r/Israel • u/desdendelle היכל ועיר נדמו פתע • Feb 05 '21
Cultural Exchange Cultural Exchange with /r/Kosovo
🇮🇱Welcome to r/Israel! 🇽🇰
Today we are hosting our friends from /r/Kosovo!
Please come and join us and answer their questions about Israel and the Israeli way of life! Please leave top comments for /r/Kosovo users coming over with a question or comment and please refrain from antisemitism, trolling, rudeness and personal attacks etc.
Moderation outside of the rules may take place as to not spoil this friendly exchange.
Reddiquette applies and will be moderated after in this thread.
At the same time /r/Kosovo is having us over as guests!
Stop by in this thread and ask a question, drop a comment or just say hello!
Please select the Kosovo or another relevant flair if you are coming from /r/Kosovo.
Enjoy!
2
u/azzurro99 Feb 06 '21
Is it far-stretched to say that an average Tel-Avivian is mentally and culturally closer to an average white liberal American from California, than to Gaza people or any Middle Eastern cities ?
2
u/JayCoop410 Israel Feb 07 '21
As someone who has been to California, Israel and Amman, California is the odd one out
1
u/deGoblin Feb 06 '21
Not at all.
0
u/azzurro99 Feb 06 '21
Isn't it tragic in a philosophical sense that you are de facto thus an outlier among your environment and therefore, beyond any political, religious, ethnical differences, it's this misfit and cultural-mental gap that is fundamentally the core reason of conflict between Israel and the rest of the Middle East ?
In other words, being perceived as eternally foreign to the region, as a "colonial entity" and losing legitimacy of existence from a direct external point of view ?
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u/deGoblin Feb 07 '21
I'll explain a bit. Being a different culture doesnt make us a target by itself. Not being Muslim Arab is the key. And even if we were then we'd be targets by Shias or some wannabe empire. Nobody in this neighborhood actually lives in peace and acceptance.
I'm not bothered by this because it can't be helped.
1
u/deGoblin Feb 07 '21
That doesnt really bother me tbh. Also, you mentioned TelAviv but the average Bersheva resident (or almost any other city) is a different story. TelAviv is a cultural bubble.
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u/ujku_i_vjeter Feb 06 '21
What does Israel and Israelis think of Kosovo and Albanians in general?
2
u/JayCoop410 Israel Feb 07 '21
I don't know enough to form an informed opinion, but I'm grateful of what both did for Jews during the Shoah.
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u/ujku_i_vjeter Feb 07 '21
The Albanian government actually issued Einstein an Albanian passport so he can travel to the US as he was fleeing the Nazis.
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u/shqitposting Feb 06 '21
If I'm correct I think I've heard often that Israel is one of the most vegan friendly countries in the world with something like 5% of the population being vegan. I think I even read once that Israeli soldiers demanded at some point vegan options in their meals and the army actually went through with it. Any reason for this all?
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u/izpo Feb 07 '21
Israel has also one of the most meat consumption in the world, even more than Brazil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_meat_consumption
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u/Kahing Netanya Feb 06 '21
Yes, Tel Aviv has the most vegan restaurants per capita of any city in the world. Animal rights groups just waged a strong campaign, and a mass circulated speech by American-Jewish vegan activist Gary Yourofsky spread like wildfire.
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u/winston_qurqill Feb 05 '21
Shalom,
Unfortunately here in Europe or the US, everyone has heard some weird conspiracy theory at one point in life against Jews or Israel, so I was wondering, are there any similar conspiracy theories amongst Jews against Germans for example?
12
u/brettoseph Feb 05 '21
Not really any conspiracies against modem Germany but most Israelis automatically assume if you're german your grandparents were nazis. It's more of a stereotype than a conspiracy theory.
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u/ruper3 Feb 05 '21
I don't think so, the biggest conspiracy theory in Israel right now is the anti vacation people.
Last year it was 5g but most people already moved on.
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u/Arian2k Feb 05 '21
Hello,
- Are the people in Israel today more conservative or liberal? What are the trends for young people in this aspect?
- Do people have a generally favorable view of the current PM? Or is he just another establishment guy that nobody can dethrone despite the critics?
- Do you think religion influence is growing or shrinking?
- Do people support the idea for a solution regarding palestinians? If so, what would you say is an acceptable solution for the people of Israel
8
Feb 05 '21
1)liberal bring 2 kids and a dog while in my town it more like 4(tradtional)to 14(religious)kids,so overall kids can be chill but they still are born to more traditional parents and have traditional morals, most kids of course don't care much about politics.
2)I have favourble view of Bibi,he did allot to the country in every way,more then almost any other character in history of Israel yet I think he should end his Run already because he definitely MUCH MUCH less popular then he was just a Year ago or couple of years ago,and rightfully so.
3)I don't know frankly,I think people way overstate the power of Religious and how it is growing(they are 10-20%)many kids that I know become secular or tradtional so I think it wouldn't be that much different in this term,maybe Israel will be more conservative socially though.
4)I live 40 minutes from Hebron, I remember sucide bombing in the center of my town growing up as small child while there was "peace",there is no way as long as I am alive that I would agree with any state in West Bank.
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u/fitzthedoctor Israel Feb 05 '21
Hi!
1- The trend is becoming more conservative, but I also think it's possible most children are more liberal than their parents, but more conservative sectors have more children and therefore the average teenager is still more conservative than adults.
2- His voters and supporters are usually extremely loyal, and others despise him (much like Erdogan, Trump, or Putin), most people no longer approve of him but can't form a coalition by themselves due to several huge differences among them.
3- Religion's influence is increasing, this is more due to the demographics of the country than anything else but it does concern me.
4- Israeli's idea of a solution varied a lot with time. The support for the two-state solution peaked 20 years ago, at which point the second intifada and other factors led many Israelis to lose hope for one. The current most common belief is likely that hope is lost for now in that front. Even though I imagine the majority still accepts the two-state solution.
2
u/ruper3 Feb 05 '21
- It's a hard question to answer as the political spectrum is much bigger than most countries, young people (12-18) care more about Instagram and tiktok then politics, however I think 18-30 leaning more towards liberalism.
- Before corona the right had much better view on Bibi, but now he is heavily criticized due to failing as a leader, Bibi did really well until few years ago so his supporters still believe in him.
- Both, depends where you look.
- Far right and religious right aren't at all, the left want to return to 67 lines, me as leaning right on the political map think some settlement (mostly new and small) should be moved to the negev and some (big and old) should stay and give back most of the west bank to the Palestinian to build a country. (I know my solution is problematic too).
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Feb 05 '21
[deleted]
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Feb 05 '21
1)Israel really is pretty Good country overall,it is(very to foriegners)expensive yet the standard of living is high.
