Anyone got any experiences of riding there, have to go on a fmaily holiday, but was hoping to sneak a bit of riding there from the tel aviv area…Can’t do a guided week so would need to be day rides…

just had an article about Israel riding in one of the mags down here in Aus although they went from Haifa to the sea of Galilee.

They used http://www.israeltravelcompany.com – might be a start point at least…

Why would anyone want to visit Israel after what they’re army has done recently?

there’s a few good bits near the coast but it’s a bit extreme with loads of bombholes

Hora, that wasn’t the question Bionic Woman asked. Save it for another thread!

Why would anyone want to visit Israel after what they’re army has done recently?

How many people would willingly visit the US, though? Plenty, I suspect; including me.

And people might not want to come to the UK for similar reasons.

Maybe it’s a very good time to go (very cheap atm, I hear), and it might be an opportunity to talk to Israeli people, not all of whom support their government’s actions. Israel is s pretty good tourist destination, actually; it’s the fear of being caught up in violence, that puts many people off.

By the looks of it’s geography, looks like a bloody good place to go mountain biking. And what history…

I know people who’ve been on kibbutzes out there, and one or two told me that people are using mountain bikes to get about. Seem to be a very good method of traveling around!

I’d consider it, actually. Be good to actually go and experience the place, the culture, rather than just waffle on about it’s negative points on a forum.

Ok did I start a politics chat (help!!) actually my mum is originally Israeli so going to sort out family stuff, obviously hora ur entitled for ur opinion, but as steelfan said only asking about the riding!!! Rude boy – it is an amazing place to visit but I haven’t been for 5 years… the shekel to the pund is good (but could be better) it is a great holiday destination and more of a melting pot of culure than people realise…

Watchout for landmines!

Who’d visit England-look what they have done?

Thing is Israel and Gaza strip are as bad as each other.

I’d stay clear from war torn countries myself unless you’re name is Tom Hanks and you can live in the airport.

Bionic woman ,i went there a few years ago, and its fantastic, think wales and scotland with massive hills , big rocks etc, all the inter city coaches take bikes in the lockers between the wheels, everyone is s o freindly and there are a few bike shops in tel aviv, the area around jerusalem and masada is massively big on hills, Tela aviv is quite flat and wide roads and promenade, its very hot there so take plenty of water, and almost everyone speaks or understands english, one other thing everyone between 18 and 21 goes in the armed forces , so when you get on a bus it may ne filled with teenagers dressed as action man with loaded rifles and side arms , but theyre very freindly, and chatty when you say your british, oh and take som e Man utd sports kit, theyre mad on it.
Enjoy.

try these,
http://www.touristisrael.com/cycling.html

yeh cheers project, have been there before but only started cycling just before my last visit I agree a very friendly place to brits!!

How did you all feel about apartied South Africa? I guess this “is very different”? eh?

“Thing is Israel and Gaza strip are as bad as each other.”

By what criteria? And who is “Gaza strip”?

“Some 1,300 Palestinians, most of them civilians, including more than 300 children, and 13 Israelis, three of them civilians were killed during the recent three-week conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel. (and let’s not forget, four of the thirteen Israeli casualities were killed by Israeli military)

Amnesty international probably gives you the shivers though, eh?

Oh Jesus, here we go…

I don’t think the actions of the Israeli govt are at question, here. I’m pretty sure the OP was merely asking for advice on MTBing in what is surely a wonderful place to pursue such an activity. Personally, I’d quite like to visit; to talk to actual people there, and to do a bit of riding. I’d rather visit Israel than the UAE, which seem to exercise some quite backward customs…

I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be thrown in jail for having a shag on an Israeli beach, for example.

Let’s not condemn all the people of a nation, here. I do think their government are scum, but then I feel that way about Bliar, too. I wouldn’t want someone to condemn me for being British, and therefore guilty by association. Maybe, if ordinary Israeli people have more dialogue with others, then hopefully, more peaceful solutions to that region’s problems can be discussed.

For clarity, I feel that certain members of the Israeli govt. should be up on War Crimes charges, as I do about certain members of Hezbollah, or Hamas, etc. I personally boycott Israeli products, as I do not wish to support that nation’s economy. I appreciate that it might therefore be seen as being hypocritical to visit the country personally, but then, I might learn something, if I went.

But I have loved ones who have family in Israel, and I know people who believe in Zionism. It’s a bit of a fecked up world, but then, maybe we should all make an effort to understand it better.

To BionicWoman; I hope you have a great time biking there, and be sure to tell us how it went!

Be’shalom.

take some Man utd sports kit

Please, the poor folk are already reviled globally, don’t add to their woes…

Blah blah blah…

What has the UAE got to do with this?

Where do you spend your money?

“I do not wish to support that nation’s economy. “

Hey, neither do I .

“Let’s not condemn all the people of a nation, here”

Where did I do that? I didn’t even touch on it, did I?

I appreciate that it might therefore be seen as being hypocritical to visit the country personally”

That is what your money would be doing, isn’t it? Supporting the economy?

