The Struggle is Real ....

It's a Struggle about Control .... Not Laws

Everyone in this country feels like they're the Prime Minister, and that's such a natural state for us here in Israel. Our ego is rising above everything else, and there will be a very high price to pay for it. We don't care if Israel continues to exist or not. We don't care what happens to our kids or grand-kids.

Everyone wants to take the lead, but unfortunately no one has the right message. It's all superficial - no substance.

We all want one thing - that only the way we think will reign - that is the point of the ego burning in each of us. And what better example do we have of how detached from reality we can become in this state, than the Ministry of Tourism's latest campaign, which was launched exactly one month ago.

"Israel, Exactly Like Nowhere Else" (Tourist Campaign)

Passover is normally the busiest time of year for the tourist industry, but who wants to come here now with all this chaos? But no matter what's happening in our country, the Ministry of Tourism continues to waste millions of dollars on the wrong messages, as it's been doing for many years. The most recent tourism slogan, “Israel, Exactly Like Nowhere Else,” could only have been created and approved by a non-native English speaker because it's a bad translation from Hebrew. But that's besides the point of course.

We really are like nowhere else: The human ego is peaking here more than any other destination in the world, and that's why we're seeing this daily outpouring of emotion from all facets of society. Everyone wants to take the lead, but unfortunately no one has the right message. It's all superficial - no substance.

Here they are again wasting our money creating glossy superficial campaigns that have absolutely no connection to what really makes Israel so special. It looks like they even imported models from abroad for this slick campaign. And to launch this at the height of the daily internal chaos and violence here - exactly one month ago - is totally misleading travelers into thinking that everything here is so calm and serene. Honestly it's embarrassing how professionals in our government operate at times.

Israel On The Verge of Civil War?

Though we had civil wars in the past, and may also have in the future, at the moment it's not on the horizon. There are too many diverse and opposing forces operating in the field. There is really no deep despair in any of the sides that they'd be willing to kill themselves for their righteousness. On the one hand, I don't think there will be a solution now, and on the other hand, I don't think a solution will come in the form of an actual civil war.

But this is still a very dangerous situation and it's definitely a bad time to visit here of course. It's impossible to even maintain normal life here at the moment, let alone dealing with authorities and airports at time like this.

We're in for a rough ride in the coming weeks and months, and there is no solution in sight. So I recommend not promoting Israel as a serene tourist destination at the moment because nothing could be further from the truth. Things are tense here every single day. Far more than when we're fighting an external enemy.