Country Customs & Cultures
Israel Statistics
- Capital: Jerusalem
- Population: 7,353,985
- GDP: $219,400,000,000 (USD)
- Total Area:
8,019 (sq miles)
20,770 (sq kilometers)
Greetings
- Man greeting Man - Men shake hands warmly when greeting one another and maintain direct eye contact. Handshake are often combined with slight touches on the arms and/or elbows. Good friends and family may engage in light hugs. Some men greet men with a handshake in a business setting and a cheek kiss (first right cheek, then left cheek) in a social setting. Always use the right hand when greeting Muslims.
- Woman greeting Woman - At a first meeting, a handshake will suffice. Friends may kiss each other once on the cheek. Always use the right hand when greeting Muslims.
- Man greeting Woman - At a first meeting a regular handshake will do.Men greet women with a handshake in a business setting and a cheek kiss (first right cheek, then left cheek) in a social setting. If you are addressing a person who is religiously observant (men would be wearing a kippah, women would be in a skirt covering her knees, a shirt that covers her chest and arms below the elbows, and perhaps a head covering if she is married) follow their cue as to whether or not to shake hands or simply exchange verbal greetings.
- Note: It is taboo for religiously observant men to touch women and vice-versa.
Communication Style
- Israelis are known to be very direct and to the point. Many foreigners feel they are
- Israelis tend to speak quite loudly and at a fast pace. It may appear as if they are yelling and annoyed but it is most likely a normal tone of voice.
- Market places and traffic are crowded and aggressive. People become impatient and honk and yell. Additionally, cabs may try to rip you off if they know you’re foreign, so ask them specifically for the meter. (In Hebrew, “efshahr moneh?”)
- Israelis appreciate honesty and discourse over hypocrisy and insinuations.Israelis are warm people, very open, honest, and direct. They will tell you exactly how they feel and what they think.
- Israelis favor direct eye contact over indirect. Maintaining eye contact is viewed as sense of respect and interest in the person who is speaking.
- Israeli men and women are equal for the most part.
- Women are educated, work in all parts of society, but also raise children and are active in home life. There is a larger separation between male and female spheres with religious people, they tend to interact only with people of their own sex.
- Women hold the same rights as men and hold positions of power in the political, corporate, and civil defense arenas.
- In religiously observant households, women are expected to do most if not all of the cooking, cleaning, and child rearing. Most do not work outside the home.
- The legal drinking age in Israel is 18 years old. It is somewhat enforced.
- 18 is the minimum age to purchase both cigarettes and tobacco. Smoking is banned in most public spaces.
- Smoking is extremely common among people of both genders and of all ages. The legal drinking age is 18 and is increasingly enforced. Drugs are somewhat common but not readily available, use is illegal and punishable. J-walking is punishable with a fine (50-100 shekel).
- Drugs are illegal in Israel. Possession can result in heavy fines, imprisonment, or deportation. Trafficking will most likely result in a lengthy prison sentence.