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VIDEO: In Israel, Whitney Houston remembered for huge voice and one strange visit
Pop superstar, who was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room at the age of 48, made one, particularly memorable 2003 trip to Holy Land.
As news of Whitney Houston’s untimely death at the age of 48 sent powerful ripples around globe, Israelis could look back at a brief often eccentric 2003 tour of the Holy Land by the six-time Grammy winner, which, sadly, proved to be her first and last visit to Israel.
In 2003 the U.S. diva, already past the prime of her career and still married to Bobby Brown, made a memorable, if not altogether strange visit to the Holy Land, hosted by the Black Hebrew Israelites, a group centered in the southern desert town of Dimona.
Houston, protected by a ring of publicists and family, rarely spoke to the local media during her trip, even famously evading a hand shake with then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon while meeting him with Brown in Jerusalem.
Noting that this was their first trip to Israel, Sharon hoped it would be the first of many, to which Houston replied, “Yes.”
When Sharon asked her how she felt in Israel, Houston said, “It’s home, it’s home.”
Speaking of the awkward encounter, Israeli entertainment reporter Guy Pines remarked in a panel interview to MSNBC at the time that Sharon gave “her his hand, she like pulls Bobby’s hand, very very strongly and she doesn’t want to give the prime minister her hand and she makes Bobby shake his hand.”
“If I had a dollar for every time I said ‘strange’ in this interview, I’d be a rich man by now,” Pines said.
Speaking to the media in the American superstar’s stead, Houston’s sister and acting spokeswoman Patricia Houston said of the visit at the time: “She is loving it.”
“She is a spiritual woman and wanted to come here and touch the land and be around the saints of Dimona,” Houston’s sister added.
The quirkiness of Houston’s Israel visit was a mark of the latter part of her career, which found the musical titan wading in a sea of personal challenges, involving drug abuse and a troubled 14-year marriage to Brown.
In 2000, she and Brown were stopped at an airport in Hawaii, and security guards discovered marijuana in their luggage. In a 2002 TV interview, she admitted using marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs.
The pair also starred in a reality TV series, “Being Bobby Brown,” which painted an often unflattering portrait of the couple.
Source: Haaretz.com
Tel Aviv takes its sausages to a whole new level
Haaretz travel and City Mouse Online present you with the five best places to get a hot dog in the White City.
The humble sausage: a food so traditional, so warm and comforting. A simple package wrapped in a bun, topped with a little bit of sweet and tangy, the sausage is the ultimate street food. So how did it get such a bad reputation?
In Tel Aviv, a city set on scaling up even the folksiest of street fare, the sausage has reached a new standard of quality. In the White City, you can gorge on shrimp in a pita, wrapped in paper instead of on a plate (at Eyal Shani’s fine North Abraxis restaurant) – so why not try a gourmet hot dog?
The sausage is also a favorite snack for late night partiers, and it goes excellently with beer. Luckily, there are no lack of options in Tel Aviv for a good sausage – check out the five best, as chosen by the experts at City Mouse Online and Haaretz travel.
Vitrina: Where quality counts
Vitrina opened its doors in early 2011, and quickly gained a name for itself as the elite hot dog joint in town. You can find fourteen kinds of sausages here (and one type of hamburger, for the unconverted), each more unique and enticing than the last. This is not a place for the indecisive diner, nor for the oil-phobic – some of the most loyal Vitrina customers come here solely for the top-notch French fries served alongside the dogs.
Our choice: What do you choose when there’s so much to choose from? We went with the combination, the “deal on a plate”, which cut our indecisiveness by some and gave us two plump sausages at a killer price.
Whether you decide to take yours on a soft bun (topped with caramelized onion and relish) or on a plate, don’t miss out on these two flavors:
First off, the Tex Mex: a beef dog, dipped in chili con carne. Second, the Louisiana: beef dog in steak sauce, topped with Roquefort cheese. Every dog, a new surprise!
