Flight & airport info

Israel is one of the most informal societies in the world. Total strangers will feel free to address you by your given name. People dress as they please, and you may find yourself dealing with business counterparts in jeans and sandals. A woman meeting orthodox Jews business people should not shake hands.

Israelis are direct to the point of brusqueness. Don't take this personally. In Israel they compare themselves to the local sabra fruit: prickly on the outside, but sweet and delicious within.

If invited home by observant Jews, remember their food will be kosher, not mixing meat and diary. So don't ask for butter with a meat meal, or milk in coffee afterwards. Pork and shellfish is off the menu. Thank-you letters from visitors are much appreciated.

In conversation, you would be wise to keep off politics. Better subjects include international travel, the Arts, good books you've read, cuisine, your home country, sport. If and when talk comes round to politics, it's wise to listen rather than offer opinions which can never match the detail, passion and experience of locals.   

Little of the above applies among the 20% of Israeli citizens who are Arabs. Should you find yourself crossing into Palestinian territory you will encounter forms of behaviour closer to those in Jordan and the rest of the Arab world. And political sympathies are bound  to be entirely different.

You should always be punctual; but do not necessarily expect good timekeeping from your counterpart. It is perfectly normal to keep people waiting, and for meetings to be interrupted by phone calls and even visitors relating to entirely different business. Never let this get to you.

As in the rest of their lives, in business Israelis are practical. They are skilled negotiators and may well be confrontational, though unlikely to totally lose their cool. Short-term considerations are often key; immediate returns will be looked for. The line between business and pleasure is thin, and work-related chat may well continue over dinner or on a day trip away. Men and women have equal status. A written contract is advisable and should be couched in straightforward terms.

Visiting businesswomen should be careful around Orthodox Jews, who have to avoid any physical contact with the opposite sex; this can even apply to the handing over of a business card. Orthodox Jewish men can be distinguished by their skullcap (yarmulke).

Business hours are typically 9am to 5pm Sundays to Thursdays. Friday is the equivalent of our Saturday, a day when business may be done, but is generally for family and friends. Saturday is Shabbat, the Sabbath, observed strictly in religious communities, and a day off elsewhere.

Check that your trip doesn't coincide with any of the major Jewish holidays, whose dates change each year. During Passover and from Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) until Simhat Torah, little happens in the business community. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is likewise a day of zero business activity.

Allow plenty of time when leaving the country. Tel Aviv has a rigorous security procedure. Officials may keep non-Israeli nationals waiting in line for at least an hour, sometimes longer. Do not expect any leniency if you arrive close to your departure time; you may miss your flight. Expect your bag to be thoroughly searched.