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I like Israel. Awesome people and awesome soldiers. Pulled into Haifa many times for port calls over the years and the people are amazing. Israeli Citizens would line up to take American servicemen to their homes for a home cooked meal when the ships pulled in. A Lady named Gilla used to run the USO along with a lanky bearded guy with an "Uncle Sam beard" and a black leather jacket with hundreds of pins whose name escapes me. Gilla was entirely responsible for building the Marine Beirut Memorial on Mount Carmel for the 241 Americans who were killed in the barracks bombing. She planted 241 olive trees in a corridor facing towards Beirut from that mountain. She would not let anyone forget those Americans and since I lost a lot of friends in that explosion I always remember her when I think of them. She was a mother to all who entered that USO and she would never close the doors when the 6th Fleet was in port as long as a serviceman was on liberty there. Cold beer, good food and good people in Israel. Did I mention the beautiful girls? Better stop while I'm ahead....

Israel is as close as you will get to a "Foreign Country" in the mirror image of the United States...