There are two things about Israel that are worth commenting on at this point on the trip. The first one is the apparent inability for dog owners to curb their dog. Even though there are “no dog pooping” signs all over the place (and even one street corner which provides a big sandbox for dogs to crap in), there is dog shit all over the place. It’s one thing to have dog feces on the yard or between the sidewalk and the street. But here, they have dog crap in the middle of the sidewalk. Truly disgusting.
Also disgusting is the rudeness of many of the locals. While there are certainly some kind and helpful and respectful people, it seems that arrogance and pushiness are expected. There’s a certain “me first” attitude which goes above and beyond what one would consider to be within the bounds of social pleasantries. Shoving past people and not saying “excuse me” or even apologizing when running into someone seems to be par for the course. Blessedly, I’ve not been outside among the public too much this trip (so far) so it’s been kept to a minimum – but it’s been there, whenever I do venture out.