Will the Real Israeli Please Stand Up!

I am having a hard time finding a typical Israeli. After some searching in the Armenian quarter I finally found an Armenian Israeli and yes he knew about Watertown and he has relatives there.
Israel is so many things:
American In so many ways, Israel reminds me of the USA. The prices, the amount of choice, the diversity and the tolerance and the intolerance. You can really do your own thing here. You don't have to worry too much about fitting in. I have learned so much by talking to the people I meet here, fellow tourists and the workers who are either Israeli or foreigners. There are workers here from all over the world, including Africa, Asia and Brazil. Like America, Israel offers citizenship to people who come here: "Israel's Nationality Law relates to anyone wishing to settle in Israel, as well as those already residing or born there, regardless of race, religion, creed, sex or political beliefs." And one could write a book on the divisions among the Israeli Jews. I am sure many books have been written and I have to read one when I get home in order to begin to understand all I see and hear in Israel. One thing I think they have in common is speaking their mind. No Minnesota nice here. An Israeli is more than happy to tell you what he thinks. I like that.
Russian An Israeli joke: "What, you've been living in Israel for 6 years and you don't speak Russian?" People say that Israel is now 50% Russian and you hear and see the evidence if you are here, lots of people speaking Russian and lots of signs in Russian. The Russians for the most part seem to speak little or no English.
Armed Especially in Jerusalem. My first night in Jerusalem I saw from my window 2 soldiers search a young man who was carrying a plastic bag at 2:30 in the morning. They let him weave on his way. I think it was pretty obvious that anything in that plastic bag would have been alcohol.
Multi-Cultural We have talked with more interesting guest / resident workers and Israelis. The man with the pizzeria near our hotel is from Ecuador. He has lived in Israel for 15 years. His pizza was pretty good, not Rome's Gioa Mia nor the North End's Pizza Regina, but quite tasty with a crisp crust. Sophia, from London, works at our hotel Hamishiri, and she is veiled. Born Catholic, she converted to Islam and married a Palestinian from Jerusalem. She is the only woman in the family who does not live with the mother-in-law and who works outside the home. She does all the hotel email and fills in at the desk. The only person at the hotel who could fix our tv and heater was a teenager who has gone to school in a Chicago suburb. He's going back next year for senior year. In Eilat, the internet tech was Brazilian from Sao Paolo who's living with his Ukrainian girlfriend. Of course he suffers from saudade, the uniquely Brazilian intense longing for home.