1. On May 14, David Ben-Gurion announced the establishment of the State of Israel, and the members of the Provisional State Council present at the same time were invited to put their signatures under the declaration read out by Ben-Gurion. But here's the problem: since everything was prepared in a hurry, the organizers did not have time to put the text of the declaration of independence on a specially prepared scroll, which they had to sign with the signatures of 37 of the most important representatives of the Jewish population of Eretz-Israel. I had to improvise - the members of the council signed ... an absolutely empty scroll, and only a few days later the text was drawn up on it.
2. Immediately after the declaration of independence, the Jewish state was attacked by the armies of neighboring Arab countries. On May 15, Egyptian aircraft bombed Tel Aviv, and Israeli air defenses chalked up the first success: one Egyptian aircraft was shot down, and its pilot ejected and landed on a citrus plantation near the town of Nes Ziona. He will go down in history as the first enemy soldier captured by the Israeli army, and - to his great surprise - he was taken prisoner by two soldiers who first arrived on the scene.
3. By the way, on the wreckage of the Egyptian pilot's plane were the emblems of the British Air Force - it was one of the aircraft transferred by the British to Egypt. This covert (and sometimes open) help from Great Britain to the enemies of Israel did not end there. Few people know that on January 7, 1949, Israeli pilots had to twice engage in combat with British Air Force aircraft that invaded air space Israel. As a result, five British planes were shot down, and this taught the United Kingdom a new reality: the Jewish state is not to be trifled with.
4. David Ben-Gurion seriously considered the possibility of initiating a mass conversion of the Bedouins to Judaism, since he believed that they had little to no connection with Islam. With the creation of the state, representatives of the Bedouin tribes of El-Heib and Khuzail voluntarily joined the ranks of the Israeli army, but it never came to conversion - a full-fledged accession to the Jewish people - it never came to pass.
5. During the War of Independence and in the first years after it, Israel lived modestly and even poorly. Many products were sold by cards, and sometimes there were not enough of them. Here, for example, are the increased monthly norms per person, established in the second half of 1952, when there was more food: 150 grams of vegetable oil, 100 grams of tomato paste, 450 grams of jam, 56 grams of chocolate, 1 kg of sugar. A child under 12 years old was also entitled to 250 grams of rice.
6. At this time, only a few could afford large purchases. It was believed that such wealthy citizens through taxes should help those who are poorer. For example, in 1953, the government decided to impose a special "luxury tax" on shoes, refrigerators, nylon stockings and ... playing cards.
7. It is all the more surprising that during these years automobile production was established in Israel. In the early 1950s, a factory appeared near Haifa, where cars of various brands were assembled - Studebakers, Willis, Kaiser-Frasers, Renault and Hino. In just 18 years, approximately 56 thousand cars were produced with the proud inscription Made in Israel, a third of which were even exported to European countries.
8. In 1956, two Arab terrorists who entered Israel from Egypt and killed several civilians were sentenced by a military court to hang. However, the sentence was never carried out. The fact is that in Israel there was no hangman.
9. In 1961, the Jewish state faced another shortage. After Israeli intelligence agents discovered the fugitive Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Argentina and kidnapped him to be tried in Israel, it turned out that there was no armored glass in the country that could be used to build a cage to hold the accused in the courtroom. There was a serious fear that someone would simply kill the organizer of the Holocaust right during the process, and therefore it was necessary to urgently order such glass in Belgium, and then test it with machine gun bursts. The court sentenced Eichmann to death penalty, and this time the hanging man, fortunately, was found.
10. Even before the establishment of the state, the Zionist movement made the greening of Eretz-Israel a national task that concerns everyone and everyone. Since 1948, 240 million trees have been planted in a small country! As a result, Israel is the only territory in the world where, over the past century, the number of forests has not only not decreased, but, on the contrary, has grown.
