Archive for March, 2009

The Holy Land gets a double dosage of Brits

Due to high demand, BMI have now doubled their daily flights from Heathrow to Tel Aviv to 2, starting 30.3.09. BMI seem to be pushing these flights to those planning a short holiday or business trip thanks to the scheduled flights at the beginning and end of the day. From May, BMI will be introducing an A330 aircraft to the Tel Aviv flight, which will have an on-board chef and fully-flat beds in Business Class.

Click here for more information about flights to Israel. 

Depeche Mode’s new video

This blog is definitely going to be a little Depeche Mode friendly over the coming weeks, all part of the hype that is picking up ahead of their upcoming gig in Israel in May. Here is their latest release “Wrong”, another dark and moody video to add to their collection. This one seems even more darker than usual, or is it just me…?

Some famous Kibbutz volunteers

So, we’re all young once, right? And a lot of us had this fancy socialist vibe surging through our bones in our younger years and hence Israel and the idea of volunteering on a kibbutz came calling? Well, I know it did for me, and I guess it did too for some of the following stars:

• Jerry Seinfeld, the American comedian and star of the television comedy “Seinfeld” volunteered at the age of 17 in Kibbutz Sa’ar in 1971 – he had this too say: “I didn’t like the kibbutz. Nice Jewish boys from Long Island don’t like to get up at six in the morning to pick bananas.”
• Sacha Baron Cohen, or Ali G or Borat as you might know him, the British comedian volunteered in Kibbutz Rosh HaNikra for a year in the late 1980s.
• Sigourney Weaver, the American actress who starred in the Alien series, volunteered in a Kibbutz for several months at the age of 18 in 1967.
• Simon Le Bon, the lead singer of Duran Duran, volunteered in Kibbutz Gvulot. The band’s first album included a track called Tel Aviv.
• Sandra Bernhard, the American comedian, actress, author and singer, volunteered in Kibbutz Kfar Menachem at the age of 17 in 1972.
• Debra Winger, the American actress and the star of “An Officer and a Gentleman”, volunteered on a kibbutz and even served in the IDF.
• Bob Hoskins, the British actor and the star of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, volunteered at Kibbutz Zikim at the age of 25 in 1967.

If this has tempted you into looking for information on what a kibbutz is all about, you should take a look here and here.

The hottest show in Israel in 2009

I finally picked up my tickets for the upcoming Depeche Mode gig. Aren’t they gorgeous? Apparently they’re close to selling out the 50,000 tickets!

I last saw the boys from Basildon back in the 80′s at Hammersmith Odeon when I was a wee lad, and am looking forward to this a lot, as I know a few thousand other people are…I also had tickets for their much anticipated gig back in 2006, which was cancelled because of the Second Lebanon War, but we won’t talk about that…

Depeche Mode fever is starting to hit Tel Aviv already, and promotions, such as this one, are starting to hit the airwaves, as are a few of their hits. And if my wife is listening to Enjoy the Silence on her car stereo you just know that this is going to be a huge, huge event (she says she hates Depeche Mode, but funnily enough doesn’t want to give up her ticket…).

I’ll be on the grassy bit (the show is at the Ramat Gan stadium, often used for big football matches) with a few friends, trying to hoist my wife onto my shoulders now and again. My money’s on her giving Dave G a big smile and getting his sweaty shirt tossed into her outstretched hand…

Gay tourism to the Holy Land

As anyone who has spent time in Israel knows, Israel has a thriving and very happening gay community. It may seem out of place in the Holy Land and does often invoke the wrath of the more religious, but it’s here to stay.

And that thriving community is about to be expanded by more of the international gay community; some 200 travel agents from across the world are expected at the annual International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association symposium, which is coming to Tel Aviv for the first time this October, to market Tel Aviv to members of the gay community. 

Shay Deutsch, spokesman for the Israeli gay community, was excited:

“The advantage of such a convention is that it exposes to travel agencies around the world what Tel Aviv has to offer to the gay population, and after such a convention, tourism blossoms in the hosting city”.

Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham Balila had this to say:

“The city is promoting the matter of gay tourism to Tel Aviv. I welcome any tourist coming to Israel, regardless of their sex, opinions, or sexual preferences.”

Hear hear, is what we say. Coming soon, the Gay Guide to Israel.