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Why we are taking our startup to Tel Aviv
- petercooper 14y agoWhat are the practicalities immigration/visa wise of taking a business to Israel as a non-citizen?
- LeonW 14y agoHi Peter, we all have European passports, so we can head there for 3 months as a holiday without the need for a Visa.
- petercooper 14y agoAhh, for some reason I misinterpreted it as being where you'd chosen to make a more permanent base. Bouncing around countries sounds exhausting, though probably fun for the right group :-)
- LeonW 14y agoAh can understand that, I think travelling the world is very powerful for us in many aspects. The most important one though being that we can discover which culture, country we feel most comfortable in, as opposed to where I'm born in, kind of related to this article: http://sivers.org/singapore http://sivers.org/singapore
- bluesnowmonkey 14y agoIsn't it an issue that you'll be working while there?
- gnarbarian 14y agoFrom what I understand it's impossible to immigrate there and gain citizenship unless you're Jewish.
- cup 14y agoFrom past experience I know HN folks don't like to discuss the Palestinian Israeli issue but I wonder how you feel about the growing public discomfort with the Israeli states actions. Do you think it may cast a negative light on your start up? Particularly with respect to a growing call to boycott Israel as was sone in South Africa, regardless of whether you agree with such calls or not.
- LeonW 14y agohmm, that's interesting, I believe we aren't bothered by the conflict at all, I don't believe it's something we will have to deal with.
- tnash 14y agoWith all the misinformation that's out there about the conflict, living in Tel Aviv will give you an opportunity to see the reality of the situation. An yes, you should be safe in Tel Aviv unless Hamas or Fatah decide to start suicide bombings again (but they haven't in many years). If you travel to the south, you should learn what Tseva Adom means.
- slug 14y ago60 minutes has an interesting take on the current situation in tel aviv: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7409182n http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7409182n
- cup 14y agoSurely if he wanted to see the reality of the situation he should visit the occupied territories. I wonder whether one could even succesfully manage a start up in occupied Palestine. Sometimes I wonder whether the hacker spirit is best exemplified in people under opressive circumstances who have to adapt and hack to survive.
- DividesByZero 14y agoNo one who isn't a member of an oppressed minority ever has to 'deal with' policies of oppression. You can still contribute to the effectiveness and reach of those policies though - glad for your sake you're able to distance yourself. There is too little consciousness of the economic and social context of the work technical people do.
- ars 14y agoAm I strange that I like rain, especially with thunderstorms? I like variable weather, not sun every day. I'd rather go to Tel Aviv in March.
- blantonl 14y agoI'm curious, what is it like living in Tel Aviv if you aren't Jewish and are from the USA? The reason I ask is this article seems to focus on the benefits of cultivating a startup in Tel Aviv. Are there cultural disadvantages to folks who are not Jewish? This is a serious question, but I'm already feeling like I'm treading lightly on egg shells just asking this...:)
- dataisfun 14y agoNot an issue at all. I grew up in Tel Aviv and Israelis love Americans, esp. those doing tech related work.
- nostromo 14y agoI used to fly to Tel Aviv regularly when I worked at an internet company with a big presence there. People were almost universally warm and welcoming. It was common to get invited to weekend gatherings or to go out and get drinks at the marina after work. I have a German last name that is similar to a common Jewish name, so people would very regularly ask if I was Jewish. I would explain that I wasn't; it could have been uncomfortable, but never was. In fact, it was nice not being Jewish because nobody ever pressured me to move there. Jerusalem is a totally different story. I didn't get the feeling it was a friendly or safe place for outsiders. I wasn't comfortable there. I also hated flying into or out of the country because of the security interviews; it seems very invasive to an American. But Tel Aviv is very non-religious, open, laid-back and friendly. The technical talent is also very strong. Everyone speaks english it seems, even people working at Burger King. In short, I never really had the desire to move there, because I'm not really a hot weather beach guy, but I could see why it would appeal to others to do so.
- tnash 14y agoIt's awesome. I'm not Jewish (a Christian-raised atheist) and I spent a month there in Dec. 08. You have to realize that Judaism is both a culture and a religion. Most Israelis are not religious. They celebrate Jewish holidays but you won't see them in a synagogue. Israelis are a super laid back people that say what's on their minds. Tact isn't really part of the culture. They go to five star restaurants and weddings in T-Shirts and jeans. Family is very important and if one adopts you you'll be stuffed full of amazing food and then sit around the table drinking coffee and mint tea and talking. It's a lot of fun.