11. The dream again, as in ancient times, to make the country flourishing, also captured foreigners. Who was honored to plant a tree in the Land of Israel? Here is just a short list of world celebrities who have decided to take a direct part in the gardening of the Holy Land: Albert Einstein and Frank Sinatra, Jacqueline Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk and Michael Douglas, Brooke Shields and Sharon Stone. Elizabeth Taylor did not limit herself to trees alone. At the height of the Yom Kippur War, when Israeli soldiers heroically held back the onslaught of the advancing Arab armies, she went on a tour of European capitals to collect donations for the recovery of wounded IDF fighters.
12. Ben-Gurion was not only the first prime minister of the country, but also its symbol. If in those years the media were as indifferent to privacy as they are today, then his wife Paula would certainly have become a symbol. She herself prepared food for him for the whole day, and then invariably came to the prime minister's office or to parliament to make sure that this food was served to her husband exactly at the hour appointed by her, and that he completely eats it, leaving nothing.
13. In the early years of Israel's existence, it was accepted that a person holding a high government post should change his foreign-language surname to a Hebrew one. So, Shkolnik turned into Eshkol, and Chertenko into Tzur. Someone willingly obeyed this unspoken rule, while someone tried to shirk. Isidor Roth showed the greatest ingenuity: when he was appointed head of Shabak, the Israeli Security Service, he changed both his first and last name and announced that he was now Easy Dorot. Thus, the Hebrewization rule was observed, but the sound did not change at all.
14. Israel's ninth independence celebration was marked by a football match between the IDF team and the French army team. 38,000 spectators witnessed the victory of the Israelis with a score of 3:1, among which was David Ben Gurion (this, by the way, was the first time he came to football). However, it was not without the ingenuity characteristic of the Israeli army: the IDF team actually consisted of players from the national team, who were called up for urgent army training before the duel with the French military.
15. A year later, in April 1958, France sent a completely different delegation to Israel - fireworks specialists. The fact is that I wanted to celebrate the decade of independence on a grand scale, but there were no real connoisseurs of pyrotechnics in the country. This problem was solved with the help of 12 specialists from the French "Ruggieri" - the oldest and largest pyrotechnic company in Europe, dating back to 1739. It is they who, distributed according to different cities of Israel, gave the grateful audience a world-class salute and managed to draw a white and blue coat of arms of the state in the night sky. But by the next holiday, the art of fireworks had already been mastered by Israeli specialists, and the country became independent even in pyrotechnics.
16. In 1959, Israel acquired the first underground transport: the Carmelit began to operate in Haifa. It is interesting that the initiators of this venture borrowed the idea from Herzl's futuristic-prophetic book "Altneuland" - among other future achievements of the Jewish state, the founder of political Zionism described in it the Haifa "suspended electric train that will connect the port with residential areas on the Carmel Range." Contrary to popular belief, Carmelit is not a subway, but a funicular, which is also considered the shortest underground system in the world. public transport.
17. In the summer of 1961, Israel signed an agreement with the Netherlands on the supply of 80,000 Israeli Uzi assault rifles there. Modest by monetary standards, the deal was a real breakthrough: before that, the Jewish state itself was looking for where to buy weapons, and now it has stood up and could already think about military assistance to other countries.
18. On January 2, 1963, the Israeli parliament decided to increase the salary of the country's president from 540 to 1,500 liras per month. President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi strongly opposed this move, and when the parliamentarians did not listen to him, he decided to donate half of his salary to the scientific Foundation for the Study of Eretz Israel.
19. In 1960, two retired American soldiers set about searching for the remains of the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, destroyed by the Almighty nearly four millennia earlier. These attempts have not been successful. The Americans were sure that the goal of their search was at the bottom Dead Sea, but quickly became convinced that it was impossible to dive to a depth in salt water.
20. In November 1987, another colorful American, Sylvester Stallone, arrived in Israel to shoot the third film in the Rambo epic. As befits a superstar, he demanded an armored car and was quite surprised to learn that there are none in Israel. In response, Stallone (an ardent supporter of the already mentioned Uzi assault rifle) stated that he was ready to rent the world's best Israeli Merkava tank for his movements, but even this request was politely refused.
