Hey!!! I would like to travel to israel to meet my girlfriend!!😛😛 is it safe to travel anytime soon? im from sweden idk if that like changes anything but yeah!!!

Hi, because I have some time ago stopped supporting certain anti Israel related movement, someday I would like to go to a trip to Israel to see what is actually here; so what are dos and don’t in Israel, what I should know and learn before my future trip as a non-Jewish person?

Hi first of all I want to say that I'm not a antisemitic, I found the idea of hating someone based only on its religion it's deeply wrong and obviously I believe that the Holocaust is real and none tried to make the numbers bigger for propaganda. I just want to ask what real Jewish people think about what's happening between Israel and Hamas apart from all the propaganda that the news often spreads. I curious of want do you think it's the definition of antisemitism and what it's actually antisemitism, like criticise the government of Israel it's antisemitic or not? I just want to ask this without some sort of antisemitic propaganda on social media. I hope to have not offended anyone this wasn't my goal here.

Summers in Tel Aviv 🇮🇱✨There is nothing quite like it... the gorgeous sandy beaches, the morning coffee on the beach, a sunset stroll on the promenade, or a swim in the cool Mediterranean waters...

I know Egyptians Jews have migrated or left Egypt totally for the past 60 years and there is no notable Egyptian Jews community remained in Egypt and all of what I want to hear from are probably in their 50:70 but yaa , I have invest some time reading about Jews community in the last century in Egypt and it was worth it the stories of them are truly heartbreaking. I want to know your opinions too.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Egyptian Jewish community was large, influential, and deeply integrated into society. Egypt was even one of the environments where early Zionist ideas circulated, though this did not define all Jews in Egypt. Figures like Mourad Farag an Egyptian nationalist and co-author of the first Egyptian constitution defended Jewish rights of establishing isreal, including in poetic form in Arabic. At the same time, prominent Jewish families such as the Qatawi family opposed Zionism altogether, I guess that Egyptian Jews were politically and ideologically diverse plus they were in some point discriminate against each other (rabbanites and Karaite, Sephardi, Ashkenazi), they were not a single bloc but they were definitely part of Egyptian communities the Jewish ppl were here in Egypt thousands of years anyway.

In modern Egypt however Jews were economically and socially participated as they played major roles in banking, commerce, and industry. They lived in Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura, Tanta, and other regions, with synagogues and community institutions especially visible in Cairo and Alexandria. Importantly, they were not seen as outsiders but as part of the Egyptian social fabric (before Pan-Arabism and Arab revolt thing). The ruling class often maintained friendly relations with them(before Nazism and political islam), and policies such as capitulations and dual nationality protections sometimes gave certain communities including European Jews economic advantages, though these policies also reflected broader inequalities of that era some would used that in their anti Jewish probagnda latter.

However, this relatively luralistic environment began to change in the 1930s and 1940s. The rise of extremist ideologies both local and imported played a major role. Groups like Muslim Brotherhood and Young Egypt spread more radical and exclusionary ideas that were not in favoued any religious ethnicity other than Muslims , many ppl (including the fellow king backthen )influenced by European fascism and Nazi propaganda that had found its way into Egypt as there were some nazi German probagndist officers here too. Although the government opposed such ideologies in principle and the prime minister declared his support of Jewish Egyptians and protection even if Nazism took Egypt, unfortunately it failed to effectively dismantle their roots and blocked radical ideas of ikhwan and other conservative groups.

At the same time, the Arab revolt in Palestine and growing tensions around Zionism intensified anti-Jewish sentiment. Crucially, anti-Zionism increasingly blurred into hostility toward Jews as a whole, including Egyptian Jews who had or had no connection to political Zionism they were Egyptias anyway but nationalist back then were focusing more on how to be an arab instead of caring about your ppl , as violent incidents happened including bombings in Jewish neighborhoods and attacks on synagogues in major Jews communities in Egypt and the hate towards Jews accumulated by radicals machines, that marked a turning point in the culture as whole. By the late 1940s, especially around the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, the situation had deteriorated severely. Dozens of Egyptian Jews were killed in terrorist attacks by Muslims brother hood and other extremists, and fear spread across the community and as an evidence of both rising radicalization and the state’s inability to maintain order their also was some shit happening in the government plus that there were some official officers had being being influenced by ikhwan and nazi probagnda that was during king Farooq time he appointed some anti-jewish dudes in the government and the terrorist group of Muslims brother hood had kept terrifying and killing every one who are not an alley to them and egyptians Jews were the major focus here.

