Good country, exhausting tourist industry

Israel is a genuinely beautiful and interesting place. Dead Sea is worth every superlative thrown at it. The sabich is legitimately excellent. very intense and fascinating culture gave the trip real depth.

What I struggled with: the tourist infrastructure around the headline sites in Haifa is relentlessly commercial and some political sensitivities to be aware of is a genuine friction point. You can feel the gap between authentic Israel and the packaged version sold to tourists. The authentic version wins, but you have to work to find it.