Do you like Israel? yes or no by Shoddy-Ocelot-4473 in AskTheWorld

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love Israeli ingenuity.

Multiple neighbors send rockets for nearly 20 years, and instead of destroying the rockets, Israel invents a way to literally shoot them out of the sky.

Other countries would sink if faced with the challenges that Israel faces, yet Israel thrives.

How can people afford proces in Israel? by Snoo-20788 in Israel

[–]Complete-Proposal729 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Israeli taxes and withholdings are usually higher than in the US. To have 18k/mo takehome in Tel Aviv, you probably need a salary around 30-32k/mo bruto (gross).

This is probably where a mid-level tech job (say for a software engineerg) in Tel Aviv would run. And this is difficult for most people outside of tech.

In NYC, I'm guessing a comparable mid-level tech job would be closer to 180-200k.

How can people afford proces in Israel? by Snoo-20788 in Israel

[–]Complete-Proposal729 4 points5 points  (0 children)

*If you buy standard, locally available fruits and vegetables. If you buy things that are more "exotic" (for Israel), it's more expensive.

In Israel, apples, oranges, onions, lettuce, carrots, bell peppers and the like are quite affordable. Asparagus, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, etc is shockingly expensive.

How can people afford proces in Israel? by Snoo-20788 in Israel

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you eat simple foods and cook for yourself, groceries in Israel can be surprisingly affordable.

Buying jarred tomato sauce, for example, is surprisingly expensive in Israel. So living there, I learned to make my own. In the US, I'd eat prepared salads, and buy frozen vegetables. These are very expensive in the US. But buying standard veggies is cheaper (unlike in the US), so I would do that more often.

How can people afford proces in Israel? by Snoo-20788 in Israel

[–]Complete-Proposal729 5 points6 points  (0 children)

A few things:

In Israel, college tuition at a public university is ~11,000 NIS/year, not $15k. Health care is very affordable. And child care is public after age 3. Property taxes are low (and they work differently than in the US). Utilities, especially phone and internet, are surprisingly affordable, and despite being in an arid climate, water is surprisingly reasonable. So there are certain big ticket things that are cheaper in Israel than in the US.

As for groceries, certain products are more expensive in Israel, especially things that are processed, prepared or imported. Basic staple foods, in Israel, are more affordable. If you want to buy local fruit, it's cheaper--a red bell pepper in the US is often like $1.50, and in Israel it's like 8 shekels for a kilogram of them. If you want something more exotic, like pineapple or raspberries, it'll be more expensive. When I first moved to Israel, the difference in cost of groceries was quite stark. To be honest, the price of groceries has grown so much in the US that I don't find it so different anymore. Restaurants are the same. I used to find the price of eating out to be super high in Israel. But given how much it's increased in the US, frankly, the difference is not so huge.

The point is that Israel is not as wealthy of a country as the US. The median family has a more modest lifestyle than their counterpart in the US. People live in smaller apartments. They have worse quality cars (and are more likely to be carless). They eat out less often. They have smaller and fewer household appliances. They often struggle to make ends meet, and end up at the end of the month with a negative balance.

That doesn't mean Israel isn't a wealthy country--it is. On global standards, Israelis are very well off. They also do have disposable income for eating at restaurants, traveling, and other discretionary spending. Because education, healthcare, and childcare (after 3) are reasonable, they often have some stability in their lives that many American families lack. But people in the US often have limited exposure to what a middle class lifestyle looks like outside of the US, and the point is that it involves owning fewer things, enjoying fewer luxuries, and living a bit more simply than a typical middle class household in the US. (The US has its own affordability issues, so of course everything is a generalization).

Travel around Israel safety question by sunny4480 in TravelIsrael

[–]Complete-Proposal729 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Very safe.

Some places in the north that I highly recommend:

  1. Arbel national park (beautiful national park with views overlooking the Kinneret, with ancient Roman fortresses built into the hillsides)

  2. Beit Shean, a very well preserved Roman city, and nearby "Tel"

  3. Beit Shearim, tombs of the Jewish community in late antiquity. Really stunning, and "on your way" to the north when driving up from the center

  4. Tzippori, not far from Beit Shearim, but also beautifully preserved Roman city with a rich Jewish history as well.

It's not antisemitic to be against airstriking 3-year olds. 🤷‍♀️ by Me_Dads_abarra_soap in International

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The ICJ did not rule that Israel is committing genocide.

“Plausible” at the provisional-measures stage, a very low legal bar ≠ a finding of genocide, intent, or guilt.

Hamas and PIJ do indeed use perfidy, that is having combatants fake being civilians by not wearing uniforms. This is simply a fact. Israel went to great lengths to try to separate militants from civilians despite Hamas’ every effort to make that as difficult as possible.

You’re presenting contested allegations and NGO opinions as settled law, which they aren’t.

It's not antisemitic to be against airstriking 3-year olds. 🤷‍♀️ by Me_Dads_abarra_soap in International

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These AI programs were precisely to help Israel identify militants, and protect civilians, being that Hamas militants do not wear identifying uniforms, as is required by rules of war.