1. Israel is a paradise for tourists. There are excursions for every taste. Religious tourists can go to biblical sites. You can visit Christian Jerusalem or Jerusalem of the three religions, where you will be taken to significant places for Muslims, Christians and Jews. Those who like to improve their health and soak up the sun can go to Dead Sea, where you can not only lie in salt water and not drown, but also visit hydrogen sulfide and mud baths. Men will be interested in an excursion to the Tank Museum under open sky where collected military equipment different countries and years. Not far from the museum is the Latrun Monastery of the Mother of God, where the silent monks live. The monastery has a small cozy shop selling wine and brandy. Those who wish will arrange a tasting. In the same area is the Mini Israel Park, where all the significant sights of Israel are presented in miniature. The park will be interesting for both adults and children. For flora lovers, the Utopia Park is open, where orchids grow and butterflies soar. And women should look at the Diamond Exchange in Tel Aviv, where experienced gemologists will help you choose a stone to your taste and budget.
2. Israel is a desert. When approaching coastline you will see nothing but sand and sand-colored houses. But it is worth finding yourself on the ground, and you will change the first impression. There is a lot of greenery here: cacti, palm trees, lawns. All lawns have an irrigation system. On the grass, you can safely lie down to rest, which is done not only by tourists, but also by local residents. But there is plastic grass on the dividing alleys of roads, you don’t need to lie on it.
3. Ben Gurion - the man and the airport. The International Airports Association recognized it as the best in the Middle East three times. They say that only two suitcases out of a thousand are lost in Ben Gurion. Tested on personal experience: on one of their arrivals, another passenger took my bag by mistake, the bags turned out to be exactly the same. And I found his bag on the conveyor. On the same evening, they delivered it to me in another city.
4. The capital of the country is Jerusalem. The main government offices are located there. But business center Israel is recognized as Tel Aviv, where the headquarters of international corporations and consulates of most countries are concentrated.
5. As in Russia in any city there is Lenin Street or Lenin Square, and sometimes both together, so in Israel in every city there is a street named after David Ben Gurion or Theodor Herzl. In general, the ideologists of Zionism are sung here in every possible way.
6. The institution of official, that is, formalized by the registry office, marriage does not exist. More than once they tried to push the bill through, but in the Knesset (local parliament) it does not gain the required number of votes. Therefore, there is only religious marriage. Only representatives of one religion can play a wedding. Interreligious lovers will have to make a trip to Cyprus or the Czech Republic, where you will be signed at the town hall in 5 minutes. Israel recognizes marriages performed in other countries.
7. In connection with the current situation, the so-called "Paraguayan marriage" is widespread. This is a marriage that does not require the presence of two parties at the ceremony. It is concluded by a notarized power of attorney for marriage from the future / his wife / spouse. The marriage certificate is certified by the Israeli consul in Paraguay and officially recognized. Such a marriage is recommended for couples who are afraid that if they leave, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will refuse to let their spouse, a citizen of another country, into the country. 
8. The week starts on Sunday. And on Saturday (Shabbat) everything dies out. Although, as the locals say, now is not the same as 15 years ago, some shops are open.
9. The population of the whole country is equal to the population of half of Moscow. Of these, a quarter are Russian-speaking immigrants from the CIS countries.
10. official languages in the country are Hebrew and Arabic (this is the second language, but the main Hebrew), but English is also recognized (even signs are duplicated on it), Russian (where would it be without it), Georgian, French and Amharic.
11. There are probably not as many French as in Israel in France either. There is even a joke about this: "If you want to learn French, go to Eilat." (Eilat is a resort and the most Southern City country located on the Red Sea).
12. Hebrew is a simple and very logical language. You just need to get used to it, especially to the fact that there are no vowels in the alphabet and that it is written from right to left. The craving to open books first, and not from the end, as expected, is difficult to overcome.