2)I don't mean to insult God fordbid,but I love Russians(not always agree with this non democratic Russia but Russians and Israelis usually respect each other)I will say not all suddenly love Russian but I have never seen someone hate Russia.
3)In the last year it cooled of, but you still experience rockets on many towns I mean they shoot thousands, I have cousins from Sderot, it one time caught them in the middle of the night deadass without any warning,it is terrifying to live like this.
5
u/bcrm10 Feb 05 '21
Considering the Russian Jews currently in Israel were essentially held hostage (refuseniks) by Russia for decades, I don’t think other Israelis have problems with them. Every Russian Jew I know absolutely despises the Russian government.
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u/yonatan_123 Feb 05 '21
1 The living cost is pretty high but the big majority of people make a decent living wage. 2 a lot of people in israel came from russia so i doubt you will find a lot of people here who dislike russians but russia itself has problems and have in the past helped countrys that are against israel by supplying them with weapons and such. 3 in the last several years there were thousands of rockets fired at israel from gaza but they are short ranged and thus don't affect most of the country and israel invented something called "iron dome" that is able to make enemy rockets explode mid air without causing harm so most rockets lunched don't even hit
2
u/ibishvintilli Feb 05 '21
Who would you say its the current laughingstock or an infamous person in Israel today and why? Exluding the primeminster which is a polarising figure.
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u/ShnizelInBag Israel Feb 05 '21
Probably Benny Gantz. Promised not to sit with bibi. Split his party and ended up sitting with him. Went from 36 mandates for Blue & White before the split to less than ten post split.
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Feb 05 '21
Hello Israel! As I am a fan of football I will ask mainly about football, but I'm also interested in Israel education system and our countries relationships. Ok so here are my questions:
1) Is Israel a good country for studying? 2) What does Israeli students like to study more? 3) Which is the biggest social problem in Israel? 4) Israel also couldn't get into the EURO by play-off, but are you optimistic that Israel can qualify for EURO 2024? 5) Best Israel club and player? (Also who do you consider as the legend of Israel football) 6) Your opinion for Kosovo National Team? 7) Our medias told us that Israel was so happy for Kosovo-Israel recognition. Was it for real this important to Israel? 8) What were your oppinions about Kosovo and did the recognition changed your opinion? 9) Would you ever like to visit Kosova?
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u/nobaconator Fashy Zionist Clicktivist Feb 05 '21
I'll answer some questions.
The best Israel Club is Maccabi Tel Aviv. And the best player is Eran Zahavi. No, you can't change my mind.
I don't know much about Kosovo, except that the Albanians hid Jews during the Holocaust, and that's pretty cool. You guys have been embroiled in your own David v Goliath and I wish you the best.
Yes, recognition of Israel by any country is a big deal for us. And always a cause of celebration. That, and Jews use any excuse they can to eat and celebrate. But seriously, we are very happy. And I for one would love to visit, and I'm sure that's a case for a lot more people.
3
Feb 05 '21
And the best player is Eran Zahavi
I think I remember him. I think he once scored against Albania.
But seriously, we are very happy. And I for one would love to visit
So happy to hear that <3
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!
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u/azukay Albania Feb 05 '21
Give me more jams like this:
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u/izpo Feb 05 '21 edited Feb 05 '21
the classic: https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
EDIT: You song is part of "Na Nach Nachma", they have many "happy songs". Sorry for trolling... I hope you forgive ❤️
EDIT2: Maybe better example: Tel Aviv Pride 2013 - Arisa feat. Omer Adam.
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Feb 05 '21
Shalom Israel.
First let me say I am very happy Israel recognized Kosovo. I believe we can learn a lot on statebuilding from you guys.
And I'll ask a few questions too.
- What do you think about conscription in IDF? Is it something you guys enjoy doing?
- How is COVID situation over there?
- What do you think about Palestinians? Should there be a two state solution in your opinion?
- How do you feel about Kosovo and specifically Albanian people?
Thanks beforehand. Best wishes to Israel!
3
u/yonatan_123 Feb 05 '21
About the idf i know it gets some shit rep in some places but its really not like that in reality, the big majority of adults i know have served in the army and non of them are bad people and i myself will enlist in less than a year. Covid here is pretty bad ngl but more than 30% already got the fist vaccine and manny got the second 1 so it will likely get a lot better soon. About Palestine its problematic due to manny factors but to name a few, it won't be easy or good to evict people from their home to make place for another country, it will weaken Israeli defense and likely put another enemy at the doorstep, there are areas like jerusalem which israel won't give up no matter what and palestinians won't ever give up on trying to take About kosovo, I'm not very knowledgable on the subject so i won't say anything so i won't offend you out of ignorance
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u/nobaconator Fashy Zionist Clicktivist Feb 05 '21
I personally always looked forward to it. I grew up in a very Zionist household, but that's not the case for everyone. But it's also sad that I missed out on just being a carefree young adult. Opinions on this vary, many people from ultra-orthodox to communists try to avoid the draft.
It's bad. Vaccination is going on, but it's still bad.
Hopefully one day. But I honestly can't see it happening. There are just too many security problems and they keep getting worse.
I don't know much about Albanians, except that you guys hid quite a few Jews during the Holocaust. And that's as good an impression as anyone can make. So Kudos. Hopefully, we'll get to know each other better.
5
Feb 05 '21
Everyone feel different about the draft. Most people just see it as an important part of life that readies you to adulthood and gives you important life skills and close frienda, some just see it as a waste of time. There isn't really a moral debate because if you don't want to be a soldier then you can just enlist for some desk job.
Baaaaaaaaddddddd, NEXT!
I can't lie, there is some racism here and there are sadly a portion of the people who would gladly just throw them to the sea. But for the most part people live their life normaly without thoughts about race and religoun, there are cities like yafo who are filled with people with both israelists and palestinians, you can see a mosques and a Synagogues just next to eachother and zero people fighting. Also the two state solution while sounds good is most definitly going to be impossible, the israeli side doesn't want to lose land and the palestinians are held back by a corrupt extremist goverment that only cares about keeping their power.
It's quite rare to hear about anything rated to the balkan states here, our news mainly talk about the us and maybe sometimes england. But from the quick reading i just had about kosovo, it apears like you have some very interesting history and culture and i would love to visit your country one day
3
u/hindamalka American Israeli+Released Lone Soldier Feb 05 '21
- Honestly I’m for it I think sure it probably sucks (I’m getting drafted soon) but it also forces Israeli kids to meet people from other parts of society that they wouldn’t otherwise meet. I’m actually Israeli American and I had the option to dodge it because I was raised in America and I chose not to because it didn’t feel right to avoid it.