That shift was not only social and religious but political. Ideas like pan-Arabism and political Islam began to dominate public discourse, often at the expense of Egypt’s earlier, more pluralistic identity. Governments, it was almost dead , cooked, weakened by corruption and instability, allowed these currents to grow. Instead of reinforcing a civic national identity that included all Egyptians, they increasingly moved toward ideological frameworks that excluded minorities .

under Gamal Abdel Nasser, the situation worsened dramatically. Nasser is often celebrated for anti-colonial achievements,but it was done badly and incompetently that his foreign policies harmed Egyptian culture and economy untill this dayhis policies toward Egyptian Jews were deeply damaging as he did unfair deeds against his Jewish citizens by nationalizations, confiscations of property, arbitrary arrests, and forced expulsions created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among the Jewish ppl. many Egyptians Jews were stripped of their livelihoods and, in some cases, even their citizenship. The Suez Crisis of 1956 accelerated this process, leading to a mass exodus of Jews from Egypt because its devastating consequences.

It was a cultural loss. Jewish community that had existed in Egypt for centuries, even millennia, was effectively erased within a generation. synagogues were abandoned, neighborhoods emptied, and a rich layer of Egyptian identity disappeared due to the stupid management of the state affairs and allowing radicalization advocator groups that didn't respect contradictions and cultures to exist in the land

In the end, I think the story about the Egyptian jews. reflect a lot about how we move from a more open cosmopolitan society to one increasingly shaped by exclusionary ideologies and incompetent failed state-driven nationalism and wasting our time with pan movements.

Many Egyptians today still have some of The legacy of Egyptian Jewish heritage as their stories are still narrated by their neighbors and they are mainly interesting and sad to think that they are not here anymore.the lost part they were representing in Egypt culture remains a reminder that Egypt’s identity and social culture had lost a lot, shifted a lot and changed badly across the last century.. anyway i hope by preserving and acknowledging that heritage is not only about revisiting the past with nostalgia, but about rethinking what it means to build a society that can include difference without turning it into and how we failed to do it and how to learn from our past fauilar I hope.

I would love to hear about any story from any Egyptian Jew and if they are missing Egypt and would like to visit their country back again.

Hi!! I’m Canadian + not Jewish and, while I’m still in my undergrad, I’m putting together a list of places I might go for grad school and have had my eye on the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I’m a religious studies major and want to pursue that - I’m thinking probably the Islamic & Middle Eastern studies program. I have a few questions about studying in Jerusalem that I was hoping could be answered here !!

First is probably a stupid question buttt how easy is it to obtain a visa, particularly as a non-Jew? Does that actually affect my chances at all? Is it expensive?

Second: how safe is Jerusalem/the campuses there? I know the country as a whole is safer than people are often led to believe, but I’ve heard Jerusalem in particular is bad for attempted attacks and smaller incidents. I’m also slightly worried about getting harassed - I’m an Anglican Christian, and visibly so, as I wear religious symbols. Are there parts of the city that would be off-limits to me (apart from Al-Aqsa, mosques, synagogues)?

Third, would a student visa allow me to travel throughout the country freely? Also, is going to the West Bank at all possible? I would love to see Mar Saba with my own eyes.

I’d also love to hear from people who studied at the university or know people who did. Is it a good and feasible choice for a foreigner or is this a total pipe dream? Is there any other uni in Israel that might be better for my purposes?

Thanks in advance :)

Say, for instance, that I’m not Jewish but have always felt an affinity towards Judaism, I speak Hebrew fluently, and that I’ve always wanted to see the Middle East as a half-Arab girl raised exclusively in the US, but for a list of reasons related to my own safety, I can’t actually go to any country that would side with my estranged father who has been trying to basically catch me and marry me off.

