Many of these hotels would have been out-of-business a long time ago if Israelis living in Israel did not get good rates. The only complaining tourists are ex-Israelis living and EARNING BIG MONEY abroad. During the Intifadot, there were no tourists and the smart hotels stayed open using price. The complaining tourists are those who were too cheap to book a good rate abroad, or by a package. Why should Israelis who live here and suffer here, have to pay Foreign Prices? Oh, and when was the last time an Israeli living abroad DID NOT try to guilt some non-Israeli Jewish businessman into getting a special discount?

As a resident in Israel for many years I have come to terms with paying one of the highest rates of tax in the world. (let alone exorbitant bank charges etc. etc.) I know many foreigners are being ripped off but maybe just whack them an " entry fine" when they arrive at the airport. Then make a law that ALL hotel prices have to be advertised in English ONLY. That way everyone can see the truth.

thats what our people does,they complain to get discounts.Some Israelis will complain of a waiter/ess in order to get aruha hinam..Shame. Some of us needs to change or else we must make here a better place to stay here.

I'm far from rich, but I'd certainly come to Israel more often if the prices were lower. Right now, I'm lucky to be able to afford to come there every year, but would be there twice, or three times a year if the prices weren't extortionate.

Nannette, let's assume you live in London, UK. Petrol is 8.2 NIS per Litre, 30% more than here! A day pass on the transit system costs 90 NIS (Zone4)! Fish and Chips (UK Falafel) cost 56 NIS! A pint (of beer) costs 25 NIS! A cheap hotel near London costs 800 NIS/night! A house starts at 4,000,000 NIS! Salaries in UK are HUGE by Israeli standards, and since flights and hotels are priced in Israel in puny US Dollars, you should really not be complaining at all. Try to live on a salary here and go on holiday to London, once a year!

last time I was in London, gas was like 3 dollars a liter, so more like 14-15 NIS...compared to only 3.3 NIS a liter in the USA...of course we use gallons (4 liters a gallon)....England has to be the most expensive place in the world...which i can't understand, since England is a relatively poor country...the people make on average less than an American, yet everything is cheaper in America that being said, living in Israel is expensive too, in many ways...a pound of hamburger is like 4 times the price in Israel as it is in America...getting a decent breakfast is next to impossible in Israel, I have to go all the way to Tel Aviv to find a place that can cook me bacon and eggs, and it is like 10 dollars (46 NIS)...cost me 3 dollars in America...I have to buy all the water I drink in Israel, where in the USA i have free spring water that flows from my tap...a one bedroom apartment cost 80,000 dolalrs in israel...my five bedroom two bath two floor house in Ohio cost me only 60,000 dollars....a used car that costs around 1000 dollars in america sells for 10000 dollars in Israel...it goes on and on...

because you are looking for bacon... There are plently are places in Israel to get a good breakfast for less than $5. In israel very very few places even offer bacon and in israel in general barley anyone eats meat with there breakfast to begin with... i dont even know where you can even buy bacon here as it is not even sold at the supermarkets