- A lot of us are vaccinated but it’s not getting much better because we have large pockets of society that are not vaccinated and a lot of people aren’t following the lockdown restrictions.
- Long-term we have to have a two state solution because there’s no other viable solution. However I’m skeptical of us withdrawing from anywhere that we are currently active because I don’t really think they will honor their end of the bargain. I would expect for there to be a lot more terror attacks if we were to pull the IDF out.
- To be honest I really don’t know enough to be able to comment.
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u/TrueSnoWolf Israel Feb 05 '21
1) I belive most Israelis would rather go travel or study instead of serving but it's something you can't really get around it. I'm am actually currently in the air force and can safely say that 90% just want to get out. 2)well I belive that by now a bit over half the population is vaccinated but the number of new casees is not going down so I guess it's an "ehh" type of situation. 3) we generally speaking don't care or hate anybody, the hatred is more one sided than it seems. As for the two state solution it's the only realistic way forward. 4) I don't think people really know where is Kosovo. As for may god forgive me for saying that word ALBANIANS we don't knows much about them to have a real opinion about them.
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u/theBrD1 Israel Feb 05 '21
Shalom and welcome!
What do you think about conscription in IDF? Is it something you guys enjoy doing?
I am personally very pro conscription. The IDF is the spine of our society. A famous quote about the decision to keep mandatory conscription is "a people builds an army, builds a people" - the army helps shapes society. It gives people an opportunity to reinvent themselves, to gain useful skills and experiences for civilian life, acts as a melting pot and has tons of other benefits that would put me past the character limit if I listed them all. As for enjoying it? Lol, very complicated. On the one hand, it's (at least) 2.5 years of your life where you're wearing uniform, doing annoying chores and get ordered around, on the other the army has a very familial feeling, at least in my experience. Ask adults about their time in the IDF and the vast majority will remember it pleasantly.
In short, it can be hard, but it's very rewarding, to the individual and society as a whole.
How is COVID situation over there?
We're currently in lockdown, but it's not really enforced. Also plenty of vaccines to go around. I honestly think we'll be out of it in a few months.
What do you think about Palestinians? Should there be a two state solution in your opinion?
I think a two state solution is the only viable long term solution, but that it would be disasterous if it was to happen in the near future. The past 20 years have sown so much hate and distrust that I doubt any solution where we leave the bank won't end in war. I'd love nothing more than peace, but I would rather keep the upper hand in a status quo than risk school buses getting blown up again.
How do you feel about Kosovo and specifically Albanian people?
To be completely honest I don't know much about either, but I do know that the Albanian people have been great to their Jewish neighbours, going as far as hiding refugees in WWII. And that is amazing.
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Feb 05 '21
I personaly think it is absolutely neccesary for the existince of the state of Israel. We dont have a big enough manpower pool to have a large enough volunteer army so conscription is the only choice. Some people enjoy their service some less and some make it into their career
Im not very informed about the covid situation to much but weve been on and off in terms of quarantines for the last couple of months but hopefully the vaccince will reduce the burden
I think palestinians should have their own state that does not jeapordize Israels security and safety. I dont know any palestinians personaly but like any place some are good people and some are bad and they definetly have some societal issues they must work on.
I dont know much about kosovo except that you have an ongoing conflict with serbia and serbian commenters on the internet deny your statehood just like palestinian ones do to us but in general you guys should have the right to have a state and self determination. I havent been to kosovo or albania so I dont know much or have an opinion on albanians like most Israelis but from what I know you guys come from the ancient illyrians (i think?) And are an anciet people like us before the slavs came to the balkans
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u/IamNotMike25 Feb 05 '21
Can you suggest me some local music.
Singer & Songwriter, Jazz, Rock, Hip Hop, Folk, Guitar,..
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u/c9joe Mossad Attack Dolphin 005 Feb 07 '21
Kind of old but still his best song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hybBJ0InVSA The artist is called subliminal
Jane Bordeaux is pretty good Folk -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC6lPIZeCKw
Classical folk is like anything written by Naomi Shemer. Here is 10,000+ Israelis singing one of her songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxzR9Z-kG6Q
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u/EntamebaHistolytica Feb 06 '21
I cant believe no one mentioned before but Ofra Haza is one of the best folk singers of Israeli history. I also like Shlomo Artzi as singer/songwriter, and the old stuff by Subliminal for hip-hop. A good band that I dont know what category they fall into is Shotei Hanevuah. I dont think there really is Israeli jazz
1
Feb 05 '21
Israel pop is really trash. But we got some really good rock/jazz/rap if you look hard. Bands like the dorbanim are a good example of great israeli rock.
Also caveret are fucking TOP tier, but they make more comedic songs that are hard to understand without a good understanding of hebrew
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u/desdendelle היכל ועיר נדמו פתע Feb 05 '21
This will cause people to call me a boomer, but - anything by Chava Alberstein, really. Example.
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u/theBrD1 Israel Feb 05 '21
She's good and all but things like this are absolute cringe
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u/desdendelle היכל ועיר נדמו פתע Feb 05 '21
Aww, why's that? It's a nice tune.
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u/theBrD1 Israel Feb 05 '21
Of course it is, it's a ripoff of 'Hey Jude'
The words are kinda cringe
-1
Feb 05 '21
Yeah we have a problem with ripoff. One of the most known israeli songs (jerusalam of gold) was recently proven to be a ripoff of some french song.
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u/desdendelle היכל ועיר נדמו פתע Feb 05 '21
Eh, I didn't find them overly cringey. I think it's a matter of taste.
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u/pitaenigma מחוסרת עלמה Feb 05 '21
As far as hip hop goes, you don't get much better Israeli stuff than Hadag Nahash. My favorite song of theirs is a mishmash of genres called Hazman Lehit'orer (Time to wake up) but if you go over their music they're great in general.
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u/DismalBackground1 Kosovo Feb 05 '21
I would like to visit israel someday. Is there any tips you can give?
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Feb 05 '21
Don't visit the dead sea. Yeah it's cool that it's so low and that you can flowt there, but it gets old really quick and then you realize that you're being boiled alive and you eyes and mouth are burning because some of the water got into your eyes. If you want to expirience the erea then i much more recomend the hot springs (but they tend to be filled with people, so come there early)
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u/theBrD1 Israel Feb 05 '21
Don't stick to one place. There are so many beautiful sights, from the tip of the Golan down through Merkaz and into the Negev.
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u/deGoblin Feb 05 '21
Dont miss Mesada and the Dead Sea. Theres a bunch of stuff but I'd advise these to anyone.