13. There are few words in Hebrew, and verbs in general are four times less than in Russian. Therefore, at the very least, you will be able to express yourself pretty soon, it will take about 6 months, subject to constant conversational practice. It will take much more time to read philosophical works, but “shukovsky” (from the word shuk - market) you will “take” Hebrew quickly.
14. In Israel, you can live your whole life and practically do not know Hebrew, even Israelis born here will understand you. But as a job, you will not be able to advance further than a seller in a souvenir shop for Russian tourists. To find a good job, you need to know Hebrew.
15. And here is Russian folklore for you from repatriates from the CIS countries: “I live in a hole, I swim in a hole,” which means: “I live in an apartment, I swim in the sea.” Apartment in Hebrew - dira, sea - yam :) 
16. The climate is humid and hot. In winter, however, it is quite cool: +15 degrees here feels the same as “0” in Russia.
17. Here you can easily meet a girl in sandals and a fur coat, or vice versa in short shorts and a T-shirt, but in fur boots.
18. Around June, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea becomes extreme. A myriad of scalding jellyfish approach the coast. Their venom leaves severe burns on the skin. It is better not to swim and wait for the number of these inhabitants of the seas to decrease. When they leave, droplets of poison will annoy vacationers for another week, so take a bottle of vinegar with you. If the burn is large, then before the provision of professional medical care, vinegar will save you.
19. It is almost impossible to buy land for ownership. There is a private sector, but the land is leased for almost a century. A 3-room apartment without repair will cost about 200-250 thousand dollars. Therefore, many live in rented housing for decades or take out a mortgage.
20. The average salary here is 2 times higher than in Russia, but at the same time, prices for a number of goods are 3 times higher. Therefore, when you receive 2,000 thousand dollars here, you will pay half for renting a small apartment, a quarter will go for food and household goods.
21. Utility bills eat up another quarter of the salary. Electricity is twice as expensive, water is almost worth its weight in gold. Everyone has a filter at home, as drinking from the tap is not recommended. And then in the kidneys, not only sand and stones, but also bricks for building a house will appear :)
22. Everyone has split systems and in every room in the apartment. But they try not to turn them on and endure to the last, both when it's hot and when it's cold, electricity is expensive.
23. If you got your own car here, get ready to pay 7 shekels ($2) per liter of gasoline. And the price keeps going up. But the locals are ready to spend any amount just to go to own car rather than on public transport. 
24. By the way, every Thursday evening and every Sunday morning you can’t squeeze into buses and trains without special skills. The reason is that the soldiers are released from the army to go home for the weekend. Almost everyone is released in turn, wherever they serve, and every 2 weeks.
25. The population of Israel today is about eight and a half million people. Therefore, if we take the dynamics from 1948, when only 806,000 people lived in Israel, which allows us to say that the population has grown 10 times over the course of 67 years.
It is worth saying that about 6,251,000 people, or 74.9%, live on the territory of Israel, in addition, the second largest nationality are Arabs. They are home to 1,730,000 people, which is about 20.7%. In addition, there is a category of "others" - these are Christians, non-Arabs who have a different religion. The same class includes repatriates who do not have a religious affiliation, but were repatriated using the "Law of Return". This category in Israel includes about 364,000 people, which is 4.4%.
These statistics take into account all the Jews who live in the lands of Judea and Samaria, while the Arab population living here, who does not appreciate kosher products, is simply not taken into account.
Approximately 176,000 children are born in Israel every year and about 44,000 die. At the same time, children are most often born in Jewish families, while among the Arabs there is a slow decrease in the number.
It is worth saying that in orthodox families, the number of children can reach 6-7, an ordinary Jewish family - 2-3 children, religious - from 4 children. In Muslim families, you can meet from 2 to 4 children. Of the total number of people living in Israel, Bedouin families can be distinguished, in which there are from 4 to 6 children and who are very fond of receiving Jewish gifts.
