DUTY-FREE SHOPPING
Overview
The following items may be imported into Israel duty-free in hand luggage:
200 cigarettes or 250 g tobacco products (people over 18 years of age);
1 l spirits (people over 18 years);
2 l wine (people 18+);
250 ml of perfume or eau de cologne;
Gifts up to a value of US $ 200 (excluding alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, recording devices, cameras, televisions), of which a maximum of 3 kg of food (individual food items must not exceed 1 kg).
Prohibited imports
Flowers, plants seeds, fresh meat, fresh fruits and vegetables medicines without a prescription, drugs, jackknives and daggers.
ECONOMY
Business etiquette
Appointments and business cards are expected. The attitude towards punctuality is quite generous; it is not uncommon to wait half an hour. The usual forms of courtesy apply, but business meetings are often less formal than in Western Europe and definitive answers to direct questions can sometimes be a long way off.
Opening hours
Business hours: Sun-Thu 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Friday all shops close around 12:30 p.m. for Shabbat. This starts at sunset and ends in the evening on Saturday. Some shops are closed continuously on Friday and Saturday.
Economy
Embassy of the State of Israel
Economic Department (Israel Trade Center)
PO Box 330531, D-14175 Berlin.
Tel: (030) 206 44 90
Internet: http://www.israeltrade.gov.il/germany/
Trade Department of the Embassy of Israel
Anton-Frank-Gasse 20, A-1180 Vienna
Tel: (01) 47 64 65 04.
Internet: vienna.mfa.gov.il
Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-Israel
PO Box 1660, CH-8032 Zurich
Tel: (044) 362 16 30.
Internet: www.swissisrael.ch
Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce
PO Box 6001, 84 Hahashmonaim Street, IL-67132 Tel Aviv
Tel: (03) 563 10 20.
Internet: www.chamber.org.il
Business contacts
Embassy of the State of Israel
Economic Department (Israel Trade Center)
PO Box 330531, D-14175 Berlin.
Tel: (030) 206 44 90
Internet: http://www.israeltrade.gov.il/germany/
Trade Department of the Embassy of Israel
Anton-Frank-Gasse 20, A-1180 Vienna
Tel: (01) 47 64 65 04.
Internet: vienna.mfa.gov.il
Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-Israel
PO Box 1660, CH-8032 Zurich
Tel: (044) 362 16 30.
Internet: www.swissisrael.ch
Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce
PO Box 6001, 84 Hahashmonaim Street, IL-67132 Tel Aviv
Tel: (03) 563 10 20.
Internet: www.chamber.org.il
COMMUNICATION
Phone
According to itypejob, the country code is of Israel 00972. The regional telephone books are printed in Hebrew, but there is a visitor edition in English. Public phones are card phones. Telephone cards are available in hotels, post offices, kiosks and newsagents. There are city codes within the country (Jerusalem 02, Haifa 04, Tel Aviv 03).
Cellphone
GSM 900/1800. Network operators include the Partner Communications Company Ltd (Internet: www.partner.co.il), Pelephone, Cellcom, Hot Mobile and Golan Telecom. The network covers the whole country and parts of the sea. Mobile phones or SIM cards can be rented anywhere and ideally right at Ben Gurion Airport. It is pointed out that the use of a cell phone while driving is prohibited.
Internet
Internet cafes are common. Many hotels offer internet access. An overview of the Wi-Fi hotspots is listed on www.hotspotlocations.com.
Post Office
Airmail to Europe takes up to a week. Poste restante mail can be sent to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Post office opening times: Sun-Thu 8.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m.-6.30 p.m. (Wed mornings only), Fri 8 a.m.-12 p.m. On Saturdays (Sabbath) and public holidays, post offices are closed, but the telegraph office is not. Postage stamps are available in post offices, hotels and kiosks.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
SHOP
Overview
There is a large selection, bargaining is common in certain shops and especially in the bazaars. VAT will be waived for visitors paying for leather goods in certain government-registered stores in foreign currency. A 25% discount on leather goods is also available if you have the goods delivered to the airport or port of departure. Jewelery, precious stones, ceramics, embroidery, glass articles, wines, religious souvenirs and clothing are recommended as souvenirs. Shop opening times:i. A. Sun-Fri 8 a.m.-7 p.m. (some shops close from 1 p.m.-4 p.m.). However, the Jewish and Arab shops have different opening times and business methods. Jewish shops close at sunset on Friday for the Sabbath (closed all day on Saturdays), Arab shops are closed on Fridays. Shops in hotels are often open until midnight.
NIGHTLIFE
Introduction
Night clubs and discos are common; Pop, jazz, folklore and rock clubs can be found in most cities and resorts. In Tel Aviv in particular, visitors can expect a multitude of different events. In winter, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra plays at the Binynei Haooma Hall in Jerusalem; the Israeli International Music and Arts Festival is a major attraction in the summer. Cinemas are very popular and many have three screenings a day (all Hebrew films have English or French subtitles). Tickets for films or performances can be purchased in advance from agencies and some hotels.
There are picture galleries in many cities. Artist colonies are in En Hod on Mount Carmel near Haifa, in Safed and in Jaffa. Every major city has at least one museum. The Dead Sea Scrolls are kept in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem; the Museum of the Diaspora in Tel Aviv is world-famous and extremely worth seeing.