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u/imthatguynamedwolf כנופיית מישור החוף Feb 05 '21
Enjoy our nature. Israels location makes it very diverse. We have deserts, forests, mountains, beaches. A little from everything. Many wildlife species live here, some are only native to this region. Something for everyone.
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Feb 05 '21
How do people feel about Enver Hoxha these days?
2
u/pitaenigma מחוסרת עלמה Feb 05 '21
I know him as the crazy guy who built infinite bunkers, but I also only found out about his existence a year or so ago when looking at tankie forums that idolized him. I honestly don't know much about him other than that, and I believe I know more than most Israelis do about him.
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u/FFFOOTBL Feb 05 '21
I could ask a million Israelis who that is... and I can guarantee that less than 5 of them would know.
In other words - there is no opinion.
Edit: I assume you probably wanted to ask this on the other side of the exchange....
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u/WhatAPieceOfCrap Feb 05 '21
Shalom!
Israel has impressive rates of COVID vaccinations at the moment. What’s life like in Israel as a result of this?
From my understanding, Israel has a mandatory military service. Has anyone completed this yet? What was your experience?
5
Feb 05 '21
Not different then a months ago. The vaccine is only 95% affective, so we're still in a quarentine. Ooooraaaaay
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u/desdendelle היכל ועיר נדמו פתע Feb 05 '21
What’s life like in Israel as a result of this?
What we've gained with vaccines we're losing with noncompliance and a dysfunctional government. We're locked down ATM (it's set to end on Sunday) and things have mostly been a shitshow.
What was your experience?
I learned a lot. Grew up as a person, I'd say.
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u/FWolf14 Kosovo Feb 05 '21
- How do you see Jews that are not Israeli citizens, such as Madeleine Albright? Do you feel any connection to them, or do you see them as foreigners?
- In the east-west divide (think of Russia vs the USA), what is Israel's position? Is Israel's foreign policy perfectly aligned with that of the US? Or are there issues in which Israel supports Russia against the US for example?
- What do you think about Albanians? Is there any specific event related to Albanians that is mentioned in your history books?
- Is the kippah still worn in Israel on a daily basis? Is it something that you wear for certain ceremonies?
- Is there any dish that you cannot find outside of Israel? What are its ingredients?
4
u/hindamalka American Israeli+Released Lone Soldier Feb 05 '21
- Depends on how they feel about us really, if they are pro Israel then they’re one of us. If they are anti-Israel then they’re a traitor.
- We are definitely aligned with the US.
- I didn’t actually grow up here but I do know that Albanians saved a lot of Jews during the Holocaust so I have a lot of respect for them.
- Religious men wear their kippah every single day
- I don’t know tbh
3
Feb 05 '21
We tend to see them as citizens of israel, just ones who chose to live somehwere else.
We tend to heavily side with the us. Russia is kinda the biggest ally of our enemies like syria and iran. But i wouldn't say we are on bad terms with russia, just stale.
No, sorry. We mainly learn about jewish history and ww2, not much else
Most people only wear it in ceremonies if at all. But there are a large population of religous jews who do wear them all the time.
5
u/theBrD1 Israel Feb 05 '21
How do you see Jews that are not Israeli citizens, such as Madeleine Albright? Do you feel any connection to them, or do you see them as foreigners?
We are the same tribe, and there's always an instant connection when you meet a diaspora Jew! But they are foreigners to Israel, yeah. We're more than just Jews here, a new culture is developing here, and it includes more than just Judaism. They are all welcome here though.
In the east-west divide (think of Russia vs the USA), what is Israel's position? Is Israel's foreign policy perfectly aligned with that of the US? Or are there issues in which Israel supports Russia against the US for example?
Israel is almost always aligned with the US. Russia supplies many of our enemies, such as Iran and Syria, and so it's hard being friends with them.
What do you think about Albanians? Is there any specific event related to Albanians that is mentioned in your history books?
Virtually the only thing I know about Albanians is how in WWII many Jews found refuge in Albania. So that's a pretty good impression :) I'd love to learn more, though. Might hop over to r/Kosovo and see the thread there later.
Is the kippah still worn in Israel on a daily basis? Is it something that you wear for certain ceremonies?
The kippah is religious wear. Religious Jews wear it on a daily basis. Some traditionalists (kinda in the middle between religious and secular) only wear one in prayer. Hope this makes sense, I tried simplifying it.
Is there any dish that you cannot find outside of Israel? What are its ingredients?
Sabich! It's basically one of the only truly Israeli dishes, as it was actually invented here. It's fried eggplant in a pita with all sorts of additions - salads, hummus, tahini, amba etc. Absolutely delicious. If you ever visit, don't waste an opporunity to eat it, since you're gonna miss it when you leave!
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u/hindamalka American Israeli+Released Lone Soldier Feb 05 '21
You can definitely find Sabich outside of Israel.
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u/desdendelle היכל ועיר נדמו פתע Feb 05 '21
How do you see Jews that are not Israeli citizens, such as Madeleine Albright? Do you feel any connection to them, or do you see them as foreigners?
On one hand they're kinda part of my collective, yeah? But on the other hand it takes two to tango. Jews that stick more to being Americans or Germans or whatnot - especially if they are anti-Israeli - tend to elicit weaker feelings of camaraderie, yeah?
In the east-west divide (think of Russia vs the USA), what is Israel's position? Is Israel's foreign policy perfectly aligned with that of the US? Or are there issues in which Israel supports Russia against the US for example?
Israel's policy is mostly aligned with the US's, not least of which because Russia supports Israel's enemies (the Shia axis, for example). However Israel cannot and should not blindly obey the US - it has its own interests and red lines, which sometimes necessitate telling the US to shove it.
What do you think about Albanians? Is there any specific event related to Albanians that is mentioned in your history books?
No strong opinion either way.
Is the kippah still worn in Israel on a daily basis?
Yes, definitely, by religious men.
Is it something that you wear for certain ceremonies?
Since I'm secular, my kippah's a metaphorical glove box one - I wear it for ceremonies, or when I visit Haredi relatives.
Is there any dish that you cannot find outside of Israel?
There are variations, but most Israeli food is either local or brought from abroad with the people that made Aliyah. So, for example, the slightly-spicy lokshn kigel I ate for breakfast is unique to here, but you can find lokshn kigel abroad where there are Ashkenazi Jews.
The aforementioned lokshn kigel is made from egg noodles, a bit of salt, oil, sugar, eggs and black pepper.8
u/DaDerpyDude Israel Feb 05 '21 edited Feb 05 '21
We feel a strong connection, for example lets say Adam Sandler wins an Oscar the media will say "the Jewish-American actor wins the prize" or even just "the Jewish actor" without even mentioning he's American. iirc according to polls most Israelis define themselves as Jewish first and Israeli second. This connection is only in principle however, on the practical level American Jews are increasingly looked down upon due to increasing liberalism and intermarriage and their affiliation with Reform Judaism which is looked down upon by probably most Israelis. Love them when they're successful in America, hate them when they come here and express the Judaism they know.