Up to 32,000 new repatriates come to Israel every year, and since the day Israel declared its independence, more than three and a half thousand repatriates have moved to live, which amounted to about 41.9% of the total population. Of this number, a third of all repatriates are from Asia and Africa, another two-thirds came from Europe, including from countries former USSR as well as America.
According to religious preferences, Jews are divided into secular Jews - about 43% of the total number of Jews, 20% - consider themselves traditional, while separating from the religious, 15% are traditional religious Jews, 10% are religious and 9% are Orthodox. As we see, National composition Israel is not very colorful, but it has its own specific features.
26. Patriotism is developed to unprecedented heights. Almost all young people, even repatriates who came here as teenagers, consider it their duty to serve 3 years in the army. They say that if not they, then who will protect the parents and the house.
27. Relationship with neighboring countries Israel is tense. Here, as nowhere else, the phrase is relevant: "If you want peace, prepare for war." And the citizens of Israel are ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
28. Many citizens carry weapons. Most often it is a service weapon. Security officers, guards, etc. Not to mention conscript soldiers who generally go on leave with machine guns. At first it's wild, then you get used to it.
29. There is a metal detector frame and one or two security officers in front of the entrance to every shopping center (canyon), government office, schools and universities. As you pass through the frame, your bag will be opened and the contents examined. And absolutely without demand. They take safety very seriously here.
30. Police cars run here often. But civilians and tourists are not bothered. However, once I saw such a picture: on a three-lane road, a policeman stopped a minibus for speeding. The minibus was moving along the extreme right lane and stopped there, the police car stopped in the middle lane, blocking traffic. The policeman came out, asked the driver of the minibus to leave, and very violently and loudly explained to the driver of the minibus that he was wrong. Gathered onlookers. Temperamental got a servant of the law, although there are all the same. East anyway.
31. There is practically no crime in Israel. As the locals say, they simply have no time to think about all sorts of nonsense, as they have to work very hard. Parents calmly let their minor children go for a walk all night.
32. Currency exchange is carried out mainly by Georgians. Inexplicable but the fact.
33. Trains in Israel are double-decker. Be sure to ride :)
34. Israel is famous for its medicine. And she is really at a very high level here.
35. A working citizen does not have to worry about his health, insurance will pay for even expensive studies and procedures, if they are necessary.
36. There are many old people in Israel, due to the long life expectancy and good medicine. And they do not sit at home, but remain socially active. If necessary, a social worker will be assigned to the elderly person, who will help around the house, prepare meals and keep company for a walk.
37. Children here are full, especially girls. There are generally fewer women in Israel than men, so even not very pretty women can easily find a mate.
38. There are many children in Israel. If you believe the statistics, then approximately 3 children per woman. The country owes this high rate to religious citizens, in whose families there are 5-7 children.
39. The local population is very friendly, they will help and explain on the fingers. If you know a little Hebrew but make mistakes, you will be corrected and absolutely without malice or ridicule.
40. There are no stray dogs, but there are a huge number of cats. When kind locals go out to feed the homeless cats, a whole flock of 20-30 quite heavy muzzles comes running. They don't starve here. Even pigeons calmly pass in front of their noses, absolutely not fearing for their lives and health. 
41. Insects in Israel are in trouble. American-sized cockroaches - 5 centimeters in length. It is worth leaving a piece of chocolate on the nightstand by the bed for the night, the ants will eat it and drag you into the anthill. Therefore, everything edible, including potatoes, must be stored in the refrigerator, and not in a bag in the pantry. Cereals and pasta are best stored in airtight glass jars, otherwise the weevil does not sleep, it will destroy everything cleanly.
42. In cafes and restaurants in Israel, they are fed for slaughter. If you order tobacco chicken, be prepared to receive a chicken the size of an adult hen. And if you want to taste pork, then you have a direct road to Russian establishments. Pork is not kosher.