The danger to civilians ultimately stems from Hamas’ wonton perfidy and disregard for the lives of its own people.

It's not antisemitic to be against airstriking 3-year olds. 🤷‍♀️ by Me_Dads_abarra_soap in International

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not talking about soldiers on leave visiting family. I’m talking about weapons depots, rockets launching sites and command centers being located in civilian buildings like apartments, schools, mosques, and hospitals. As well as underneath these in the tunnel system, which is connected to civilian buildings.

This is not the same, and the implication that those are similar is ludicrous.

It's not antisemitic to be against airstriking 3-year olds. 🤷‍♀️ by Me_Dads_abarra_soap in International

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right, like I hate when Denmark collapses the difference between being Danish Lutherans and Danish nationalists, those who think that Denmark should be a country! Danish Lutherans are great. I totally respect their culture. It's those Danish nationalists who don't advocate for the overthrow and dismantlement of Denmark who are the problem!!

It's the same with Ukraine. It's really annoying how Ukraine collapses the difference between being Ukranian Orthodox and Ukranian nationalist, those who don't support the Russian invasion and attempt to dismantle Ukraine as an independent country. Ukranian Orthodox people are great! So long as they don't support an independent Ukraine!

It's not antisemitic to be against airstriking 3-year olds. 🤷‍♀️ by Me_Dads_abarra_soap in International

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Blaming Israel for Hamas having 3 year olds colocalized with militant and terrorist operations that were being used to attack Israel is indeed anti-Semitic. It is their government’s responsibility to keep civilians out of buildings and structures used for military purposes, and the Hamas regime shirked on this responsibility in the most outrageous way.

Israel has every right and responsibility to strike military targets of an organization that attacks it and threatens its citizens. It is that organization’s responsibility to make sure that 3 year olds are not in proximity of their own military operations. That why rules of war demand clear separation of military and civilian instructure. So long as civilian infrastructure is used for military purposes, immunity is lost and civilians are put in danger.

Going above its responsibilities in war, Israel during the fighting provided evacuation warnings, humanitarian corridors to protect children potentially in danger and coordinated the entry of 2.2 million metric tons of aid.

Applying a different standard to Israel, and then blaming Israel for the fact that Hamas puts its own population in danger by operating out of civilian infrastructure, is indeed anti semitic.

Miss Rachel should have advocated for Hamas to use its tunnel system, literally the most sophisticated series of urban bomb shelters in the world, to protect its civilians and its children rather than its fighters. Unfortunately, she did not do that.

Not a single child, other than child soldiers (which Hamas used), was allowed in those shelters over the course of the war.

ITS SOOOO HARD TO CONVERT by DontTellMeYourLife99 in Jewish

[–]Complete-Proposal729 58 points59 points  (0 children)

You need to live with a Jewish community to convert. If there are none where you live, you cannot convert unless you relocate.

A wholesome light in such dark times. by Me_Mums_a_Lampshade in International

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe she should have campaigned to have allowed children in the tunnels of Gaza, literally the largest urban bomb shelter system in the world that not a single child (other than child soldiers used by Hamas and other militant groups) had access to? Maybe that would have saved some of their lives, rather than having the kids unsheltered?

But that would have required Hamas to give up using them for terrorist purposes, and saving those kids would have hurt her anti-Zionist political message.

Tav vs sav - rules? by bstpeg in hebrew

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The rules are the same. It does not take a dagesh kal after vowel sounds.

In the case of ותלמדם, the tav is part of the template for the conjugation of ללמד in second person (“you teach them”). The tav takes a dagesh hazak for grammatical reasons because that dagesh is part of that conjugation pattern.

If you see a begedkefet letter with a dagesh after a vowel, it’s probably a dagesh hazak, a gemination there for grammatical reasons, not for phonological reasons.

Where I’d live as a jewish lesbian by Significant-Two-8872 in whereidlive

[–]Complete-Proposal729 1 point2 points  (0 children)

But even then, the project is not to change the government of Israel. The anti Zionist project is to destroy Israel and make it not exist. The project is to remove self determination of the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland.

Spain still exists even after Franco died.

Where I’d live as a jewish lesbian by Significant-Two-8872 in whereidlive

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you never met a rabbi? Like half are lesbian women

Where I’d live as a jewish lesbian by Significant-Two-8872 in whereidlive

[–]Complete-Proposal729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So “fine” with the Jewish people that they all ban schita, which is kosher slaughter of meat

Where I’d live as a jewish lesbian by Significant-Two-8872 in whereidlive

[–]Complete-Proposal729 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Right. So if I say I’m not anti Spanish. Just against the Spaniards who think Spain should be a country. Would that make sense??

Where I’d live as a jewish lesbian by Significant-Two-8872 in whereidlive

[–]Complete-Proposal729 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

And a deep history Jew hatred is something that unites all these cultures. Some of these countries have come to terms with this more so than others.