Jewdoo Economics
The Israeli economic system belies common sense. So far as I can tell, on average, wages are about half of what they might be in the States. Yet, many things cost twice as much— certainly, anything imported. Electronics, fuel and utilities are significantly more expensive than in North American. How people manage to survive with such a disparity, I haven't been able to get my head around.
The goal of many is to own their own home. But by home, I mean "condo" as most people live in apartments. The benefits of that aren't entirely clear. mortgage structures are radically different. The minimum down is typically 20%— with preference to borrowers who put down 50%. Additionally, many interest rates are linked to cost of living, which during the inflationary 80s and early 90s could fluctuate wildly. And after squeezing you on terms, most mortgages further require guarantors.
An older article from the JPost describes some of the options.
The streets of Tel Aviv
The streets of Tel Aviv-- the birthplace of Ilan Ramon-- are unusually quiet today. People talk in hushed tones. The weather is warm and bright, but feels overcast.
Addendum: I wrote the preceding from a Dizeingoff Center Internet cafe. Afterwards, I went outside to grab a falafel. As I sat there, the skies went from bright to hazy-dark, as a storm blew in the dust and silt from the desert. The sun looked like the moon, a faint disk glowing in the grey heavens. The weather matched the mood exactly.
Since then, the temperatures have been chilly.
Smokers ’r us
Among America's most successful cultural exports must be the tobacco habit.
By my reckoning, smokers are about a quarter of the population in Israel. (My guesstimate was right on the money -- see the articles below.)
Movies feature an intermission apparently geared towards smokers; half way through the projectionist stops the film and brings up the house lights to allow those who are jonesing to step outside a drag.
Attempts to create smoke-free environment are admirable. At one mall, every square support pillar in a common area has a no-smoking sign. To hammer the point home, the signs have been placed on each side of the pillar. With each pillar about 4 meters apart, it makes for a sea of no smoking signs wherever you look. Yet, the anti-smoking laws are only about a year old, and widely ignored.
January 20, 2003
Survey: 51 percent of non-smokers are afraid to ask smokers to put out their cigarettes in public places
At a press conference yesterday marking the first anniversary of laws banning smoking in public places, Health Minister Nissim Dahan assailed local authorities for failing to enforce the bans.
Dahan said he was shocked at the local authorities' unwillingness to cooperate with the enforcement of the bans and warned that if the they did not change their attitudes he would - in the event he remains health minister after the elections - transfer enforcement powers to the Health Ministry.
Dahan presented the results of a survey commissioned by the ministry that showed that 51 percent of the non-smoking public are afraid of a violent reaction if they ask people smoking in public places to put out their cigarettes. Dr. Mina Zemach, who conducted the survey, described the data as astonishing.
`People are killed over parking spots'
Dahan said that if people were killed in disputes over parking spots, it was no wonder that people were afraid to speak up against smoking.
By Haim Shadmi
Israelis feel healthier, smoke less study
Despite the intifada, recession, and surging unemployment of the last two years, Israelis smoke less, feel healthier, and are generally more likely to take care of their health than in 2002.
These are some of the rather surprising results of a Health Ministry survey conducted recently. The data were disclosed by Dr. Dov Tamir, head of health promotion in the ministry's public health services branch.
Contrary to expectations, only 26 percent of the representative sample said they smoked, compared to 27% in 2000 and 28% in 1994. Sixteen percent of young women and 29% of young men aged 18 to 24 smoked last year; the figures were 20% of women and 28% of men over the age of 45.
Security
With my Americanized eyes, I pick up on the oddities of daily Israeli life that have become the norm for most residents.
The drivers here make the French look like the Germans in terms of patience and respect for other vehicles. Being a passenger with an Israeli behind the wheel is a test of one's nerves and blood pressure. It's like a themepark ride, except without the safety measures. In large part, I think the driving method (or lack thereof) is an outgrowth of the country's ad-hoc mentality. So much of what was built up in the past was slapped together as quickly as possible. The streets here curve and meet in bizarre intersections because the paths and asphalt were laid down in sections, before any urban planning was possible. You try to figure out how to get around with roads like these.
