One of the main themes of our visit in Israel is the constant arguements between my mother and me. We argue over everything: what and how much I eat, my tanning, the war between religious and secular people, settlers and Arabs (this is where it gets nasty, but my wife claims that these are the most fascinating arguements for her as a German).

Mainly, I think we are fighting about the identity and definition of Judaism.

One fight evolved over the fact that she always have the TV running, even when she is not watching. This is not unique for her–Israelis are constantly staring at the screen. We used to have great poets, writers and thinkers as role models. Today, in Israel, the biggest celebrities, the people kids want to immitate are the stars of the two commercial channels.

But a recent tour in Israel helped me understand this. Terrorist are breeding cells in Sinai making it impossible for Israelis to go there. A few years ago, Jewish French tourists had decided that they don’t have to spend money in Israeli tourism and started to buy apartments in Tel Aviv way above their market value. So now the apartments are “ghosted” for 10 months a year and rent is so high that young Israelis can’t afford to  live there anymore. Israelis just don’t go to the beaches where the French are sunbathing.

Jerusalem is filled with messianic and reach American Jews who invest millions of dollars in the city and helping expand the purchase of houses in East Jerusalem, thus making sure to put into risk the lives of another generation of young soldiers. Jerusalem is completely occupied these days by fanatics from all three religions.

The Dead Sea is filled with Russians who float on their backs from five in the morning until eight in the evening, taking breaks only to enjoy the eight (8!!) daily meals offered by the resort hotels. Somebody have to pay for all this food, and it seems that only Russian tourists (who don’t speak any other language but Russian) can afford the daily rate.

So the only resort is the TV box (another resort is the airport. Israelis are flying like there is no tomorrow as it is the only mean to live this country. If another volcano will erupt around here, Israelis will chew each other).

It is sad. If you think about these two option, they mean that the only way for Israelis to survive and live normally is if they live the life of others.