Most people have eyes, ears and a brain. Some don't use them.

A strong State, a growing economy, a bastion of democracy in an intolerant, homogeneous Middle East, and enough security from rabid terrorists that all of these Israelis feel comfortable going to a mall to shop. I wonder what "Palestine" would look like if "Palestinians" did just 1% of the work Israelis do....I mean, towards useful goals, not towards slaughtering innocents in order to gain a town square in their name.

The so-called "thinkers" of society, the journalists, the lawyers, the anarchists, etc.....all have time to goof off in Tel Aviv and discuss how the rest of the country is immoral and needs to be fixed. The other part of the problem is basic civil engineering. The road system is not built for easy travel or driver intuitiveness, but practicality on space. Add to that the mix of drivers who are impatient, and the entire system breaks down. It happens everywhere around the world, but mostly in older cities.

Those guys work crazy hours and its expected of them. If your son, and general disillusioned youth are sitting around bitching then that's their fault. Personally, I liked the Bermuda-model of living - if you don't work, you don't eat. Case closed.

To this day, I have not received any benefit from US aid which is ONLY for military equipment and spent ONLY in the US. That, compared to aid given to "Palestinians", which according to sociologists and a study presented in the Wall Street Journal, has created a virtual welfare society that produces nothing but militancy and violence. Oh, and after 9/11, while the Israelis lined up donating blood by the thousands, "Palestinians" danced and handed out candies. Get some perspective, Harold. Your biggest leeches are internal to the US and you're too stupid to see it.

I work from 8 till 6 and I do not have a car, or spend 2000 Is on a car a month.

And so do several thousand workers in factories in the North. Many of these workers work 11-13 hour shifts daily, including Friday with no breaks. The Histadrut is strangely silent. Maybe these Tel-Avivans are Israelis on vacation.

Oh, I forgot! Could someone get the work schedule of the writer please? How many hours are spent at the office, and how many as "outside work"? Not including the coffee time I sent her to, to try and see the things with perspective... Yediot: We want responsible journalism please.

That's more than we can say for Hamas and Fatah. Israeli unemployment; under 10%, Palestinian unemployment; 25%-65%.

that the average Israeli worker administers most effectively. A 6 day school week, followed by a gruelling army schedule, provides the know-how to divide 24/7/12/365 of productivity according to accomplishment and seniority, which lends itself to team building. When one Israeli professional finds a way to do the job of 12 foreigners, he reaches for a cup of coffee.

You are very optimistic or very indulgent

what a piece of junk "journalism," even unbelievably poor for an op-ed piece - especially the title. Here are a list of things that are worth considering: 1. Israel is a narrow country 2. Bad highway/public transit system 3. Many accidents (causing traffic) 4. Many tourists (especially in Tel Aviv area)... tourists don't know where they are going 5. Perhaps going home from work earlier is a good thing, showing that importance of family in Israeli society... 6. Have you looked at Israel's GDP and the strength of the shekel? 7. The # of hours worked seems quite irrelevant. Much more important is the work accomplished in the hours that are worked (see: the 6 day war). what a piece of garbage. go write for al jazeera

do others. Tomorrow and the day after I work the afternoon shift, so I can sit around a cafe or go shopping, but I still do my 8 hours. However I have seen enough people in management leave factories for a couple of hours in the middle of the day or come in late or leave early. No one stops them from doing that. I see one worker when I work the morning or afternoon shift take a company car and go shopping or transports his family. He shows up at work and empties all the food and beverages he buys into his private car and then puts the company vehicle away. I sometimes see him in the super.There are company drivers that disappear with a company car and only come back when they are needed. People work, but what percentage of the workday are they actually in work?

Serving in the I.D.F. is not for a goofball, except for some jobniks. Being out in the field in a combat unit is not easy. Nor is working in an army garage or warehouse.

its not a lie.

What surprises me is the excessive salary's in Israel. I was told that the average Israeli earns $8000.00 dollars a month which exceeds most American states and European countries then again I guess they need a little more than Americans and Europeans because they pay double for almost everything including Mcdonald burgers. A $9000.00 car cost $25000.

that is not an economic indicator of what the imf calls labour partcipation, which is last time i looked lowest for economically developed countries. it's a fact. psychologically: it might lead to a dangerous pride rather than a wholesome self-esteem, with reference to a longshoreman and working person called eric hoffer. notwithstanding such, resting upon others' laurels (national pride) is your choice. indeed you and others all around the world might find that life style attractive. if you are not being deliberately ironic; then even if an israeli company should increase exports, the company will be public, and the investors, those who will profit, are pension funds and such like, all around the world. the imf is concerned with economic growth in nations, and that requires economic participation. that means working.

I start work at 6:30. Why should I work longer than 9 hours, just so that you can have the road to yourself?

Um, I think you mean 8,000 shekels per month, not $8,000 dollars. That is the equivalent of about $2,000 dollars per month. And a $20,000 car in the US costs about $35,000-$40,000 due to a 100% import tax in Israel. Nice try though :)

What is most incredible to me is how many people are reading all the articles in the major Israeli papers translated into English and providing armchair commentary on every article. These talkback opinions are often hateful and without factual basis, yet YNET allows them to be published on their website. , My question is: Do People who write Talkbacks actually work?

I've only seen one Israeli friend at work up close and I got worn out just being around him. Between 2 cell 'phones, a landline, his laptop and my desk PC, this young man was doing 10 things at one time. This went on for hours and into the night on most days. There were only 2 things with which I could get him out of the house: 1. "I think, I'll cook" 2. "Let's go to the Outlet Mall!" Somebody had warned him about my culinary disasters and he did like to shop. I used to think that he was up to use the bathroom whenever I'd get a short message from him at 3 or 4 AM Israel time, but I know now that a) he hasn't even been to bed, or b) he had an idea right before hitting the sack that had to be put in writing right then and there. I keep telling him that he'll look worse at 50 than I do at 72, but nothing seems to change his work habits. Somewhere between making a living, he has girlfriends, a band, and attends law school. I only hope that he'll live long enough to enjoy the fruits of his labors. So, as far as I'm concerned, Israelis are working maniacs.

Most of the talkbacks are a lot of rubbish, but #51 is not that exceptional. Israelis generally work very, very hard. Also many work flexi hours, which may mean starting late but working into the night. Others work shifts, which both help to explain the traffic patterns.

you have to know by now that all those people are not working because the "religious" are working hard and pay taxes and go to the army ,for the "hilonim " to have a luxurious life and for jurnalists to have time to write stupid articles like this Did you ever think about the number of people living here and how big is this country?did you think that the people do not ride on busses because they do not want to explode? mister haham ,i think you yourself are payed very well for doing nothing , so why do you complain?

simply he thinks that he is a journalist of these many in israil !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

in a city like tavive an old woman said --- what is tis time you go to market you find all the people there --you go to hospital you find all the people there to the parking all the people there ... from where they are coming fromunderground ????????

as well all the rich kids who live in Gush Dan... maybe that explains it

I was not talking about employement but as a kind of answer to the question posed in this article : do Israelis actually work ?

who do you think are the workers building the buildings all across the cities of this country? jews? go to any work site and see that the ethnic origin of most of the workers is not jewish, not chinese, but arab.

Can't find any evidence that Israel is "# 3 exporter in the world of hi tech sophisticated defense systems". Please prove or admit you invented it. And if it is true, doesn't it prove that Noah Klieger is wrong and Israelis are working?