43. In general, with regards to the cuisine, here it is very diverse. After all, repatriates from many countries came to Israel. Some borrowed dishes have become national. Like, for example, the Yemeni khug (something like adjika). It is eaten mainly with meat, but some individuals also add it to borscht :)
44. Also national dish is hummus - a snack of chickpea puree, which is poured with olive oil, sprinkled with various seasonings and eaten with pita. Some Russians call it a sealant because of its appearance, but it is very tasty.
45. Falafel, deep-fried balls, is also made from chopped chickpeas. The dish is Arabic, but in Israel they are very fond of it. There are even crackers with the taste of Falafel. They are very good with beer.
46. A lot of Russian shops under signs in Russian, with Russian-speaking sellers and Russian products. But I never found the classic Doktorskaya sausage.
47. If you like low-fat kefir, do not trust the inscription in Russian “Kefir 3%”, in terms of density it resembles 15% sour cream, you have to transfer it from the bottle with a spoon into a mug. It is better to take a 1.5% analogue of Israeli production, it is more like a familiar product. 
48. In supermarkets, prices are higher than in the market, and much more. Therefore, most people buy at the market, where vegetables are even cleaner than in stores, potatoes are all washed. The choice of fruits is colossal, and they are not considered exotic in Israel.
49. Can you imagine what an oriental bazaar is? The sellers do not just shout, they yell, and not just any words, but simply make sounds to draw attention to their outlet.
50. If you meet a bakery on your way, do not pass by. The pastries are simply amazing: mini pizzas, pies with potatoes, tuna, spinach, cottage cheese, etc., not to mention the classic oriental sweets. Lick your fingers.
51. The most significant of all religious holidays in Israel (which is not actually a holiday, but rather a day of remembrance and mourning) is undoubtedly Yom Kippur or Judgment Day. On this day, a strict fast, you can not drink water. It is forbidden even to brush your teeth and wash your face. Driving a car, talking mobile phone also taboo, radio and television do not work. But the children are free - they ride bicycles and roller skates right on the roadway, even on the tracks.
52. As in any country in the world, being a tourist and living in it are two different things. But in Israel, this contrast is felt especially.
53. Both boys and girls serve in the army, thin and full, tall and short, healthy and not very healthy - everyone finds something to do.
… ancient land, where the concentration of the mysterious and amazing just rolls over. And among this mysterious, touching and amazing, we have chosen the 10 most interesting facts. Enjoy!
1 Subway branch
The world's smallest metro line is located in Haifa. Its length is only 1.8 km, which accounts for as many as 4 stops. Milota!
2 Walk across the country
In Israel, this is easy, because it can be crossed on foot in 2 hours, if you go across (from east to west). But from north to south you would have to go about 9 days.
3
Israel's coastline is one of the smallest in the world (of course, among the powers that have it at all) - only 273 kilometers. And, nevertheless, the country has as many as 4 seas - the Red, Dead, Mediterranean and Galilee.
4 Weird Democracy
The Israeli state system was created on the principle of democracy. However, it is one of three countries in the world that does not have a constitution.
The Israelis were the first in the world to invent a "repellant" from jellyfish.
6
During excavations in Israel, a vessel with two thousand years old seeds was found. They were planted in the ground, and a palm tree grew, which became extinct almost 1800 years ago.
7 Honorary post
The post of President of Israel was once offered not to anyone, but to Albert Einstein. However, the scientist politely refused.
8 To treat or not to treat?
The Jerusalem Syndrome, in which people believe that a Divine gift has descended on them, occurs precisely in Jerusalem. Pilgrims stricken with illness change into togas, which are often made from sheets, read sermons and arrange processions in this form to the holy places of the city. He is being treated inpatient.
9 This is our everything!
In Israel, you can buy hummus flavored ice cream.
10 You won't believe it, but...
All Jews aged 18 to 26 are eligible for a free 10-day trip to Israel.
Hello everyone, my dear viewers!