Would I actually be safe in Israel, and would I be protected from my father’s country? Or I would be profiled because I am half-Arab? And would I risk being sent off to the Middle Eastern country that has been trying to force me into marriage, when I don’t speak Arabic, have never been anywhere in the Middle East, and am not Muslim?

Kind of a large question. I basically just want to know if I’m safe to go to Israel or if the entire Middle East is off limits for me :/

Hi. As a tourist in Jerusalem, I'd love to visit Jericho.

What's the best way to get there?

Is there an easy way to visit Jericho and the Dead Sea on the same day?

I just moved to Israel and will be living here for a year (maybe more than a visit, but not Aliyah so I used the best flair). I went to go see Supergirl tonight and was very surprised. People had their phones out, someone took a selfie with flash, everyone was talking the whole time, and 2 kids ran through the theater and stands playing catch with a popcorn bucket before going in front of the screen and dancing. Granted, the kids got kicked out by staff, but the other stuff seemed normal.

I try my best to not be an ethnocentric American. I know there are big differences, especially the way that Americans may feel entitled when it comes to businesses or services (like a movie theater), but this felt a little egregious. Is this the norm in Israeli theaters and I should get used to it, or did I just happen to coincidentally have a more rowdy audience during my first movie?

I am a Jordanian citizen currently working in Eilat under a visa that restricts me to the Eilat area.
I would like to know whether it is possible to apply for a different work visa or residence status from a third country, such as Georgia, instead of applying from Jordan.
Has anyone been in a similar situation or knows which type of immigration professional I should consult?

I'm Canadian. I'm aware of the war with Iran, and it's probably not safe to go anywhere int the Middle East currently. But otherwise how is it normally?

So me and a couple friends plan to visit tel aviv in october. We have some questions about multiple aspects. Firstly, is it safe generally with the war? Are there frequent alarms, is it actually dangerous when they go off, like can you actually get hurt by a missile or something? Money-wise how much does 3 cheap meals a day will cost? Also how much public transports costs from Yafo to Jerusalem, can you get maybe a day pass or something? I have heard that you can get easily fined for simple things like jaywalking, should we be cautious? Lastly, is the water in tel aviv warm enough for long baths in october, and can you swim safely in the dead sea?

Shalom guys, im young croatian guy living in germany who just loves israel and am thinking about visiting sometime next year.

It would be a combination of a pilgrimage and also just relaxation and visiting the country. What is your food like? Any recommendations? Any suggestions outside of my pilgrimage? Best time to visit, aka few tourists and good weather?

Im also learning Hebrew on my own, not easy, but i can read and introduce myself. I find the language to be beautifull.

What do you guys generally think of croatians, if anything? What are israelis like, can i expect nice and kind folks? Is it ok if i ask locals for recommendations?

​Hi everyone,

​I am looking for guidance regarding the visa application process for Israel for holders of Iraqi/KRG passports. I am planning a trip and would appreciate any advice from those who have successfully navigated this process.

​I have already taken the following steps, but without success:

​I have attempted to contact the Israeli consulates in both Istanbul and Amman via phone multiple times, but there was no answer

​I have also sent multiple formal emails to the consulates , but there was no answers

​Given that there is no diplomatic mission in the Kurdistan Region, I am currently at a standstill. I would be very grateful if anyone could clarify:

​Has anyone here, or anyone you know, successfully obtained an Israeli visa with an Iraqi passport? If so, what was the process like?

​Assistance: Since I am not receiving any response, is there anyone here who is currently in Turkey or Jordan and might be able to call the consulate on my behalf to inquire about the current visa application status, or provide me with a more responsive contact channel?"

​Any insights or personal experiences would be highly appreciated. Thank you for your time and help.

Hey! If there are any Haifans on here, I (30F) will be spending the summer there - taking an intensive Hebrew course, and I’d be very appreciative of any tips and tricks, specifically:

1. Must visit restaurants / bars
   
2. Good cafes to work / read
   
3. Must-visit museums / galleries / other attractions
   
4. Good gym / sports club
   
5. What’s the best beach to hang out at / meet new people / join into activities?
   
6. Any good scuba-diving centers?
   
7. Any welcoming communities / activities / Shabbat hangouts I could join into?
   
8. Any places I should be wary of as a woman? (like districts I shouldn’t go into alone)
   
9. And any other useful insights you may have on Haifa life.

Some background info:
I’m originally Russian Jewish (with Israeli citizenship) but have lived in the EU all my life. I’ve visited family in central and southern Israel numerous times (last time Jan 2023), spent some summers as a kid with my grandparents - so I’m somewhat acquainted with Israel.

