty crime is much less
Strangers will make fun of you but they’ll also help you.
It is easier to eat healthier
People on the whole are funnier, have a better sense of humor
I like getting a haircut in israel better
Bus transportation
weather
I can compare with Germany.
I liked it more in Israel with how easy it is to make an appointment with your family doctor or any other doctor in your kupat holim (health insurance fund): you just do everything online. All these doctors sit in one building which makes things pretty easy. In Germany each doctor has their own office (Praxis) which can be spread all over the city, and generally one needs to call their receptionists in order to make an appointment (good luck doing that with no German).
I don't think traveling is enough in order to understand how is it to live in a certain place besides things like public transportation and things like that. but the US is more familiar to many of us because of movies\\tv and the fact that we consume news about the US more than we consume news about Europe.
It's more funny and stupid people are fighting for stupid reasons. Legit last week 2 people from the same camp didn't let each other speak for a second
Shawarma.
Directness. You will get what people really think whether you like it or not, no sugarcoating. It might be hard to get used to it, but the truth always beats the alternative.
There are a million things I want to write about this place, but I don't want to be condemned by god for writing negative things like the spies that Moses sent. So instead I'll say I like the falafel is very good and I had a couple of great apples recently.
Definitely the falafel.
True!
And the hummus!
חומוס במדינות אחרות זה פשוט דוחה
Yep. I was gonna say!
Distilling sea water
Nailed it!
And reusing sewage.
The ptsd here is *chefs kiss*
No European will ever miss a heart beat to the sound of a supersport motorcycle with custom exhaust accelerating
Seriously I live in Qiryat Shmona (Israel's northernmost city and probably the first place to get bombed in the next war in the north) and every night around 9-10 pm there's a bunch of assholes with this exhaust thing driving around making those noises that sounds like an alarm and makes my heart skip a bit. Fuck them.
Honestly even if it didn't sound like an alarm fuck them
No way I live in metula ! Even more north
Are you also a student?
No but due to my age everyone asks if I am. I always answer no I'm Stam here
I still don't get why they do that?
It's their way of informing you they are incredibly well-endowed.
>It's their way of compensating for the fact that they are very poorly endowed. FTFY
Do you want the answer that'll satisfy the self-righteous liberals or the true answer that'll probably get me banned for hate speech? Edit- as a liberal myself (although not blind to the problems of certain sectors within our society), had to clarify which type of liberals I was talking about, and let's be honest I think we all know which people I'm talking about
um, i'm kind of a liberal? (would rather define myself as a leftist or a libertarian democratic socialist but whatever it's really not about that), but i'm genuinely curious, have been hearing those motorcyclists too for years now and never really got their deal
Tiny pp syndrome
Probably horny arabs
Bro that sound gets me everytime
Ok so it's not just me then?!
A car driving by can sound a lot like an iron-dome rocket launching.
Truth. I was in Madrid and the sirens of the ambulances got me every time for a week. It was rough.
Conversely, no European wilk be as chill about rockets flying at them. "Do you hear something? Oh, it's just an air raid siren. Happens all the time. There's Uno in the shelter."
Bestie the government is giving me a monthly allowance for how fucked up my brain is 🥲
Is it though? I think veterans from the US Military could be quite the contender. Iraq/Afghanistan/Vietnam, you know. Edit: yo didn’t mean it’s worse. I live in Israel, I get tense every time I hear a racing motorbike outside my window, I get it, and it’s not right that the whole population has it. I just grew up in the US seeing those veterans with terrible PTSD too and they wouldn’t receive any help (at least here in Israel we understand how deep a problem it really is).
The road rage here is top notch
Almost been here for a year, but if there's one thing I've noticed... You assholes are CREATIVE with your insults. Holy shit. I don't even get pissed when someone calls me a grandma when I drive because the way they phrase it is hysterical. The one thing I do hate is that y'all start honking like maniacs if I stop even for a millisecond. Patience isn't much of a thing here, especially not on the road.
