Israel

Wed.May 18. Docked in Ashdod,largest port in Israel.There are plans to enlarge Haifa which will then be the largest,but this is in the future.
Israel has a population of 7.7 million.Almost 20% are Arab and of that 20% 95% are Muslim
and 5% Christian.The Christian Arabs are mostly in Bethlehem.
I took a 5hr excursion to Tel Aviv-Jaffa.Tel Aviv is a lovely city,high rises,a lovely opera House.I saw the plaque marking the spot where Itzak Rabin was assassinated after he stood on a balcony and announced to 400,000 in the square,the news of the Arab-Israeli accord.As he walked from the rear stairs to his car a man came from the crowd and shot him in the back.(Where were his bodyguards?)I took a picture of the plaque,hope it comes out.There is broken rock behind it.Rabin was The Rock,now broken.
Our guide was very proud of the Law of Return.Any Jew born anywhere in the world can come to Israel and be accorded full citizenship.He is not immigrating but returning home.
If necessary he receives assistance with Hebrew,housing and anything else to ease the transition.
We drove to Jaffa and saw both the modern and old city.Jaffa used to be the port where pilgrims came to the Holy Land.Then Haifa was built and the port has plans to be enlarged.
We saw hundreds of cars on the dock and were told that they are either being sent to Eilat and from there to Africa,etc. or came from Eilat and were going to Europe.This avoids the expense and long wait transiting the Suez Canal.
Tomorrow we have the complimentary overnight to Jerusalem.

Ashdod, Israel