Guest post by Mitchell Halberstadt – USA After a long evening in Jerusalem — first at the Western (“Wailing”) Wall, and then trying (unsuccessfully) to find my way out through a hellish tangle of unmarked streets teeming with Chassidim and Arabs (in separate neighborhoods), none of whom spoke English — I found my way to […]
How much to tip, and when? I’ve been asked these questions a few times recently which prompted this post. In general tipping in Israel and the West Bank (Palestine) follows the same pattern as other countries. However there are a few significant differences between Israeli and Palestinian culture regarding tipping. If someone provides a service […]
Many people like to have an alcoholic drink now and again. Some like to party on a regular basis. However every country has it’s customs and regulations regarding alcohol. Israel and Palestine are no different. ISRAEL and JERUSALEMInside Israel, west of the Green Line, the laws are clear. The drinking age is 18 years but […]
The Gate Cafe at Damascus Gate was busy yesterday as the East Jerusalem population emerged from Ramadan. I sat and had a coffee with my friend Haitham and his cousin Abed, talking politics as usual. Two stories emerged that I’d like to share with you. They reflect the complicated identities of Palestinians, Arabs, Jews and […]