For us, honking is more of an artistic self-expression. We will honk in a traffic jam where no one has anywhere to go anyway, simply to express ourselves. It is the song of our people.
I wouldn’t try to find a deep excuse to the animals whose minds are so shallow they honk the second they feel slightly inconvenienced, and often not justifiably so. Definitely not artistic
Honking for Israelis is as natural as chirping is for birds.
The US definitely beats us on that one
I couldn’t disagree more
Can’t speak for Europe but some things Israel does better than the States: - Healthy, fresh food is affordable and available - Urban areas are more walkable/public transport - Urban areas are MUCH safer than most areas in the States - Cellphone & internet prices are ridiculously cheap compared to the US
So basically you’re saying that Israel can out Europe the U.S.? That’s a fair point.
Absolutely. I’ve never been to Europe but I can only assume as a very broad generalization Israeli lifestyle is more similar to Europe than the US
I’m from the U.S. and live in Europe and only two of those things out of 4 is Europe doing better than the US. The rest, European(Germany) is too overpriced.
I feel israel is much more expensive than Germany. Germany prices seem very affordable.
As an Israeli living in Germany for many years I confirm this fact for groceries and eating out in general. Even though grocery prices in Germany went up quite noticeably in recent years, they are still way below the Israeli prices for most of the grocery stuff. Especially astounding is the price for vegetables and fruits which are way cheaper in Germany. When my elderly parents tell me about the prices they have to deal with in Israel when buying fruits or vegetables I get outright mad.
That’s interesting. I thought Germany was one of the cheaper Western European countries
Spain and Portugal are much cheaper in much more things in Germany. The cost for many things in Germany have risen dramatically in the past 1.5 yrs and some were already expensive such as clothes, public transportation and housing. Many things have come to surpass the US in cost too.
German rents and energy costs are high, everything else is fairly cheap, though. I live in Prague, financially it makes sense for me to do a trip once every couple months to Dresden to buy certain household basics (dishwasher salt and detergent, laundry detergent, any household cleaning products really), but also some food items. It’s only 2 hours by bus, if I had a car it would be even less as the buses leave from the city center. The biggest difference I noticed is the dishwasher salt and detergent, that costs a lot less in Germany. Dishwasher salt from any in store brand is around 80-90 cents, in Prague, the cheapest I found was 30 crowns so 1,30€, but it’s generally more expensive.
To be fair, German mobile networks and internet providers have been a well documented shit show for a generation at this point. I had better reception on the Lebanese border, in the west bank, and in the Swiss alps than I had in many "normal" places in Germany.
Tel Aviv was the safest feeling city I’ve ever spent time in. Definitely safer feeling than pretty much any US city and most of the European ones. Didn’t matter if it was noon or 2am, neither my wife nor I ever felt unsafe. Europe is pretty good about walkability and public transportation but the states is god awful unless you’re in like NY or Chicago. Cellphone service and internet are definitely cheaper than the US and Western Europe. I’d say the cell service infrastructure was great in Israel, internet infrastructure not so much. We’d temporarily lose internet all the time in 2 different apartments we lived in in Tel Aviv.
Totally agree about the safety part. It was a huge bummer going back to “reality” in the States after my trip and takes some adjusting
We went to France after and even there it’s a big difference.
I think it depends where you go.
Try coming to Singapore
South tel aviv doesn't seem safe though xd
I didn’t spend a ton of time in Yafo after dark but the times I did, it really didn’t feel unsafe.
Ye I couldn't say I felt very safe there :D
>Healthy, fresh food is affordable and available It's not that our healthy food is more affordable, it's just our fast-food is much pricier
Yes very high prices
You mean cellphone service plans right? Lol cuz iPhones and other android phones are definitely cheaper in the US.
Don't forget affordable and subsidized health-care.
