Tel Aviv beach. Photo: wiki commons.

British entrepreneur Daniel Abrahams decided to move his Internet start-up, MyCurrencyTransfer.com, from London to Tel Aviv for three months in April, telling the blog Displaced Nation: “We want to be immersed in one of the most dynamic and successful startup hubs in the world.”

Now nearing the end of his stay, Abrahams writes in the UK’s Telegraph newspaper “The culture, attitude and general mindset in Tel Aviv is utterly unique and unlike anything I’ve come across anywhere in the world.”

For good measure, Abrahams lists his top five “only in Israel” moments, among them are:

“1. I recently ordered falafel for lunch in a moderately busy restaurant. The waiter overheard me asking my friend: ”How far is it from Masada to Ein Gedi?’ He proudly proclaimed ‘One hour and 20 minutes. No question.’ That wasn’t good enough for the boss who countered with, ”What are you talking about? Two hours easy.’ Within 15 minutes, I had every single customer and staff member arguing between themselves on how long my weekend excursion would take!

“4. Only in Israel can you break down on the highway with a puncture and instead of dealing with the problem, the cab driver fancies taking a nap in the emergency lane. After using copious amounts of chutzpah by making me call for reinforcements with my phone, I’m told to start lifting tyres. My thanks? He offered to buy me a shawarma when we got to Herzliya.”

His conclusion about his Israeli experience?

“At times, the Israeli chutzpah can border on the aggressive. However, my experience of the country and it’s people is overwhelmingly positive. It’s a charming nation with delightful people.”