I have been going to Israel pretty regularly in the past 15 years.
I don't have any plans to go in the immediate future. I’m waiting until the nest of evil Gazan cretans with their rockets are cleaned out of their nest. I have very little interest in seeing the inside of a dozen bomb shelters.
The most startling thing about Israel is its normalcy. In every way Tel Aviv compares favorably to a normal American city with: high quality maintenance, reliable electricity, cleanliness, first class transportation, fun activities and superb stores. Israelis are much more fun, wonderful, energetic and interesting than I would find in most American cities.
Israel also has another quality. Because it is such an amalgam of immigrants from a much larger part of the planet than any other population, Israeli’s are uniquely interesting. I recommend this set of photos to give you an idea of how unique and different Israel is.
The other interesting, if not just purely fascinating, aspect of Israel is the visitors instant comfort with the the way military life is integrated with daily living. Israel has no choice.
Lefties hate guns, lefties hate the military, lefties are filled with hate for everything because their lives are so miserable and depressed. The military mix in daily living is no place for a Lefty.
Israel is extraordinary on the planet. Israel is the unique case where the military has been totally integrated into society in visible ways that does not in any way resemble the tyranny that military means in Egypt, China or any other country where the military represents the authoritarian government.
On this page are two of my favorite photographs from the collection referred to above. I can't tell you how shocked, stunned and filled with pure pleasure I was the first time I saw three young women with their M16s slung over their shoulders shopping for women's dresses.
Nor can I tell you how comforting it is to see people on buses, in stores, in taxis, in shuttles and waiting in line with an automatic rifle over their shoulder. It gives a great sense of security it also lets you know that militarized presence in a truly modern society can be comforting.
It is sad that the Left is so powerful in America that we don't get to see ordinary citizens wandering around with guns to protect us.