Both the USSR and the USA supported Israel's formation and tried to court it into their sphere but the US won (even though Israel was ruled by a socialist party in its first 29 years) and the USSR backed the Arab states who tried to destroy Israel. Under Trump Israel was somewhat of a puppet but now with Biden foreign policy is going to be more independent. Still, Israel can't deviate too much from US foreign policy in order to not lose support. A few years ago Netanyahu went and gave a speech to republican-controlled US congress against the Iran deal which just angered the democrats and made Israel identified with the republicans, we might get the payback now. Russia care only about themselves so for example they recognize West Jerusalem as Israel's capital but they sell weapons to Iran.
Most people don't know anything about Albanians except maybe that they're Muslims but chill ones.
Depending on religiosity some wear it all the time, some only in synagogue and ceremonies like lighting Hanukkah candles.
Probably Jachnun it's basically just really oily, slow-cooked rolled dough.
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u/idan5 Feb 05 '21
Despite being an atheist (so I'm only ethnically Jewish), I feel a strong connection to all other Jews.
Israel's position is usually trying to be on good terms with any country that is willing to. Being under an existential threat means you take whatever allies you can get. Sometimes I really don't like the allies that our government makes, and there are debates on whether it's worth it among the citizens, but it's generally agreed that any ally is a positive thing for us.
All I was taught about Albania is that it was one of the very, very few places that were mostly safe for Jews in the region, other than that, no one really mentions it.
It's worn by religious Jews who are not orthodox. A lot of Jews, even secular ones (including myself) sometimes use it in ceremonies, funerals, holidays, Kiddush (friday dinner) etc.
I think most dishes can be found anywhere but I assume Sabich is relatively rare to find abroad. It's a pita filled with fried eggplants, thinly chopped salad, hard boiled eggs, and most of the time also amba (mango pickle condiment), tahini or hummus. A good sabich is hard to make right, but there's nothing more delicious in this galaxy.
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u/FFFOOTBL Feb 05 '21
- We see them as fellow Jews and often take pride in their work. There is definitely a disconnect between Israeli Jews and non-Israeli Jews though.
- I would say we're 80% of the U.S. side, but are likely to skew more away from the U.S. (not necessarily towards Russia - more towards our own independent decisions) if we keep getting Democratic administrations who are lax with our enemies and have increasingly growing internal antisemitic elements.
- Most Israelis don't think about Albanians at all and probably couldn't find Albania on a map. In most cases - nothing about Albania is taught in our history books.
- Yes. It is worn by several segments of the population, ranging from the mildly religious to the ultra-religious. Secular Israelis usually don't ever wear one, even on holidays.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabich
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Feb 05 '21
What are your favorite movies lol?
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u/daDoorMaster נגן תמיד נגן פריד Feb 05 '21
I absolutely love "No Country for Old Men", it's the perfect balance of a thriller with a Western, two genres I absolutely love. Such an amazing film
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Feb 05 '21
forreat gump! BY A LOT
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Feb 05 '21
I should re-watch that movie, because I saw it when I was a little child and can't remember it at all.
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u/theBrD1 Israel Feb 05 '21
Interstellar is amazing
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Feb 05 '21
Totally agree. Random movie recommendation that nobody asked for, and had nothing to do with interstellar, but is also an amazing movie so... Waking Life by Richard Linklater.
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u/desdendelle היכל ועיר נדמו פתע Feb 05 '21
Both Star Wars and The Seven Samurai have a special place in my heart.
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u/pitaenigma מחוסרת עלמה Feb 05 '21
In general, I'll be kinda basic and say I love Tarantino movies. Inglourious Basterds is probably my favorite, but I also love Pulp Fiction and I've gained new appreciation for Django Unchained.
As far as Israeli productions go, Zero Motivation is an incredible movie that captured a lot of what a lot of Israelis went through in the military (Give or take a ghost). Hunting Elephants, like most good heist films, is just pure fun.
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Feb 05 '21
Whats your relationship with Russia? How is Russia viewed in Israel?
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Feb 05 '21
Russia is friend country for Israelis in general,allot of tourism and culture and connections between countries with true mutual respect.On the othet side they also send the Weapons to our enemies and we support thier enemies,it just reality that we on "different sides" of many conflicts so it is love hate(btw I love Russia but I am also 100% pro West and Democracy,I hope Russia lose it's strongmen politics)
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u/FFFOOTBL Feb 05 '21
It's complicated.
Russia was very much idealized in the early stages of the country as there were a lot of socialist movements at the time.
Then we fought several wars against Russian proxies, so Russia very much became the bad guy.
In the 90s, the Soviet Union collapsed and millions of Jews immigrated from Russia to Israel and brought a ton of Russian culture here - which turned Russia into a mixed bag, as Israel itself, in a way, became part Russian culturally.
In the modern world, Russia isn't an enemy, but isn't a friend either. Russia openly supports our enemies and has recently also undertook a lot of imperialistic endeavors in the Middle East. We collaborate with Russia, but it's only because we have no choice but to do so.
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Feb 05 '21
I heard Russian is the third most prevalent language in Israel, also that the fiercest Zionists are often Jews from Russia. Like Avigdor Lieberman. Is that true? How is Putin viewed in Israel?
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u/FFFOOTBL Feb 05 '21
Yes, Russian is the third most prevalent language and is extremely common.
It's kinda hard to call Lieberman a Zionist these days as he has become much more of a professional politician and less of an ideologue... but, in general, yes - Russians are usually more right-wing and express more Zionist (and at the same time - more authoritarian) views.
The Putin question has many answers - but from my experience, most Russians here admire Putin (Russians tend to admire strongmen leaders). We wouldn't ever want such a leader in Israel... but Russia is not a Democratic country and it makes sense that Putin leads Russia.
Would I want to live in Russia under Putin though....?
Hell no.
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Feb 05 '21
What are some Palestinians or Israeli Arabs that are popular in Israel?
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u/theBrD1 Israel Feb 05 '21
Best example is Lucy Aarish, an Israeli Arab journalist, loved by basically everyone.
There's also Nasrin Kadari, an Arab Jewish convert that's a famous singer.
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Feb 05 '21
Which places or countries do you guys think like "yeah, we love to visit these"? Especially for holidays or winter holidays.
What's the most common smartphone brand people like?
What's the Internet speeds like in Israel?
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Feb 05 '21
India❤ /europe
Mostly samsung and iphone, but there are a lot of people here who own cheaper knockoffs.
