Life of a tourist in Israel, at least these days, are fraught with trials and tribulations. I came to this realization immediately upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport from Los Angeles. My first stop was the car rental desk on the second floor of the airport.
"I hope you didn't take the insurance they offered you," the agent remarked. "Actually, I did," I replied, puzzled. "Oh, that insurance doesn't apply in Israel," he said with a smile, turning to the other agent at the desk.
"Another one fell for it." 4 View gallery Sign says Welcome, but are they? ( Photo: shutterstock ) After calling the company where I booked the reservation, I learned the insurance covered the car against theft or accidents but did not cover me if the accident was my fault, nor did it cover the other party. In such cases, I would have to pay for all the damages.
The rental company insisted I had no insurance, and if I wanted it, I would need to pay about $280 for non-comprehensive insurance with a $700 deductible, or $450 for comprehensive insurance for two weeks. Reluctantly, I purchased additional insurance for peace of mind while driving. "Do you have an Israeli passport?" the agent asked after I handed over my American passport.
I nodded. "Then it will cost you an extra 17%." This is the tax every Israeli must pay, even if they don't live in Israel and were born in the U.
S. As long as you hold an Israeli passport, you're "penalized" with this tax. 4 View gallery Tel Aviv traffic ( Photo: Shaul Golan.