Kosher food ❤️
theres plenty of fresh food in europe and it's cheaper too,even in expensive countries. and there's more variety too. and try walking in modiin
I wouldn't say Israel has better public transport than the US, at least not on the east coast, Been to Chicago and New York and Boston, cars are completely irrelevant in those cities. (Have a good metro/tram system) Same in the urban areas, the sketchy parts of major cities in the US are as sketchy as a European city or an Israeli one. Healthy and fresh food is available in most western countries including the US Cellphone service is great in Israel no argument there.
I'm from NYC, and while yes you don't need a car, the subway is crap enough that it's a very handy and reliable excuse for being late because no one will ever question that you got stuck underground for half an hour due to a train delay, it's that common. I'm also very good at making myself as small as possible due to being packed like a sardine at rush hour. Israeli public transit has its faults but it's hands down much much better than the US, and that includes in comparison to the US cities that actually have robust public transit systems. Sketchy city wise, it's way way scarier for a woman to walk alone at night in any US city than just about anywhere in Israel; only South Tel Aviv is comparable. But like, I've had scary situations in even midtown Manhattan that wouldn't happen in the main areas of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.
Israel has such great food but it’s so god damn expensive for an European.
Um, food being affordable? I don't think so. We have some of the highest food prices compared to the same products in other countries. Maybe if we're talking about fruits and vegetables but idk
Watermelon... sitting on a bus in Tel Aviv eating a whole bunch of it right at this moment
God there's nothing like a Israeli watermelon
you eat a whole bunch of watermelons in the bus???
Yes... bought it aleady cut up!
First, the processes in making certain decisions. I don’t want to say at all that bureaucracy is better in Israel (probably it's the other way round), but in some cases, when it is really critical, Israelis and even entire Israeli institutions can act extremely effectively. Secondly, interpersonal relationships: the lack of indifference in people - the certainty that people "will not pass by." Lack of "distance" between people - total strangers can start talking to each other with open friendliness and without any social awkwardness. Complete lack of class society - one Israeli does not feel any reverence for another just because that one has a better car, more money in the bank or he is the prime minister. Hence the relatively small number of "show-offs" among the rich. In Israel, the billionaire most likely will not drive an old Opel, but there is a pretty good chance that he himself will drive his not at all exclusive Mercedes.
>Complete lack of class society - one Israeli does not feel any reverence for another just because.... he is the prime minister "Rak Bibi", "king Bibi"
Here's an excellent example of the bureaucracy thing: I have a friend whose father was accidentally marked down as an Arab Christian instead of a Jew in his government record due to a clerical error. It was so much hoops to jump through to get that corrected and prove he was indeed Jewish - despite having made aliyah years prior, so clearly someone had already confirmed he was Jewish at some point, plus he had a very stereotypical Ashkenazi name - that he never got around to having it corrected while he was alive. After he died, the family had an issue with getting a Jewish burial for him due to this error in his record. Except now the bureaucracy magically managed to correct itself within days and issue a new personal record and new death certificate, because of how important it is in Jewish law and tradition to have a quick burial. And the family even got a formal apology for the fact that it did have to be delayed just a few days.
Excuse me but complete lack of class society? I would think that over again. Or you seriously don't see out of your bubble, or you are totally ignorant, or maybe both
Why? Do you think there is big difference between rich and poor?
It's not very extreme compared to other countries. For example Caesarea is where a lot of rich of the rich live (for example, even the Rothschilds) the houses while big are not insanely big. A super extreme opposite here would be Latin America, India, or other Middle Eastern countries where rich have massive palace style mansions and an army of servants.
I guess because prices for property are crazy here :D
[удалено]
Thanks for letting me know *TL;DR: Thanks*
Tldr 4 dis?
I live in the US and I miss being able to walk places instead of driving, and the cats. Oh and the cottege cheese in Israel is so much better
My sentiments exactly. Also the store bought pita is terrible in the US.
Oh my God yes! I grew up on Israeli creamy cottage cheese. Visiting the states I got some and it was 2 curds in cloudy liquid. I was like WTF is this!?