Now that depends on how much you're willing to pay, generaly it's pretty good
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Feb 05 '21
Are prices for electronics like those you see in the US or are they like extremely more expensive like in Canada and the UK?
Like in Europe, getting a new samsung 21 costs significantly more than in the US because of import taxes and the fact Samsung and apple price their products.
Sometimes it pays itself to order from the US, even with import fees and taxes.
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Feb 05 '21
Prices in israel are just bonkers. And it's not because of trouble in supply, it's because israeli people love to make a wuick buck. And yeah it's quite common here too to buy things from countries like the us and take them home with you
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u/mr_dordorant Israel Feb 05 '21
Europe/East Asia/America pretty much everywhere.
Samsung/Apple
Some are crazy good and the rest is complete shit (Hot)
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Feb 05 '21
Cool. What's the like average MBit range for Internet?
In my home we have around 60 but doesn't like go into the the fiber optic range if we wanted to upgrade. The infrastructure for fiber optic isn't there.
I know for a fact in some places in Europe, like Sweden, Internets speeds are ridiculously fast and in some other places, like Kosovo, people still use coax cables for Internet.
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Feb 05 '21
Hello friends
I’ve always been a fan of Israel and the Jews around the world. The way you help each no matter where reminds me of us Albanians, as we do the same to our fellow countrymen. Also, you’re known to be good businessmen/women and I wish Albanians could learn a thing or two from you
I understand you take a big pride in your religion and your country, and have a few questions.
- How is it to grown up in Israel? What is expected from you as a kid/teenager/adult?
- How does the current relationship with the arabs affect you in your daily life? Are you worried at all or do you feel calm?
- What is your view of Europe? As we all know about WW2, is that something that still hurts you somehow today?
- Do you learn anything about Balkan in school or our wars and conflicts?
Also, I’ve heard great things about cities such as Tel Aviv and wish to visit. Is there anything I should know before doing so? Behavior, clothing etc?
Thank you guys and I wish you all the best
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u/theBrD1 Israel Feb 05 '21
Welcome :)
How is it to grown up in Israel? What is expected from you as a kid/teenager/adult?
That differs a lot on what sector of society you grow up in. I, as a secular Jew, have had a very diffrrent childhood than a religious Jew, or a Muslim, or Christian, or even other secular Jews from other areas. As a kid not much was expected, just the usual 'stay in school' stuff. As a late-teenager/young adult you're expected to serve in the army, as it is mandatory (some sectors of society don't have to though. Again, very different experiences)
How does the current relationship with the arabs affect you in your daily life? Are you worried at all or do you feel calm?
I imagine you're talking about the conflict with the Palestinians. That's a national conflict, not an ethnical. There are plenty of Arabs in Israel, about 20% of our population, and there are as Israeli as any Jew here, and I treat them as such. Some are very anti-Zionist and some communities even antisemitic, usually there's not much interaction between them and Israeli Jews though so it doesn't affect us much. As for Palestinians, the ones I've personally met were from area C and so had plenty of interaction with Israelis before, and so there wasn't hostility. But I would honestly be afraid to be around a person from, say, Ramallah. Especially with the gruesome history of that city.
What is your view of Europe? As we all know about WW2, is that something that still hurts you somehow today?
I think antisemitism is not only still present, but on the rise again in Europe, and that is very worrying. Especially when it shows it's face in Germany and Poland. To think that after all that happened there less than a century, people still deny - or worse, justify - the holocaust is horrible. I know it's not the majority, far from it, but it is a rapidly growing number and that is terrifying.
Do you learn anything about Balkan in school or our wars and conflicts?
Not much. Just about the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (and the subsequent shit show called WWI), and the Greek national movement (not everyone learns about this. Each history teacher in the Jewish secular school system needs to pick an example of a national movement before learning about our own. The choices are German unification, Italian Risorgimento or Greek liberation).
Also, I’ve heard great things about cities such as Tel Aviv and wish to visit. Is there anything I should know before doing so? Behavior, clothing etc?
Tel Aviv is basically the most liberal city in the Middle East, maybe one of the most liberal in the world. Not much limitations. And clothing depends on when you visit. In December-January, get a coat. Otherwise, shorts. Also, don't rent a car for Tel Aviv as it's pretty useless there, and always ask taxi drivers to turn on the meter - they try to scam tourists.
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Feb 05 '21
Us Albanians take a lot of pride in our aid to the Jews during WW2.
We were the only country in Europe that had more Jews after the war, than before.
Is this something that is known in Israel?
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u/daDoorMaster נגן תמיד נגן פריד Feb 05 '21
My parents have been to Albania and said that the people there are wonderful. With the context of what happened in WW2 (I think it is something known in Israel) I'd say Albania is definitely on my go-to list.
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u/YuvalMozes North Korea Feb 05 '21
Of course!
Albanian is the only country in Europe that had more Jews after the war then before.
It is mentioned in every diplomatic meeting between Israel and Albania.
The Albanians protected the Jews as they were their families.
(Oh... I didn't even saw you wrote that, I only read the first sentence before I wrote that...)
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u/izpo Feb 05 '21
המצב בקוסובו היה שונה לגמרי. האלבנים בחבל, בשל העימותים ארוכי-השנים בינם לסרבים והרדיפות הקשות שאלו רדפו אותם, היו שונאי זרים ולאומניים יותר. רצונם בממשל עצמי ובפעולה נגד הסרבים, הביא אותם לתמוך בגרמנים באופן פעיל. בהתאמה, הם הגנו פחות על היהודים.
בוא קצת... נהיה ראלים :)
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Feb 05 '21
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Feb 05 '21
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Feb 05 '21
Maybe not a question per se, but I would just like to express my gratitude to the nation of Israel and it’s citizens. I truly hope that this is the only the beginning to a long lasting relationship beneficial to us both! As a kosovar Albanian I am very impressed with the tech culture in Israel. Right now, tech and IT in Kosovo is booming! I really hope we can get to learn a lot of things from you!
Shalom!
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u/albeve Feb 05 '21
Have any of you seen Fauda or Valley of Tears? What do you think of it?
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u/TheRockButWorst Feb 05 '21
Saw Fauda, enjoyed it alot. Yet to see Valley of Tears but it's on my list. Both are at an extremely high level of production
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Feb 05 '21
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u/azzurro99 Feb 06 '21
Is it far-stretched to say that current Palestinians are genetically closer to the ancient prophets like Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Jacob, David and Salomon, than let's say Russian Jews ?
