Middle East - Anthony Ham [276]
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INTERNET ACCESS
Most cities and towns have internet cafés, which are frequently open 24 hours and charge anywhere from 12NIS to 30NIS per hour. Free wi-fi access is widespread; almost every coffee chain and plenty of individual establishments have it on offer. Both internet cafés and wi-fi are less common in the Palestinian Territories, though not impossible to find.
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LANGUAGE
Israel’s national language is Hebrew, and the first language of most of the Arab population is the Syrian dialect of Arabic. Most Israelis and Palestinians speak some English, and most speak it well. You’ll also hear a lot of Russian and French on the streets, courtesy of the large immigrant populations of both.
Because Israelis are largely of immigrant stock, other less common languages are also represented. Some older Ashkenazim, for example, still speak Yiddish (medieval German using the Hebrew alphabet) in everyday conversation. A very small number of Sephardic people still speak their traditional – but dying – Ladino, a blend of Hebrew and Spanish written in the Hebrew alphabet.
Most road signs appear in English, Hebrew and Arabic, but often with baffling transliterations – Caesarea, for example, may be rendered Qesariyya, Kesarya, Qasarya, and so on; and Tsfat may appear as Zefat, Zfat, or Safed. This doesn’t stop at road signs, though: count the various spellings of ‘foccaccia’ and ‘shakshuka’ you’ll see along the way.
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MONEY
The official currency in both Israel and the Palestinian Territories is the new Israeli shekel (NIS), which is divided into 100 agorot. Coins come in denominations of 10 and 50 agorot (actually marked ½ shekel) and one, two and five shekels, and notes in 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 shekels. Prices are also widely quoted in US dollars, though this is mostly if you’re paying by credit card; few places will accept cash dollars as payment.
ATMs are widespread throughout Israel; less so in the Palestinian Territories, so take cash along with you. Travellers cheques may be changed at most banks, but commissions can be as high as 20NIS, regardless of the cheque amount. It’s better to change them at a no-commission exchange bureau or the post office. Instant Western Union international money transfer services can be done at post offices.
Below are the rates for a range of currencies when this book went to print.
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POST
Letters and postcards to North America and Australasia take seven to 10 days to arrive, and to Europe, a bit less. Incoming mail takes three or four days from Europe and around a week from other places. An airmail postcard to Europe or Australia costs 5.40NIS and to the USA is 3.80NIS. A letter weighing 100g to 250g costs 10.20NIS to Europe or Australia, and 6.40NIS to the USA.
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TELEPHONE
Mobile Phones
Most foreign providers operate in Israel and the Palestinian Territories (but it may be worth checking with your provider before you leave home). There are plenty of pay-as-you-go services; try Cellcom, which usually has the best deals on sim card purchase and subsequent calls, or the more pricey Orange. You’ll find sim card and phone shops throughout the major Israeli cities.
Phone Codes
The country code for Israel and the Palestinian Territories is 972, followed by the local area code (minus the initial zero), then the subscriber number. Local area codes are given at the start of each city or town section in this guide. The international access code (to call abroad from Israel and the Palestinian Territories) is 001 with national provider Bezeq.
Phonecards
Phonecards can be bought at post offices, newsstands and phone shops and lottery kiosks. Most cost around 20NIS, and allow you to talk for 60 minutes for calls to standard destinations such as the UK, USA and Australia.
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TRAVELLERS WITH DISABILITIES
For information on accessible facilities, contact