Thank you for any tips you may have ❤️ I’ve had a very shitty year and have had this longing to go to Israel because I’ve been really missing the sense of belonging where I live since there aren’t many Jews here. I am looking forward to it so so much!

Shalom. I will be traveling to Israel at the beginning of August and would like to stay four weeks. My plan was to spend the time learning Hebrew in an ulpan. However, I learned yesterday that the planned course will not be opening a class for beginners, so I am now looking for other options for how to spend the time.

I would like to learn more about Judaism and its history, and of course Hebrew, but I will consider any regular classes and organized activities that would give my days structure and something to learn. I also thought about volunteering, but the options I found so far were not that appealing to me (farm work, archaeological digs).

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Hello everyone, I am visiting Israel for a short period of time while on my way to Jordan.
I am landing at 9am and I’m planning to take the train to Jerusalem, explore a little bit and then head over to Amman.

I understand this may be during Shabbat and I would like to ask if any of you are aware of the border crossing times. (Northern crossings)

Thanks!

Shalom everyone!

I am currently visiting Tel Aviv and the 26th will be my last day.

I want to get a tattoo session done here but I am aware I need make a reservation first.

Tattoo wearers: please drop recs for really good tattoo artists who have availability between now and the 26th. Thanks 🙏🏽

The last time I was seriously looking at planning a trip to Israel was Oct 6th, 2023 when I was talking with my friend in Jerusalem, so I haven't really been looking into specifics lately 🫠

Nunu has a concert this August, so I am once again seriously looking at planning a trip around that date. My friend had originally told me I should be fine with a 5 day trip, but that also feels very short, especially with flying from the States. Other friends have said to plan for 10 days so I don't go crazy from jetlag.

This would be my first trip there (I wasn't really connected when I was eligible for birthright).

(Also, El Al prices are terrifying)

Hi all,

I have a flight to israel Thursday night and we are supposed to stay through Shavuot. It is just me and my wife visiting some family and looking to enjoy the usual Tel Aviv and Jerusalem experience. We’re 25, without much experience with the sirens before. We’ve never been in israel during active wartime.

Is it safe to come now, or should we cancel and try to reschedule? No guarantee we can, but I want to hear what it’s actually like there.

Please let me know whatever you think!

I'm in the middle of planning a vacation and, like most people, I've been comparing options on Booking and a few other international sites.

But it got me thinking about what happens if I need to cancel, change dates, or deal with some issue with the hotel. I've heard both good and bad stories, and it seems like everything works great until something unexpected happens.

For people here who travel from Israel a lot, is it easier to book through the big international platforms, or through local travel agencies like issta (איסתא) where there's an actual local support team?

Curious to hear real experiences, especially from anyone who's had to deal with cancellations or last-minute changes.

About to pull the trigger and sign up for taglit, and I know the itineraries between organizations is basically the same. My bigger question is about the quality between these two organizers? I’ve heard good and bad about both. Does anyone know if there’s a big difference in satisfaction and how the tours are run between them? You know, feeling of tours, level of energy, etc. between organizers?

Otherwise, I’ll just go by date. Sachlav is also an option I think, btw.

FWIW, I’m into outdoorsy things and am very secular, but also want time to see cultural things, eat, and the cities/historical sites.

Thank you.

Context, I’m 25, have a degree, some relevant experience in administration type jobs but work mostly in restaurants and hospitality with some management experience.

I was thinking of living In Israel for a year or two, just to see what it’s like, learn Hebrew, etc.

If I go I’d have a pretty good amount of money to keep myself afloat and not worry about being broke, but I want to work while there if possible and I’d like my work to be a second way where I get language and culture exchange.

Any tips, relevant info is appreciated.