I've seen two cars simultaneously pass both sides of a slower driver... on a highway on-ramp. And all three try to share one lane when they get on. Cars cross medians to make turns. Cars drive on either side of the road depending, I suppose, on the motorist's preference. Cars make U-turns in the middle of the street. Cars push their way in front of you without signalling if you leave them a meter of room. Any road courtesy you learned in drivers ed goes right out the window.
But for all that, there are few horns to be heard, as it appears Israelis actually expect this sort of behavior. The only time you're sure to be honked at is if you're taking too much time.
Everyone seems in a hurry to get somewhere, and because the road system is so inefficient and unregulated drivers think they'll never get there unless they push the other guy out of the way.
Depending on whom you talk to, the risk of traffic fatalities here is either twice or four times higher than the risk of being blown up by a terrorist.
And the parking is as bad as the driving -- cars are left at odd angles and places as if their owners are merely running in to drop off a Blockbuster video.
But the real stand out is the heightened security measures everywhere. Want to go to the mall? Your car is searched before entering the lot. At the door to any establishment is a guy with a hand-held metal detector. Women's purses are checked at every entrance. Men get a quick once-over with the wand. The movie theater has its own NASA Command Center to monitor surveillance video. The supermarket has mini-cams above every register. A security officer approached me when I took a picture of the lot at the local grocery. He wanted to know if I had permission to photograph the cars. He asked for my place of residence and birth. He seemed unsure as to why someone would want to take snapshots of automobiles parked in a bizarre fashion. It would have been comical, if he didn't look like he might take my camera just to be difficult.
Next time: the smokers!
Elections-a-go-go
Sharon does the victory dance
Tuesday was the Israeli national pastime known as Knesset Elections. It's a holiday, to make voting more convenient. In a country of only 4.7 million voters, in such turbulent times, one would expect nearly everyone to vote. This year, however, the turnout was the lowest ever-- around 68.5%-- a percentage that would make US politicos cheer, but one that has cast a shadow over the Israeli landscape. The people are frustrated and understandably unsure of what to do. Anecdotally, leaders speak of the 70 percent paradox: polls reveal that while around 70 percent want concessions for peace, 70 percent also support Ariel Sharon and his stance against concessions. As the old joke goes, "Two Jews, four opinions." Unfortunately, each citizen only gets one vote for the Knesset.
The style of elections is vastly different from the familiar US system. How different? Let me count the ways.
For one, there are 27 parties, each of whom has the potential to gain seats in the 120-member legislature. In order to get a single seat, a party need only get 1.5% of the vote. That's less than 50,000 votes this year. Ballot selection is on a party basis, with each offering a list of candidates which are chosen in blocs. The percentage of votes determines the number of seats the party receives, and who gets called upon by the President to form a government. If the leading party fails to create a working coalition within a month, the President can ask the next party in line to give it a shot.
Voting is by paper ballot, counted by hand. For protest voters, there's even a "None of the Above" box.
This year, the continued violence and economic doldrums put the leftist Labor party in a tail-spin. It didn't help that their chosen frontman Amran Mitzna, ex-general, ex-mayor of Haifa, was seen as weak on the Palestinian Question. Pollsters gleefully announced that any other candidate leading the Labor ticket would do better. It was a given he would be beat by Likud, the question was only by how badly. For Mitzna, it was day to take it on the chin. Labor had their worst showing in their history, getting voting mandates for only 19 seats, down from 25. Likud took 37, up from 19. The Shinui (Change) Party pulled an upset, doubling in popularity and gaining 15 seats. Shinui's main platform is reducing government support for the ultra-Orthodox -- a popular proposal. They've committed themselve to creating a secular government and promise not join a coalition inclusive of the Shas religious party.