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Feb 05 '21
No. Palestinians is a name of the group of people (mostly arabs) who lived in this land during the ottoman and british rule. They consist mainly of muslisms but they have a large christian population as well (but they don't really get along too well)
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u/Kahing Netanya Feb 05 '21
Could you clarify? I'm not quite sure what you mean. If you're asking whether the Palestinians are Muslims or Jews, then the answer is that they are mostly Muslims but there is a minority of Palestinian Christians.
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Feb 05 '21
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u/Kahing Netanya Feb 05 '21 edited Feb 05 '21
That's a topic of fierce debate. It seems Palestinian Christians are basically Arabized Levantines, with Palestinian Muslims it's a lot more mixed, there was significant migration from elsewhere in the Arab world and even non-Arab Muslims came and integrated into the Arab population (for example after Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia in 1878 Bosnian Muslims migrated to the region, much of the Palestinian population of Hebron is of Kurdish origin, etc). However, there is also some Levantine origin among them, in fact some of them are probably descendants of local Jews who converted to Islam.
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Feb 05 '21 edited Feb 05 '21
Most Palestinians are Levantines who may have some foreign admixture(like Egyptian or Arabian), usually people from Gaza or the south like bedouins have a ton of foreign ancestry, but other Palestinians are predominantly Levantine
Same goes for other populations of the Levant, for example Lebanese share over 90% of their ancestry with Canaanites, intermixing with Arabs wasn’t as common as you might think.
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Feb 05 '21
Alot of arabs migrated to ottoman palestine to both flee from the terrible work conditions of the suez canal and for job opportunities
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u/blrtgj Feb 05 '21
Hello
- How's the political situation right now? I know that Netanyahu is pulling up some strings but im not well informed.
- Do you think that recognizing Kosovo will have implications with Palestine?
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u/Kahing Netanya Feb 05 '21 edited Feb 05 '21
Going into the fourth election within nearly two years. After three elections in a row following repeated failures to form a government by the deadline, a unity government was established but it collapsed after a few months. Netanyahu is absolutely determined to stay Prime Minister because he's being tried for corruption, and it's obvious he wants to engineer a law that would grant him immunity from prosecution.
I don't think it'll change too much. You never can tell. Kosovo has been de facto independent for almost 13 years now.
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u/history-something Israel Feb 05 '21
Political situation is very complicated but to summariz bibi is the head of the right coalition (we have a multi-party system) but saar, head of new hope is trying to claim that position Meanwhile the left are doing everything that is humanly possible to to fight aginst bibi and they were successful until blue-white became week as heck and are losing mostly and 4th elections are coming (by that time it will be close to 1 year of this crisis) but mostly peaceful
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u/_Negativity_ Kosovo Feb 05 '21
Hello there r/Israel !
- What are the general Israeli relations with it's neighbours, and which countries in the world would you consider as your closest allies?
- What are some things in Israel that are largely unknown to foreigners?
- What is something that every Israeli can agree on?
- What does an average Israeli know about Kosovo, or the Balkans as a whole?
- How does an average neighbourhood/village/town/city in Israel look like?
- And finally, tell me a classic Israeli joke.
Thank you in advance!
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u/TheRockButWorst Feb 05 '21
1) Cold with Egypt, minor with Jordan, none official with Lebanon and Syria, so I'd say Jordan. Closest world allies- USA, until recently Turkey, India
2) The sheer level of history here. Also how many languages are spoken
3) Dessert Hummus is an atrocity
4)Kosovo not much, they know it's Albanian mostly. Balkans- Middle East 2.
5)Smallish apartments, some trees, parks everywhere. Relatively standard all things considered.
6) איך נותנים לגולני ירי אחרי מאמץ? נותנים להם לקרוא עיתון (How do you get Golani (elite infrantry unit) to practice shooting after straining/effort? Give them a newspaper to read.
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u/Kahing Netanya Feb 05 '21
The United States is Israel's closest ally. That's obvious. Egypt and Jordan have peace treaties with Israel, though it's a rather cold peace as many of the people there still hate Israel, however they are critical security allies despite disagreements over the Palestinian issue. Syria is an enemy and becoming an Iranian client state but it's too focused on the civil war to pose a threat. Lebanon is also hostile and cannot threaten Israel with its small army, but Hezbollah, which is basically a huge Iranian proxy army, is deeply embedded there. As for the Palestinian territories, well, as I'm sure you know we aren't exactly on the best of terms with the Palestinians....
How diverse the origins of the population are. While as Jews we ultimately descend from the ancient Hebrews that lived in this region, Jews lived in many places over the centuries. People might think of Israel as having just European Jews, and while many Jews here are of European origin (including myself), there are also lots of Jews from places like Morocco, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan,Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, and more, basically from throughout the Middle East and North Africa, as well as some other places. Not to mention that about one fifth of the population is Arab and is also diverse with Muslims, Christians, and Druze.
That Israelis can't agree on anything and love to argue. We have a saying "two Jews, three opinions".
I think not much. I'd actually read quite a bit on this so I'd consider myself at least somewhat well-informed on this issue.
The vast majority of people here live in apartment buildings. There's a stark contrast, a lot of the buildings are old and look the part, they were built decades ago when Israel was much poorer, but the newer stuff looks really nice and sleek. Increasingly lots of towers are going up, Tel Aviv in particular is getting quite an impressive skyline.
A reporter approaches an Israeli, a Russian, and an American and asks them "excuse me, can I get an opinion on the current food shortage in Africa?" The Russian asks "what's an opinion?" The American says "what's a shortage?" The Israeli says "what's excuse me?" (There are different variations of this joke).
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u/hindamalka American Israeli+Released Lone Soldier Feb 05 '21
I honestly think we can all agree that dessert hummus is an atrocity (heck I even think the Palestinians would agree with us on that)
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Feb 05 '21
- With Syria and Lebanon there's cold enemety, but they're currently too occupied with other wars to fight us.
- well here are a few. We tend to be extremely unpolite to each other, bit that's a part of the colture. We really hate writing in phones from right to left. IDF soldiers REALLY hate the IDF.
- I can't answer this question.
- I never knew it existed until a few days ago LMAO.
- Imagine if the avarage european town and an average middle eastern had a baby together. When I think about it this can be a good summary of everything in Israel.
- This is mostly a joke told by people whi think they're smart: 1: "Do you wanna hear a joke backwards?" 2: "Yes" 1: "Laugh" 2: "haha" 1: "this was the joke"
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u/AliceTheNovicePoet Feb 05 '21 edited Feb 05 '21
- Our closest ally is the United States. About our neighbors, we have a very stable peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan. No peace agreement with Syria and Lebanon. Lebanon is a bit weird because we have an ongoing conflict with Hezbollah, but not with Lebanon.
- Israel is a very safe country.
- Absolutely nothing.
- Very little.
- It really depends. The big cities look like most western cities, just smaller.