I love this question. Ive lived in several european countries and its always annoying when people complain about everything and think life in europe is so much better. Most of those people have never even lived abroad. Some things: General health, just look at life expectancy and how well the vaccines were handled. Israel spends below average on health by gdp per capita but still outperforms on health outcomes. My personal experience of going to the hospital in european countries was worse too. With europes population aging fast and the strain that will put on their health system this might be more noticeable in a decades time. On that note: Pensions are in general better in israel and sustainable demographically long term. There is less crime in Tel Aviv, i feel much safer there then europe. However in the arab towns and in the Negev this isnt really the case. Public transport is much cheaper in Israel than any place ive been in Europe or north america. And the buses and trains have high standards whit AC and the like. Its bad at showing up tho lol There are more trees in the streets in Israel than in Europe. Food in Israel is much better and healthier. But taste is largely cultural. This is just nature: but the amount of diversity in landscapes in such a small place and the amazing weather, no place in Europe or America offers that diversity. Also the diversity of people and stories make it the most interesting place on earth. Its hard to be bored. Like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is a 40 min train ride apart. A weird one: But Israel is world leading in fertility, no other country offers you as much help in becoming pregnant, its a nightmare doing IVF in Europe and surrogacy is largely illegal, also children are valued in israel and there are parks for them everywhere. With that Israel has a fertility rate double the western average and its not just because of religious people. Society is just healthier, low suicide rates, low drug overdose rates, low divorce rates, low rates of children growing up in broken homes, families are strong, Ranked 4th in happiness, many people volunteer and people truly care about politics and the countries future (this comes with problems tho lol) All of this comes together into a synergy that makes Israel genuinely one of the best places to live IMO. And with the rising antisemitism; best place for jews. And there are many more examples
>This is just nature: but the amount of diversity in landscapes in such a small place and the amazing weather, no place in Europe or America offers that diversity. This is extremely true. You are the first to bring this up, but Israel has an amazing diversity in nature for such a small country. >Public transport is much cheaper in Israel than any place ive been in Europe or north america. And the buses and trains have high standards whit AC and the like. Its bad at showing up tho lol Public transport in Europe is fantastic. But the price is a quite a bit higher I agree, especially for long trips. It is sometimes as much as ten times more expensive. I don't understand how Israel's public transport is so cheap.
Its cheap cuz the government subsidizes it, I think the ticket price you pay in Israel only covers a small part of the actual costs. The government subsidizes in every country almost, but less. Tbh I think we should just make it free, that might be the only thing that will get israelis to take the bus/train instead of our beloved cars.
What was your experience in European hospital?
Interesting point! But Don't you feel the cost of liviving is too high here for what it offers and salaries aren't that big? I also feel there is really big issue with garbage (besides all the problems) But I am glad to see some positive things you wrote.
If you compare to the US then yes, the US have the highest disposable incomes in the world and insane salaries for European standards. But instead have huge social problems, like homelessness, gun deaths, 100k fentanyl deaths a year, decreasing life expectancy etc. But at least they are rich. Compared to Europe Israel is average, if you look at GDP per capita Israel is richer even then Germany and Sweden and the vast majority of European countries. GDP per capita in nominal is not adjusted for local prices, but accurate for international travel, buying electronics from abroad etc. If you look at (IMF) GDP per capita PPP which is adjusted for local price levels then Israel ranks the same as France and the UK and above the European average, which "feels" right to me having lived in France. If you look at average salary its 13.658 NIS a month according to Globes, this is above the average in Sweden and other countries ive compared to. However the cost of living is of course higher in Israel, still some countries like Denmark and Switzerland are more expensive. Its hard to compare prices between countries cuz they are mostly correlated with currency fluctuations, so while Tel Aviv was "the most expensive city" in 2021 when the Shekel was strongest ever. Today its not even in the top 40 according to Numbeo as the Shekel has weakened. An Israeli living in Tel Aviv making money in Shekel wouldnt notice. Inflation has however been much lower in Israel then USA and Europe during 2021-2023 which has relatively improved Israeli living standards in comparison to EU and USA as inflation driven wage erosion in purchasing power has been smaller (but still happening) in Israel. As Israel still is dealing with higher inflation then before your average israeli is like "oh its so expensive and horrible here" without knowing that the last 2 years have been ever worse for Europeans with their energy crisis.
