Israel Matzav

Guess who's coming to town

Michael Totten is coming to Israel.

A few days ago, I announced that I’m leaving for Israel this week now that I’ve finished and sold my book, and the same thing happened that always does when I mention in public that I’m on my way over there. My in-box filled with offers of generous assistance from Israelis whom I’ve never met or even heard of. Most offered to buy me dinner. Some said I could sleep on their couch or in a spare bedroom. A few even offered to show me around, introduce me to people, and set up appointments for me. Some of these offers even showed up in my comments section.

This rarely happens when I go anywhere else in the world. It happens every time I’ve announced a trip to Israel, though, in times of peace and during war, and it has been happening to me for years.

I get these sorts of offers from the entire range of Israeli society, from people affiliated with Peace Now to the settler movement. I can always count on kind and generous people in Arab countries to help me out once I’ve arrived, but only Israelis reach out so extensively, so consistently, and in such large numbers before I even get off the plane.

Hey, I'd be happy to show you around. I'm a fellow political blogger, fluent in English and in Hebrew, I've been here for 19 years so I know my way around, I have a car, and one of your former travel partners can even vouch for me. I don't think you'd be comfortable sleeping here though - the 'guest room' is my office and it's probably occupied about 20 hours per day except for the Sabbath.

The sign is from the arrivals entrance to the old terminal at Ben Gurion Airport (it has no jetways).

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:49 AM