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The Xenophobe's Guide
to the Israelis
by Aviv Ben Zeev
A guide to understanding the
Israelis that unravels their idiosyncracies and
national characteristics.
The Xenophobe's Guide to the Israelis
is now available on Kindle
CLICK HERE FOR KINDLE
STORE UK
CLICK HERE FOR
KINDLE STORE USA
| Gift of the
gaffe |
| Israelis
have never accepted themselves as part of the
Middle East. It is well known in Israel that
when God asked Moses where he would like to lead
the Israelites, Moses (who had a severe stutter)
had his heart set on Canada and
answered:''Ca...Caan...Caaaan...''. ''Canaan it
is, then'', ruled the Almighty. The rest is
history. |
| Suckers for
sentiment |
| Israelis have
been likened to the native cactus fruit, the
Sabra, which is covered with thorns on the
outside yet is sweet and mushy on the inside.
Music carries this emotionalism a long way, with
Israeli 'golden oldies' making grown men cry,
and nostalgia films on television receiving top
ratings. |
| Family first |
| At the centre of
every Israeli's existence stands his family. The
Jewish mama nurtures her babes from the age of 0
till 80. Children are expected to grow up
respecting their parents, to live at their
parents' home until conscription age, to become
lawyers or doctors, to marry into a good family
(it can't hurt if they're rich as well), to
reside in immediate proximity to their greying
elders and to produce grandchildren ASATWO (As
Soon As The Wedding is Over). |
| Help is at hand |
| Israelis cannot
resist trying to help their fellow man. This
often takes the form of meddling, and can even
be mistaken for rudeness. They will interfere in
someone else's conversation on the street to
offer some good-hearted advice; they will read
the newspaper in the hands of the man sitting
next to them on the bus and proceed to ask him
not to turn the pages so fast; they will never
allow a fellow Israeli to fix his car by
himself, even against protest. |
| A must for anyone who ever comes
in contact with Israelis, Great read. This book
is a must for anyone who ever comes in contact
with Israelis. I am an immigrant in Israel and I
only wish I had read this book when I first came
here - would've saved me a lot of
misunderstandings. Now that I am here, I read
this book and see how much it is correct about
all, even the little details. Most of all - it's
a funny and amazing book. |
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Israel
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| The publisher would welcome
readers comments on this title. |
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| An enlightened new
series, good natured, witty and useful. The
Xenophobe's Guides to different nations deserves
a real cheer. |
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The European
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| The Xenophobe's
Guides raise a smile and give you an
understanding of the beliefs and foibles of
nationalities. |
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Glasgow Evening Times
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Nationalism and Identity
Character
Attitudes and Values
Manners
Behaviour
Obsessions
Custom and Tradition
Sense of Humour
Government and Bureaucracy
Leisure and Pleasure
Eating and Drinking
Health and Hygiene
Systems
Culture
Business
Crime and Punishment
Conversation and Gestures
Language
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| Author: Aviv
Ben Zeev |
| Format: 96 pages |
| Published: Oct 2011 |
| Updated: Oct
2011 |
| Price: £4.99 |
| ISBN: 9781906042387
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