[yldstrk]

I will fly El Al when I go, I have been wanting to go

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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[bravo whiskey]

I will fly El Al when I go, I have been wanting to go

ME TOO

[EinNYC]

By all means, GO! Israel is a beautiful country with very friendly Jewish residents (I can't vouch for any of the Arab ones---all they did was scowl at us when we visited Hebron in a bus with bullet-proof glass windows--I scowled right back at the b___.) See the awe-inspiring Kotel (Western Wall) and other significant religious sites. And try the delicious food. Make sure to treat yourself to the fish and pasta dishes in restaurants. The fruits and veggies are mostly grown right there. No one has tomatoes as good as Israel! The hotel buffets are legendary and the food is so wonderful and plentiful. There are fascinating museums, wonderful family-friendly zoos and parks, and EVERYWHERE you go is archaelogy and artifacts. Ein Gedi has beautiful waterfalls and nature trails as well as ancient pagan temples, can't remember if they're Greek or Roman. There is the Dead Sea with its soothing mud. There are the Bahai Gardens in Haifa, which are of unearthly beauty. There is the sparkling turquoise Mediterranean to behold. There are shops and markets with cool stuff to buy, anything from souvenir t-shirts to religious items. Visit the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem, with many of the animals mentioned in the Torah. Visit Masada and see how the Jewish zealot residents had to make the heart-rending decision that they did. Go tubing on the Jordan River. Visit a kibbutz and see their local industry, be it agriculture or woodworking. Go for a boat ride across Lake Kinneret (AKA sea of Galilee), it's fun. See the building housing the graves of the patriarchs and matriarchs (unfortunately under Arab supervision). Visit local wineries and sample their goods. Walk through the ancient cisterns under Jerusalem.

For such a tiny country, there is a LOT to do, whether it's to refresh your spiritual soul, delight your eyes, enlighten your knowledge of history, or just have fun.