Good news for Israeli drivers: bad news for American drivers. I love this place, but Israelis just can't do a few things well ... e.g. relax, dress, or drive.

...wait until American drivers find out that that miserable, tailgaiting, passing wildly, can't-stay-in-a-lane, can't-park-between-two-lines, speeding, doesn't-give-a-damn, me first... always, talking-on-cellphone, did I say tailgaiting driver that nearly ran them off the road is an Israeli... then you'll see anti-Israel sentiment. And what about that shtick of not speaking the language... straight to jail until an interpreter is found.

I'm not impressed with Israelis drivers, I live near Miami. :-)

They'll probbly get away with the crazy driving in NY, but I can't help but feel this is a bad thing...

Relax...what you describe is a NORMAL AMERICAN DRIVER...they'll fix in just fine.

I still don't understand what's on the mind of the Israeli driver, now they can drive in the US. Now in the US!! I just can say city halls will get some extra money in "HAZARDOUS DRIVING". In the southeast they'll just go downtown. Funny

B"H Israelis need training before going on United States roads. I do not want uniformed Israelis involved in accidents because of lack of knowledge in United States driving law. I would not want to drive in Israel unless trained either. I think the licensing process is one that needs to be qualified locally, and this is not actually a good thing for Jews the way it is setup.

dual citizenship while they are at it. They are the only country out there that have citizens who actually like the United States. And we didn't even free them, like our French and European counterparts, who dispise us after we lost a half a million troops freeing them in WW2. Isreali's are welcome here any day of the week.

Last time I heard, they drive on the right hand side, use a brake and turn signals like the USA. Is it the Kipah that disqualifies them, or does the secular Jew get a pass? We even have wide roads unlike the ones I remember in Israel. Lots of room to pass.

We'll gladly take you before all those car bombers any day of the week. Just ask the troops in Iraq! Come visit anytime! You are welcome here!

Sorry, that's just plain silly -- a knee-jerk reaction from a misplaced loyalty to defending Israeli driving. Driving here is worse than in America and anyone who has been here for 5 minutes knows it.

Most of the comments posted here are not to the point. The point of the article has nothing to do with the lack of Israeli driving culture. Israelis were always permitted to drive in the US. They only needed to purchase an international license. The new Israeli driving license only cuts the red tape. Anyway, it looks like the Israeli driver will need the international license as well.

I used to live in a neighborhood that had the three worst groups of drivers all living near each other...Chinese, Puerto Ricans and Hasidim. Believe me, I know Israeli drivers can be wreckless, but they couldn't be worse than this bunch.

As an American with only an Israeli license, I have been detained in the police station until things were cleared with higher-ups. what a pain. My only fear is for the Israelis that are about to be legally freed to battle giant SUVs, massive pickup trucks, and monstrous semis... road hazards that definitely take some adjusting to. We'll see who's honking first when the Sabra driver with their right blinker on pulls up to a red and waits (im)patiently for a green signal before laying rubber in their now affordable american gas hog.

All of the comments except #12 misunderstood the article! The article says absolutely nothing about Israeli being ALLOWED to drive in the US or that israelis make poor drivers! It is only giving info about a new kind of Israeli driver's license that will be accepted in the States. The irrelevant comments prove that reading comprehension is at an all-time low!

Is an American License Good in Israel?

I have dual citizenship - American/Israeli. Let's face facts; Israelis are horrible drivers. The statistics prove that. Cab drivers drive like they just don't care. Don't care if they hit another car; don't care if they cut someone off; don't care if they drive in the oncoming lane....as long as they think they can get there one second faster.

So, when are they going to build the NY - TA causeway?

The only reason we haven't moved to the Holy Land is fear of the worst terrorists in the world - Israeli drivers. Now that they're allowing these maniacs to ruin American roadways, there is no place to hide

If they come to Boston they will fit right in! I drove around Israel this summer and felt right at home.

Here in NYC, Israeli drivers have stiff competition from the worst drivers from all over the Planet Earth. Central Africa? East Asia? South Asia? Europe? Middle East? Central Asia? Northern Africa? Central A,merrica? Mexico? South America? . . . the world sends its worst drivers to the frustrating demoltion derby that is NYC driving. Watch for my bumper sticker: "If you don't like my driving, get off the sidewalks!"

I''ve been renting cars and driving in the USA using my Israeli "permit" for the last 7 years and I never had any problems. I did get 2 tickets, one for double parking and the other for driving without a seatbelt, but the NYC police never questioned the Israeli permit. I just feel sorry for the Americans, they are letting the worst drivers in the world on their roads!!!

Now that Israeli's can drive in the US with their Israeli licenses when will Israel allow americans to drive in Israel with their US license. As a dual US /Israeli citizen my NY state Lic. is not recognized in Israel. Why is that?

Israelis OR Cajuns from South Louisiana?

can't you guys use the trains -- such a nice system we have here. i dont know what's more frightening, an israeli driver, or a british chef.

This has got to be one of the worst ideas ever ! I also don't understand why American licenses are not accepted here in Israel. Why is that? Because most Americans, unless they are drunk rednecks, don't run red lights? Considering the horrifying numbers of victims killed here on the roads here, not to mention totally insane and aggressive drivers here, I dread to even imagine all Israelis being able to drive freely in the States. Despite the problem of drunken driving there, which is a consideration, of course, most Americans (with the exception of NY City maybe) drive with some kind of regard to traffic rules, maybe because the traffic cops are around more there. I can't wait...the traffic fines will add up, Israelis will start complaining about how strict the Americans are.

Understood the article. Having to apply for an international license before was a hassle most Israelis did not bother with, if just travelling for a visit to the States. The ones who went to live there were usually the ones who applied for it. This means that every idiot who drives here will be on the road there too. Get the picture now?

This article has nothing to do with good/bad drivers. Although maybe one should be written on the dangerous driving conditions in Israel. It takes me a few weeks to get used to the driving when returning from the states. American licenses can be used in Israel by tourists and if you are a new citizen (it's valid for 3 months) - then you need to switch to the Israeli License. Any tourist is allowed to drive in Israel on their foreign license. Just like in the states, each state has a different law, if you move from one state to the next you need to become a resident of that state and get a new drivers license for that state within a few months. The laws are pretty similar - both in Israel and USA. This new license will be much more convenient for dual citizens travelling - it's one less thing to worry about when planning a trip to the US.

good news. do we have to go to the Licensing Bureau and pay for this? anyone knows?