Culture Smart! Israel: A Quick Guide to Customs & Etiquette

Though many travel to Israel and it is very Westernized, it is good to remember that there is a Religion and cultural base that is not taken lightly. The source of good information to be followed.

This book gives a good brief introduction to the history, sights and people of Israel, though it is not extremely detailed or thorough. This is certainly sufficient if you are going for a business trip (the focus of the book) or a short vacation. As the book states, there are only a few good general rules since the population in Israel comes from very diverse backgrounds - in general you will have to watch and see! The book starts with a brief history and then a discussion of the various major political and religious groups. A section of Jewish holidays is also provided, though there are some major customs that are left out (such as the bonfires on Lab b'Omer). As a bonus, you get a mini-guide book in a few pages. It mentions the major cities and the prevalent attitudes of each. While some major festivals are given, approximate dates are not provided. If you are interested in sight-seeing, get a good travel guide book as well. The book does discuss what to do if you are invited to dinner (or any other meal), what to generally expect in transportation, what to wear (for business), daily routines and family life, cultural values and how Israelis consider friendships. This book is certainly not exhaustive or all-inclusive, but will give you general ideas about how many people behave. The section on security was rather small (one page) considering the importance in daily life in Israel. From an American perspective, some insight into how screening is done (i.e. you may have to open your car trunk before entering certain places) would have been a helpful addition for those who wouldn't expect it. The book suggests following all instructions given, which is a good general rule even if you have other expectations. Though it is nice that the book is fairly small, it would have been better to add a few more pages to give just a bit more detail. I've mentioned a few missed points above, but in addition there are no instructions for dealing with police (not that this is a likely event), helpful tips such that you usually must flag down a bus from a stop, negotiation techniques in markets, e-mail etiquette or even how the banking system works (since there is a definite business focus in the book). There is also a small addition that needs to be made - on Page 11, it should be noted that you will typically find the two-round-pronged European-style plug, not a three-pronged angled plug. For the price, this book is a good way to gain some ideas of the cultural and political attitudes in Israel in a short amount of time. If you are a procrastinator, you certainly can read the entire book on the plane! I'm including the table of contents below, since as of this posting, it was not available and you can not see inside the book. CONTENTS: Map of Israel 7 Introduction 8 Key Facts 10 1: Land and People Geography 12 Climate 13 A Brief History 14 Key Events Since 1948 36 Israelis Today 44 Government 49 The Israel Defense Forc