“I might learn something, if I went.”

Well, many of the facts are easily available to anyone with an internet connection. What piece of information that may prevent you supporting an apartied state are you in search of? Where do you intend to get it?

I have loved ones who believe in racial purity too. I wouldn’t support a state with that ideology though.

“Maybe, if ordinary Israeli people have more dialogue with others, then hopefully, more peaceful solutions to that region’s problems can be discussed.”

Well, what’s stopping them? what has stopped them so far ? they do after all have the best living standards in that region by a country mile..oh, you mean the rightwing nut jobs that run the country, not the minority with ideals somewhat more in line with our own? Sorry, but Zionists are very unlikely anytime soon to renounce racial superiority and “god given” birthright to someone else’s land.

Sodafarls; chill. My comments aren’t aimed at you exclusively.

I have loved ones who believe in racial purity too

Zionism, as I am discovering, is actually more complex than even many of it’s followers understand fully. Whilst I do myself question the ‘Chosen People’ bit, I think most Zionists simply believe in a land where Jews can finally live in peace, without fear of persecution. I can kind of understand that, considering their history.

I don’t agree with some of their philosophies, but then, I wouldn’t expect everyone to agree with mine.

Sadly, the whole situation in Palestine an the Middle East has been hijacked by extremists, who are using ‘history’ to fuel their own hate-filled causes.

I try to discuss things like Zionism with my Jewish friends. We don’t always agree on things, and there have been arguments. I have seen Jewish people arguing with each other, over certain ideological issues. But we do enjoy a dialogue, which I think is important. Trouble with tinternet, is that views and opinions can often be quite polarised, and motivated by personal agendea. Nowt like actually talking to real people…

UAE? Well, plenty of bad shit going on there, which is largely ignored by the West, as they don’t want to upset the oil-cart…

No; I’d quite like to go to Israel; maybe use MTBing as a way to bring peace!

I know, I know…

…you’d get people together, then they’d fall out over SRAM v Shimano, or gears v singlespeed, etc…

Chill rudeboy, chill…it may surprise you that i’m partially aware of the history of Zionism. It’s not exactly pretty nor acceptable by any modern standards of humanist belief.

My comments although quoting yours, were not all initially provoked by them.Some of them were, and I think i’ve answered them.

It’s quite simple really, you spend money in Israel, you legitimise it’s actions…or rather, if you refuse to spend money and support that economy, you make the only little statement available as an individual you can to dissaprove. Some people here probably do not dissapprove. Go figure. Some people probably got themselves all agitated when a lot of people expressed discontent at English sporting teams legitimalising the South African apartied regeime. Let’s call a spade a spade. eh?

Israelis are in no way at this point cut off from dialogue from the rest of the world, I doubt you could really claim otherwise. Going there as some sort of emissary or envoy provoking debate seems a little like wishful thinking.

Btw, there are more people of the Jewish faith living in New York state than Israel. That is perhaps a better example of where the refugees could have gone after the second world war, or Austria/Germany….surely much more justifiable than Palestine if you feel like pinching others land for refugees?

Yeah, but the OP was asking advice about biking in Israel, the country of their mother’s birth, and its turned into a political thing once more. I was just trying to suggest it might be a good thing to do. God knows, I’d love to MTB in Israel. I’d love to see the ancient sites.

I just wish it could be done in a climate of peace and co-operation.

If you consider history, visiting Australia, the US or Canada, is visiting nations where the indigenous peoples have but all been wiped out. To make way for those whose ideological beliefs are ‘superior’. But few people seem to concern themselves with this…

The terrain looks fun and I used to have a friend in the Israeli army who was into off roading and he always used to send me photos, that said I don’t think I’d be too up for it given the current climate.

Apparantly there are lots of trails with “bomb holes” 🙄

RudeBoy – whats the view like from up there?

“If you consider history, visiting Australia, the US or Canada, is visiting nations where the indigenous peoples have but all been wiped out. To make way for those whose ideological beliefs are ‘superior’. But few people seem to concern themselves with this… “

If the Aussies were starving and blowing up Aboriginals as official govt policy today, I’d imagine people would be offended.

blimey lads, I only asked about riding, hear the politics everytime I mention my mother is Israeli… rude boy I will have a lovely time thank you, soda, sorry but I really don’t want a debate about the rights and wrongs, have heard it all my life, have had an awful couple of years and have just had a new knee put in so sorry to be grumpy but just wanted to look forward to a break!!

Zionists are the new fascist scourge of humanity. They purchase their murderous genocidal weapons from the US and I would never spend any of my money in either country.

Yahweh = pure evil.

“Zionists are the new fascist scourge of humanity.”

They’ve been around and been fascist for quite a while now.

“They purchase their murderous genocidal weapons from the US “

With “aid” courtesy of the US taxpayers.

“Yahweh = pure evil. “

Now, that sounds like something a giyus troll would post in order to discredit criticism.