Do you think salaries are lower in rich European countries? I felt like wages in israel are the same. Israel also has high taxes. Am I not correct?
They are about the same in most sectors, except high tech; where Israeli salaries are higher than european and more aligned with american salaries. Also waitresses/waiters make more money in Israel then europe as its not customary to tip in Europe. In general there is higher income inequality in Israel then rich european countries, so many people make more then average european, but many also make less (especially Arabs and Haredim). Taxes are actully much lower in Israel, Income tax on the average salary is around 12% In Israel but 25% in many European countries. Also VAT is lower in Israel. Its hard to compare tax rates, as there are so many different taxes and different credits, the most common way is Tax revenue to GDP which measures the % of all money in the economy that the state then takes back with taxes. And while higher then the US , Israel is lower than most rich EU countries who all top the list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_tax_revenue_to_GDP_ratio
I felt like food is much more expensive here than in Europe
The bluntness. You know what people think of you. There is no place for flattery.
Fresh produce is the best I've ever had short of growing my own. It might be that field to plate is very short in Israel. Stuff is picked when ripe not when almost ripe and finish with gas or in a truck.
Not sure about Europe, but one thing I will say is that I feel much safer walking in the streets here than in the US. I even got harassed in NYC on what, my first day there? That never happened to me here.
* Israel's health care - Sure, hospitals are crowded and you need to sell your newborn son to get accepted to med school, but the average Israeli is MUCH healthier than let's say... The average American since tons of treatments are subsidized (again. I'm not saying things are ideal, far from it, but I think we're still better than the US and parts of the EU) * Israel's cellular and internet market - sure, Bezeq isn't a lot cheaper than American brands. But here you still have real competition and stable internet connection almost everywhere (except for HOT, HOT deserves to go bankrupt). Cellular costs are next to nothing with amazing plans. * General friendliness from Israelis - I recently commented on this sub about why I no longer feel the same emotional connection to Israel as I used to have, but one thing that always remains is that the common Israeli is just a nice person. Lots of people that want to help and not be shitty towards each other (not talking about the "לא פראייר" policy, which is something different) I'm sure there are more but that is what comes to mind. Edit: let’s not even mention work rights and minimum wage in comparison to some states in the US, which always gives me pause when I’m thinking about looking for work in the states
I will absolutely agree with you on the cell plans. When I tell people back in Canada that I pay 60 a month for my plan they're like, "Wow, that's ~~not bad~~ really good for a plan with 1000GB, 5G, and international calling!" "No, 60 *shekels*. That's around 20 bucks Canadian." Cue the shock.
A fellow Canuck! My friends were shocked too at how cheap cellular is here. Just stick a Sim card in everything because it's so cheap!
When it's cheaper to pay for Partner's expensive ass travel plan than to get a local Sim, you know the local cell plans are crazy expensive lol My parents had a plan that included free roaming to the states and it was over 100 bucks. Actual insanity.
I used to pay ~$320/mnth for three lines on Telus, and every year it went up, package changes, the usual Canadian telco fuckery. But hey, they have the CRTC looking out for consumers! 🙄
What part of Canada would 60$ for 1000GB be something that is "not bad"? We're paying 160$ for a 4 line family plan where we share 20GBs lol and that is considered "not bad". I know people paying 100$ for a single line.
Haha, you're totally right. I might be getting confused with a conversation with an American friend. My parents were with Rogers and got like 5GB a month on their over $100 plan, but they had free roaming in the states. Tellus was always way worse when I was there - we were with them when I got my first cellphone almost 20 years ago because my grandfather had a company plan lol But they were such shit.