I am very glad to welcome you to my channel, in this video I want to talk about 10 things that can surprise a Russian person in Israel. If you're interested, stay with me. I would like to note right away that everything I will talk about today is exclusively my experience, my observations and my opinion, and completely different things may be unusual for you. Be sure to write in the comments what surprises you in Israel, it will be very interesting for me to read your opinion on this matter.
So, let's start, the first thing that can surprise a Russian person in Israel is that in Israel there are a lot of people with machine guns: on the street, in a store, in a shopping center, in a cafe - everywhere you can meet people with machine guns. When you come to Israel for the first time, it can be a little shocking that there are people with machine guns everywhere around you: soldiers, people in civilian clothes, fragile girls with machine guns. And when you have been living here for some time, it already becomes so ordinary, so ordinary, that you no longer pay attention to it.
The second thing that can be very surprising for a Russian person in Israel is that most Israelis consider military service not some kind of obligation that they do not want to fulfill, for most Israelis military service is an honor. And for me, as for a Russian girl who has lived almost her entire conscious life in Russia, it was very surprising for me to hear at first that people are happy to give several years of their lives to the army, to the service of their homeland, and that they remember this time as best time in their lives, that they are proud of it and happy that they served in the army, of course, for me it was very unusual and surprising. Of course, there are exceptions, and there are people in Israel who want to avoid military service, by hook or by crook they try to do it, but this is very, very rare, and other people consider it a real shame, “and how is it that a person does not want to serve the army, does not want to pay his debt to his homeland, this is shameful. And such a person will not be respected for sure. Of course, in Russia, I am sure that there are people who are not trying to get away from the army, and are ready to pay their debt to their homeland, ready to serve in the army with joy, but most young people are trying in every possible, impossible way to get away from the army.
The third thing that can really surprise a Russian person in Israel is some religious traditions, prohibitions, and so on that sometimes reach the point of absurdity. I'll give you an example. Surely all of you know what Shabbat is. This is Saturday, this is the last day of the week in Israel, and on Saturday the believing Jew should only rest, he should not do any work. This does not mean that a believing Jew should not just not work on Saturday, it means that a believing Jew should not use any electrical appliances, he should not start a car, he should not cook, he should not light a fire ... Sometimes, under these religious prohibitions, Traditions should be adjusted by non-religious people who, in general, have some kind of only indirect relation to religion. Let me give you a specific example: we have an elevator in our house, to call the elevator you need to press a button, but a believing, religious Jew should in no case press the button on Saturday. And so all Saturday our elevator runs in Shabbat mode. What does it mean? This means that our elevator travels through all floors, stops at all floors, stays on each floor for a while, about a minute, and goes on, and so it goes up and down, up and down. But the fact is that while he passes all the floors, stops at each floor, it takes a very long time, sometimes you have to wait for the elevator for a very long time - five minutes, and ten, and sometimes even longer. Yes, of course, you can say that you can go down the stairs on foot, you can walk up the stairs on foot. Yes, in principle, you can, we live on the fourth floor, but the fact is that we have a child, and, therefore, a stroller, and somehow with a stroller it’s not very convenient to go up and down to the fourth floor all the time. stairs, so we have to wait.
The fourth thing that may seem very unusual to a Russian person in Israel is, let's say, the style of an average Israeli. As a rule, Israelis do not care what they wear, how they look, and others do not care how you look either. Very often you can meet on the street, in cafes, restaurants, shopping malls people in sweatpants with stretched knees, a torn T-shirt, and no one will look at this person condemningly, no one will think that he is a bum or a drunkard, he got into a fight, his T-shirt was torn ... For Israel, this is absolutely normal, and if in this form go to a restaurant, for example, then no one will tell you that there is a dress control and you can’t enter here in this form. You can enter in any form in almost any restaurant. Of course, there are exceptions, for example, you cannot work in this form in a bank, the bank has some kind of dress code. But basically, people don’t care how they dress, the main thing is that it is comfortable, that everything is ventilated, everything is cool. This also includes the fact that Israeli girls very rarely wear heels. Of course, you can meet girls in heels on the streets of Israel, especially in the centers major cities, but this is very rare. And mostly girls wear high heels only for some events. When compared with Russia, the vast majority of girls walk in heels, even judging by myself. When I lived in Russia, I constantly wore shoes with heels: I went to work in heels, I rode the subway in heels, went shopping in heels ... But when I arrived here, I realized that there was no such thing here, and this one such a relaxing atmosphere, the atmosphere to dress in something more comfortable, let's just say, it is, of course, very contagious, and I took off my heels, and now I put on shoes with heels only for some events.
