One of the main differences between Israel and Germany is driving. I will make it simple: When driving in Germany, I am expecting the expected. Things will go as they should go. If you deviate, you will have to carry any consequences. The gap for adjustments is quite narrow.

In Israel, you drive with the notion that the unexpected is the norm. It is not just tired drivers or people who make innocent mistakes, it is just people who use the road and the wheel as a stress relief, a discharge for aggression. You learn to adjust to it quite fast: while driving from the north today, I kept passing cars while driving on the right lane as if this was the norm.

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In a way the road is quite a reflection for the country. Before heading north today, we went to the beach in Tel Aviv. It was perfect: the sun wasn’t too burning, the wind didn’t exist and there was no wind. Suddenly, It was Israel 63rd independence day, battleships were sailing about 100 meters from the beach, and airplanes were doing acrobatics maneuvers over our head.

A young female officer talked into the PA system inside the lifeguard booth, explaining to us what we were saying while giving sexy details about the guns and firepower of each military machine. People were standing on the water line and clapping their hands for the killing machines.

It was an absurd display of patriotism. It is the kind of patriotism that can make people blind to what happens in front of their eyes. A few days ago, I have written here about the idiocy of the pact between Hamas and the Palestinian authority. What I failed to realize was that with the news coming out of Iran and Syria, Hamas was looking for some shelter and completely folded.

This pact might turn out to be Israel’s greatest gift as it’s nearing the year of retirement.