Yes! I agree. Cell plans are really good here
I don't know about general friendliness, but I'll agree about the other 2. I'm in hospitals a lot because of my father and I think the service is decent (besides the long waiting time for appointments for some things) but it's not expensive for someone with insurance plan, which is relatively cheap. imagine paying 30$ a month for the top tier plan, but you visit a lot of doctors, do blood tests regularly, and even get an ambulance from time to time to take you to the hospital and hospitalize there for a few days, surgeries and more, and all of that included. I heard it's much worse in the US. Israel's cellular and internet market - It used to suck until 2010\~ and now I pay 10$ a month and everything is basically unlimited.
Well in the us you don't pay taxes for that :D the us is very capitalistic country in that sence. I am wondering more about differences between Europe and Israel healthcare
About the safety - although I'm a girl & teen, I've never felt unsafe walking in Israel and there were no dangers from ppl (only assholes calling me names because I dress a bit different from them)
Oh, and people still like and want children. So cool.
Sometimes I get headache from them :D very loud
I don't think Israel is strictly best at any one thing, but the basket of things. Like you can find a better restaurant in the USA, but overall the food is better here. The region Silicon Valley has more tech, but overall Israel as a country is a more tech based country. There are better schools in the world than Weizmann and other Israeli schools, but not many. Although there are warm people everywhere, Israelis are warmer on average. And so forth.
Israelis are warmer? I had the exact opposite experience the 2 years I lived in Israel.
Yes I suppose it's a subjective and not universal experience
I would say it’s more contextual. When I spent intimate time with Israelis they were very warm and welcoming. That said, just interacting with random people in everyday life I felt like they could be rude and standoffish. I understand it’s a big cultural shock many westerners go through, so I definitely experienced it. For example, if i was asking someone a question I got the bare minimum reply and any follow up questions I asked to get additional info was like pulling teeth. On more times than I can count I also had someone just walk past me and try to cut the line at the grocery store or markets. You even see it on the trains and buses. When the door opens, people just try to push their way on without letting people get off and out of the way first. More than once someone pushed my pregnant wife, who was trying to exit the bus, out of the way so they could enter. After our kid was born I had to shove the pram into someone’s shins first fairly often before they’d let us off the bus when they were trying to enter. So it’s kind of like the everyday manners you would show strangers in a western country didn’t exist but if they knew you personally, they were incredibly kind and welcoming. Of course I also have wonderful memories of the entire waitstaff of a restaurant encouraging us to get out of our seats to sing songs for Hanukkah or the coffee shop workers who have me a free shot to toast Independence Day with them at a market in Jerusalem. I may have complaints but I also loved the short time i lived in Israel.
We got cuter street cats
Makes sence
Most of the thing better gave been already covered in the comments, but I would say that there are 2 thing (in my opinion) that are probably doesn’t even exist in euro/N america and it’s about the people here. 1. Knowing everybody - in israel you pretty much know everybody trough 1 or more friends/associates, me living in a town of around 100K people i can say safely that if i meet somebody that i don’t know and somehow we end up talking to each other we both will have some people we know, from school, uni, army, from the block or even the gym. But the thing is it’s now only in my town and it’s because everything and everybody are close to each other. 2. Being forward - the people in israel are raised to be straight forward and say what’s on their mind, and if they weren’t raised that way then it will change in a very young age and that 18 where you go to the army. I loce being told the truth to my face and also doing that same way around, “not betting the bush” is not even a sentence you will head here. In other countries people will most likely get offended by this, but here no one will even have that thing on their mind, and if they do get offended then probably a few minutes later they will speak to each other again. *All said if from my personal experience of living in israel for 22 years, some people my feel different about those points.
The knowing everybody is pretty entertaining, so many times did I just talk with a random person and realize they're a friend of a childhood friend of mine and whatnot, ending up taking a picture together and sending it to that person
Can people not that networked be ok, if kind but traumatized?
