Tel Aviv - Post Report Question and Answers
What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
How expensive everything is. - Jan 2022
It is a VERY expensive country. A few things like produce and street food are affordable but basically everything else is more expensive than it should be. It's more expensive than DC and I think on par with New York. Maybe one of the most expensive places in the world besides Switzerland. If you're looking to go to a post where you can save money, this is not the place. Another thing never mentioned is how many transactions in this country require a "teudat zehut," or an Israeli ID number. There are several online transactions and even some gas stations that require this number, and our diplomat visa numbers do not work. Only on occasion has this been anything other than a minor inconvenience, but it is something worth knowing about. - Apr 2021
Make sure you have a good idea of how much you will be working in your job at this posting, and that it is acceptable for you and your family. - Oct 2019
Tel Aviv is a bubble, so the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may not seem visible at first glance if you stay in the city. I felt it was there, though, and can make this, despite Tel Aviv's laid-back appearance, a very stressful place to work. Racism and ethnic tensions are very real here. Also, friendly customer service does not seem prevalent here, and I think a thick skin is necessary. - Nov 2018
Do not expect Europe, because it’s not Europe. The streets can be dirty, there are lots of street cats (and the smells that come with them), the driving can annoy you, and Israelis are often perceived as loud, entitled, rude, unhelpful, difficult, or oblivious. Those things are all superficial, and Israelis really are warm, lovely people. If you know what to expect going in, the minor annoyances probably will bother you much less than if you came here thinking you were moving to a typical European or US city. It’s just similar enough to confuse you into thinking it’s fully Western, but just different enough to make you scratch your head sometimes. - Aug 2017
That what is called Israeli rudeness is often just people being straightforward. It can still be rude, but often you can just strike it up to cultural differences. - Oct 2016
How prickly Israelis can be to strangers or in first encounters. In fact, native Israels are call "sabra" (prickly pears). They're prickly on the outside, but great friends once you get to know them. - Apr 2016
How much of it is off-limits to Embassy personnel. kind of a bummer, but it is what it is. - Nov 2014