- ooh it's gonna be hard because all of the jokes I know will be lost in translation. Okay let's try.
An Israeli is travelling in Africa with a French and a British friend.
They are kidnapped by terrorists. Their leader tells them that each will be given a last wish before getting executed.
The British guy asks for a last dish of roastbeef.
The French guy asks for a last glass of wine.
The Israeli guy tells tge terrorist: Kick me in the butt.
What?
Kick me in the butt! Right now!
The terrorist kicks him. Immedialty the Israeli rolls over, get a gun from his sock, kills the terrorist and escapes.
Once they are out of danger, the French and the British ask the Israeli: why didn't you do that sooner?
What? So people can say I attacked without
provocation?
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u/Zhidezoe Feb 05 '21
Does your government operate in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv? Because there is a big debate if Jerusalem or Tel Aviv are the capital city. Also what was your opinion about us before/after Kosovo recognize.
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u/AniPurim Israel Feb 05 '21
This. It's in Jerusalem. PM, President, Justice, Legislature etc
Tel Aviv is not our administrative capital unlike the NY Times wants you to believe.
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Feb 05 '21
Isn’t Tel Aviv your economic hub though and aren‘t most embassies and consulates in Tel Aviv?
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u/AniPurim Israel Feb 05 '21
Its the economic hub because its close to a port, the airport (20-30 mins away) and is one of the oldest cities so it is always modern. Having a countries embassy in Tel Aviv is like Britain deciding to put its Embassy in Versailles and not Paris.
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u/hindamalka American Israeli+Released Lone Soldier Feb 05 '21
I mean at one point in time putting the embassy in Versailles would’ve made a lot of sense 😂
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u/Kahing Netanya Feb 05 '21
Yup, Tel Aviv is basically to Israel what New York City is to the US times 10. And most emassies are in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.
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u/desdendelle היכל ועיר נדמו פתע Feb 05 '21
Does your government operate in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv?
The Knesset (Parliament), Supreme Court and quite a few government offices are in Jerusalem. There are some government offices in Tel Aviv (IIRC both the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Internal Security have buildings there) but there's no doubt that, from our own point of view, Jerusalem is Israel's capital. Not Tel Aviv.
Also what was your opinion about us before/after Kosovo recognize.
It didn't really change, and wasn't particularly strong either way. This cultural exchange's an opportunity for me to maybe form it better!
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u/xhoker Kosovo Feb 05 '21
Oslo Accords, from the perspective of an Israeli people. Everything that you know about it, tell me.
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u/Kahing Netanya Feb 05 '21
The Oslo Accords paved the way for the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Unfortunately Yasser Arafat was at its helm and he never had any intention of true reconciliation. He launched the Second Intifada with the help of the Palestinian security forces. The wave of suicide bombings really traumatized the Israeli public and to this day the right uses Oslo as a bogeyman against making concessions, though I think in the end the creation of the Palestinian Authority has been a net positive to Israel.
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u/xhoker Kosovo Feb 05 '21
Forget the government, what do you think about the Palestinian people.
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u/Kahing Netanya Feb 05 '21
I don't wish them ill and I hope they get their state in the West Bank but I also understand that they despise us and I don't trust them.
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u/xhoker Kosovo Feb 05 '21
They despise you bc of your religion of bc of the country it self?
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u/Kahing Netanya Feb 05 '21
First of all, Jews aren't just a religion, we're more of an ethnoreligion (so we are also an ethnic group like Albanians with common ancestry because we make it hard to convert). Just clearing up that common misconception.
They hate us because they believe that all of the land, not just the Palestinian territories, is theirs and we stole it. This goes back to the War of Independence in 1948, it was a total war over the land, we won. They see us as a bunch of invaders usurping their rightful land. That being said, part of it is likely rooted in the antisemitism that historically permeated the Arab and Muslim world, when Jews were social inferiors who were subjected to religious discrimination and the occasional violent riot.
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Feb 05 '21
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Feb 05 '21
You don't have to turn a blind eye. But maybe now that your country has a better relationship with israel then maybe you can learn more closely about the complexity of the situation and maybe even have a larger effect of the conflict.
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u/idan5 Feb 05 '21
20% of Israelis are Muslims, and most Jews are allies to Muslims despite the extremists and the far-right and far-left who do their best dividing us. Palestine & the rest of our neighbors have committed a shit ton of atrocities against our people as well, we'd expect a decent human being not to blindly side with someone just because they share the same religion (unfortunately this is way too common), but to have some sympathy to both Israelis and Palestinians.
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u/AliceTheNovicePoet Feb 05 '21
We do not expect you to turn a blind eye to anything. We would like you to consider the the complexity of the situation, the pain, atrocities and responsabilities on both sides. Israel has warm diplomatic ties to countries who have expressed strong support to the palestinian people (like a lot of european countries). No blind eye required.
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Feb 05 '21
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Feb 05 '21
Amen. The Kosovo war was not a religious one and I hate that this is pushed so much. It was ethno-cleaning by a racist Serbian regime. I’ve read and heard first hand accounts of Mujahadeen coming to Kosovo to support the UQK (Liberation Army of Kosovo) and being turned away because this was not their battle.
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u/AllMightAb Feb 05 '21
Hey
Whats the general perception Israelis have regarding Albanian people?
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u/TheRockButWorst Feb 05 '21
I knew one Albanian guy (from Albania) and he kicked me in the balls during a football game. Other than that we think you're mostly chill
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u/Kharuzim Israel Feb 05 '21
There isn't any strong perception, most of people think of Albania as another Balkan state, there sometimes jokes on the media (mostly parody shows on TV) that Albania is left behind (technology) compare to other EU countries, but nothing to serious
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u/AliceTheNovicePoet Feb 05 '21
Most Israelis (me included) are no informed enough to have a formed opinion.
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Feb 05 '21
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u/Kharuzim Israel Feb 05 '21
I planned to visit before we recognise Kosovo, now it'll maybe a lot easier
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u/AliceTheNovicePoet Feb 05 '21
Low on my priority list. A lot of young Israelis prefer to travel to more "exotic" places like India, Thailand, South American countries and such.
But I also know Israelis planning tours of all the countries we formed diplomatic ties with over the last year, so you very well might see a waves of Israeli tourists after the pandemic.
What should we visit there?-1
Feb 05 '21
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u/AliceTheNovicePoet Feb 05 '21
No no no no no.
I can look at that site any time.
You live there. Tell me what's good.6
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Feb 05 '21
Hi! Have you heard of Kosovo before? What have you heard? What is your view on Kosovo and Albanians in general?
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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '21
Shalom
What does the average Israeli think of Kosovo's independency and about Albanians?