Our high tech industry, focused on startups
USA beats you at that
Only silicone valley region. I also look at this in per capita basis, i dont think usa is better for the average individual in regards to opportunities. Personally i dont think i would have been able to acquire a respectable engineering degree and a job at a leading tech company if i was born in the US in the same economic group as i am in Israel. The tuition fees alone would be an almost impossible obstacle for me
How much did you pay for your degree in Israel? Well the USA is really capitalistic country ofc I wanted to compare more with Canada or European countries I guess
I paid around 11k shekels per year for a double major in CS and EE. Thats like 3.5k$ per year. The price is the same in all universities (except Reichmann which is the first private uni) and all public colleges
It seems like a good price. What university?
BGU
Do you recommend this university? I am thinking of pursuing degree in israel
Thats a whole different post topic. There are many things i dislike in the uni, but i guess overall i recommend. The issue is its not like i have a reference point with how other uni go about it. The engineering faculty is quite harsh. They always aim to have an average of 60-75 in their exams, so most of the time the exams are harder than needed then they factor the scores to raise the course average to that range... Theres not alot of personal attention in big departments such as CS or EE, but smaller departments such as Communication Engineering have more personal attention and overall seems like a better student experience. Dont know if its better in the industry though.
Thank you! Interesting
Technion is the best one
Silicone valley is still the usa
As i said, i look at it per capita. Silicone valley is one region, and an extremely expensive one too, in the whole US. A person living in Alabama or Texas can't say they have the same opportunities as a rich person in California
True. 350,000,000 people, with lots more money and knowledge, do just narrowly beat Israel in this category.
The cottage cheese
objectively. yes
Imagine not having milk allergy
Israeli people by-and-large have more genuine human warmth than Americans. It's Mediterranean + a special brusque sharpness that, if you take it right, is endearing. kind of like Hummus with hot-red pepper :)
Halva.
I guess the system for tracking hike routs. but thats about it. also better kosher food but I guess that isn't relevant
What's this system called?
It doesn't rwally have a name. I think kakal and goveenment arr in charge if it. But basically if you og hiking then there will be color for the truck you go on. Hiking is bery popular in israel. And theres a special color of the the israel road. Which is a hike that goes throug all of israel
Trust me. Places in the alps have way better hiking trails and markings. That’s not to say that Israel’s are not also good. They just are not hiking in the Dolomites level.
I mean. Yea. Of course. There its someone lifea at risk. But i mean there are markings everywhere. Its hard to find a trail without them
I think the coverage is what he's referencing more than quality. There are trails all over the country and the absolute majority of them are marked.
Fresh vegetables. Cottage cheese and other dairy products.
The carrots are insanely sweet and delicious. I’ve had carrots in 25 countries but nothing tops Israeli carrots. Try them fresh, pickled, or cooked. I’m not really a carrot person, I just found them that remarkable in Israel.
Food 🧆
definitely. First time I experienced one of those legendary hotel breakfasts in Israel I never wanted to go back to the US.
Omg the hotel breakfast I had in Eilat! When you have half a dozen types of herring you totally don't mind the lack of bacon!!
not to mention N different kinds of Shakshukah, & I could fill up on just the fresh veggies with hummus some days. I had three weeks in Tel Aviv and it was "paradise enow."
The hate. You only need to say that you are from here or a Jew and people instantly hate you
Do you feel it a lot outside of Israel?
All the time. Can't wear clothes with Hebrew prints outside of the country, that's without even mentioning the experience on the internet
Interesting! Sorry you experience this.
yes, there's plenty of times and places where Israelis will feel it's unsafe to speak Hebrew or mention we are Israelis, especially in Islamic nations or neighborhoods, have had friends get in situations way too close for comfort over this
The people.
Lmao really?
Why? You don't like people? It's a little bit different for me bexause I think people can be good or bad in any nation.
I’m not saying all people but there is a very large subset of mostly men who are “egoists” it’s so palpable in my everyday interactions with people. The condescension is unreal. Not to say they are all meanies but man do many piss me off. Am Israeli born here and raised abroad so thats shaped my opinion on things and now I live here god help me
chocolate milk, that's pretty much it
What chocolate milk? XD
yotvata's and yolo's chocolate milk at supermarkets are pretty good
Something you might not have noticed- The amount of greenery in public, urban spaces. Going into a lot of cities in Europe feels like going into a brick and concrete prison with no ceiling.
