I expected fear, but got food – and a lot of it.

Well, my dears, I can reassure you that war or no war, Hezbollah, Hamas or Democrats —Israelis are not dying of hunger. Not even a little bit.

Just in case you were worried, that is.

I have just come back from three glorious days in the North, and it appears that there are more food trucks in the country than safe rooms—if that’s at all possible. Coffee, burgers, pizza or French pastries—where there is space, large white outdoor umbrellas sprout like mushrooms, filling the green hills of the north with delicious pockmarks. And where there are umbrellas, there are eaters.

Yes—food will always do it. You can hate all you like, or bemoan our intractable political quagmire, but you still need to eat. And us Israelis have high standards.

The owner of the Airbnb gave us the names of the nearby recommended eateries before she sent the location or check-in details. As if this was a dealbreaker. And of course, we had a fully equipped kitchen with spices, olive oil, cinnamon sticks and 5 different types of tea. And a safe room.

Our blue and white mini-oasis, aptly named ‘Yamas’ was a hop, skip and a jump away from ‘Hof Hadekel’ (Palm Beach), which for those who know Nahariya is NOT a beach but a giant cavernous supermarket hidden underneath what looks like an innocent office building. The Arab-owned place is open from 7am–11pm, 7 days a week—basically always. Designed to cater for every hungry segment of the Israeli population, its endless shelves groan with strictly kosher, mildly kosher, Asian, Korean, halal and Russian products. And don’t get me started with the fresh produce.

So even the budget-conscious tourists like us who choose to skip the nearby chef restaurants can spend a good hour ogling at its vast array and purchase a feast fit for a king. Perhaps Nahariya is Hadekel for me

Yes, nobody is dying of hunger here.

A stranger to this land........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)