Another one interesting thing about the style of an average Israeli - a Russian person, it may surprise you that at 20 degrees Celsius you can meet people on the streets in down jackets, boots, boots. For example, at 20 degrees Celsius I put on a T-shirt, a skirt and open shoes, and very, very dressed people can walk around me, for me dressing like this is only suitable for zero degrees, for minus five degrees, but in Israel, Israelis, apparently, are 20 degrees of heat - it's cold, and therefore they are insulated, this, of course, still amazes me and very, very surprises me. And quite often you can see such situations that there is a guy in flip flops, shorts and a T-shirt, and next to him is a guy in a hat, down jacket, warm pants and some winter boots.
The fifth thing that can be very surprising to a Russian person in Israel is that, as a rule, a car in Israel is only a means of transportation. If in Russia, for example, a car is very often a means of prestige, and a person may not have an apartment, but, having accumulated a certain amount of money, buys a car for himself, then this will not happen in Israel. And very often you can come across such a situation that there is some very expensive mansion, a house in some very prestigious area of Israel, and next to it there is a very, very simple car, some shaggy years. Sometimes you even come across very broken-down cars, in which the headlight is stuck with adhesive tape, the door, you already think, will fall off now. A person with an average income and a very, very rich person can drive one brand of car. You will never determine, either by car or by appearance, how much money a person has. And so in Israel there are very few expensive cars such as Mercedes, BMW. They, of course, occur, but if you look at the percentage of Russia, they are much smaller. And as for some very expensive sports cars, for example, Ferrari, Maserati, Bugatti, in the three years of my life in Israel, I have never seen such cars. Of course, I am sure that there are such cars in Israel, but I think that they can be counted on the fingers. Although everything here is conducive to the fact that if you have a lot of money, buy yourself such a car and enjoy driving on good roads because in Israel, in fact, the roads are very good.
Sixth unusual fact, which can be very surprising for a Russian person, is that there are a lot of stray cats and cats in Israel. This is due to the fact that cats live very, very well in Israel: they know that no one will touch them, they are fed, it’s warm here, it’s good, they sunbathe here in the sun and enjoy life. Of course, the state of Israel is trying to fight the breeding of cats, but somehow it doesn’t work out very well. The state catches cats, castrates them at its own expense and releases them back, but cats tend to multiply exponentially, of course, this method does not really work, so there are a lot of cats in Israel. By the way, a very interesting fact is that when a street cat or cat is castrated, a small piece of the ear is cut off to him or her so that people know whether this cat or cat is castrated or not.
2. The population of Israel, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics, on April 27, 2017, was 8,680,000 people. Israel ranks 93rd in the world in terms of population.
3. Israel has the most museums in the world per capita.
4. Israel is in second place in the world in the production of books per capita.
5. Israel is one of eight states capable of launching its own satellite into space.
6. The Dead Sea coast is the lowest piece of land on Earth.
7. In 1964, Israel became the first country to establish subsidiary Motorola outside the United States. Motorola in Israel specializes in providing unique communication solutions in areas such as control systems, the creation of a monitoring terminal system for the postal service, and the development of products and software solutions for cordless phones. Israeli engineers working for this company in Haifa developed the first mobile phone.
8. Israel has the most scientists per capita.
9. The first antivirus was developed in Israel in 1979.