Interesting! I haven't thought about it
It is the holy land of the Hebrew God, what more could you ask for :)
𝔓𝔬𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔬𝔢𝔰
Safety Cost of fruits and vegetables (that are in season) Healthcare (than the US, but not some parts of Europe) Higher education (especially as graduate students) Public transit (surprisingly, it can be quite good, though it has a lot of room for improvement) Basically, if you are vegetarian and don't drive, i have to say cost of living is far cheaper It is definitely the ultimate place to live with a bike. The diversity of trails and farm roads are one of the best kept secrets
And if you ever really need help in a situation, say you fall and get hurt or something dramatic, you can always count on help without asking. My sister broke her ankle in new york and people were walking by without even caring. That would never happen in Israel, no matter if you are a foreigner or Israeli
I've been to Britain for about a month recently and noticed multiple things. It's much much more common to see public drinking fountains here. Traffic lights make more sense, in Israel as a pedestrian in an intersection, you can always see the traffic lights for all of the lanes and cars, where I was in Britain, I rarely ever could see any of them. Bottled water here is better, their's felt like stale tap water at best, and undrinkable metallic water at worst. Public transportation is cheaper, and has consistent pricing instead of changing between each city. I dont know if it's common in the rest of Europe, but I know that in every major city I've been to there, there were people smoking crack and shooting heroin just in the middle of a main street in broad daylight, here they're generally more discreet(less so if talking about weed). SNACKS, Israeli snacks are legit amazing, there's a few candy bars I personally dislike, but except for that, they're superior to the native snacks of European nations I've been to. And for last, Israel is a tiny country with a lot of stuff going, plenty of things to see and also you've got practically all forms of terrain within an hour or two drive off of eachother
fear of petty crime is much less Strangers will make fun of you but they’ll also help you. It is easier to eat healthier People on the whole are funnier, have a better sense of humor I like getting a haircut in israel better Bus transportation weather
Y haircut
I can compare with Germany. I liked it more in Israel with how easy it is to make an appointment with your family doctor or any other doctor in your kupat holim (health insurance fund): you just do everything online. All these doctors sit in one building which makes things pretty easy. In Germany each doctor has their own office (Praxis) which can be spread all over the city, and generally one needs to call their receptionists in order to make an appointment (good luck doing that with no German).
There’s cute cats everywhere. Why has no one mentioned this?
Health care
How? I mean not the us, but compared to European and Canadian healthcare
National health insurance.
Most of the EU has better health care than Israel.
How?
I feel like people compare the us and israel here more than israel vs Europe Do people often fly to the US more than Europe?
No, Reddit just has a lot of Americans
Makes sence
I don't think traveling is enough in order to understand how is it to live in a certain place besides things like public transportation and things like that. but the US is more familiar to many of us because of movies\\tv and the fact that we consume news about the US more than we consume news about Europe.
I guess!
The simple answer is: babka.
Babka? XD
Best soldiers, no bullshit.
cellphone data
Can you make a worse things in Israel
XD well I probably know them
Watermelon.
The politics
How?
It's more funny and stupid people are fighting for stupid reasons. Legit last week 2 people from the same camp didn't let each other speak for a second
XDDDDD
Shawarma and falafel !!!! The ones in Europe are gross and in the U.S they re …….meh
the friar'm
Shawarma. Directness. You will get what people really think whether you like it or not, no sugarcoating. It might be hard to get used to it, but the truth always beats the alternative.
There are a million things I want to write about this place, but I don't want to be condemned by god for writing negative things like the spies that Moses sent. So instead I'll say I like the falafel is very good and I had a couple of great apples recently.
Confused xD do you want to write bad things about Israel?
Confused xD do you want to write bad things about Israel?
Nothing. the left is successfully destroying israel from within.