The price: NIS 28 in a bun (with two sides) or NIS 45 on a plate for two dogs and homemade French fries (really the best in town, a mix of sweet potato and regular, thin crisp, flavored with parsley and lemon zest.
The location: 54 Ibn Givrol, Tel Aviv
Salim and Danny: The well-kept secret
You can walk up and down Kedem Street in Jaffa and still not find Salim and Danny’s un-marked hot-dog stand (also known as The Barberie)– but if you give up looking, you’ll really be missing out on a special treat. So do yourself a favor, and ask a local for directions.
The décor here is simple, just one table and a couple of plastic chairs, but the meat is no less than gourmet. Take your sausage in a fat pita, standing at the counter – the fabulous ocean view just a stone’s throw away is included in the price. They make amazing kebabs here, too, so get one to go for a snack later.
Our choice: The sausage. Danny pulls a long link straight out of the fridge, and cuts your dog to order. The meat is a mix of beef and lamb, strongly and pleasantly spiced. The dog is cut down the middle and one the sides, and then tossed on the grill until it’s cooked exactly as you like. Add tahini, green salad, SOME AMBA and extra spice to your pita for a filling and tasty meal.
The price: NIS 24
The location: Kedem 60, Jaffa
Wine Bar: The charcuterie
This little wine bar, which opened not long ago, serves surprisingly simple yet delicious food, prepared by the young chef, Hadas Frankel. They somehow know here exactly when the mood calls for a sausage, and when the dish of honor emerges from the kitchen, the smell permeates the air and suddenly, everyone wants one.
The recipe for the Wine Bar’s sausage was designed by Alan Talmon, one of the top charcuterie experts in Israel and an honored meat supplier for many a restaurant and bar in Tel Aviv (he’s going to open his own little stall at the Tel Aviv Port market, soon).
Our choice: The bratwurst sausage with a side of potatoes. The sausage is nothing less than perfect – it’s a hot dog made with passion. It’s grilled on the plancha with a ton of butter and served with slow-cooked stew of cabbage and bacon, as well as a heap of crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside potatoes, for the ultimate winter flavor.
The price: NIS 51 for one sausage, NIS 67 for two
The location: Nachlat Binyamin 36, Tel Aviv
Adora: The surprise
Avi Biton’s Adora restaurant is already a veteran eatery in this city, offering a premier culinary experience without ripping a hole in your pocket. Adora is a Mediterranean bistro in every sense of style, so it’s always a surprise to find delights here like Moroccan cigars next to a Coquille St. Jacque. The sausage, which most would agree is probably the spiciest in town, is also one of the best items on the menu.
Our choice: The Moroccan sauage. Veal mixed with pork, infused with strong Moroccan spices. The meat is coarsely ground, with none of the pasty texture you find in so many hot-dogs around town, and the deep spices burst out in every bite. Served alongside smoked kraut and velvety mashed potatoes, this meal is irresistible.The bad news: they only serve this on the afternoon menu.
The price: NIS 65 on the afternoon meal special, along with a first course.
The location: Ben Yehuda 226, Tel Aviv
Porter and Sons: The foreigner
The beer lovers in this city will claim, every chance they get, that their fermented beverage pairs much better with food than does wine. At Porter and Sons, you can find 50 brews on tap and another 80 or so bottled varieties, next to some serious meat dishes. The beet, the food and the décor here makes a diner feel like he stepped out of the humid Tel Aviv air, and into foggy London, or an old-time American diner, or a little neighborhood joint in Eastern Europe. So if you come here on a cold winter’s night, you really have no choice but to order the house specials and pretend you’re sitting in Prague.
Our choice: The house sausage. If ever a dish was created for beer, it has to be this sausage. As you sip your beer, the waiter will bring you a large white platter, stacked with three fat sausages (330g total), each with a different flavor: the first is gentle, a mix of pork, saint mor cheese and coriander seeds; the second is a little more dominant, a little spicier, with chipotle pepper mixed into the beed; and the third is a classic German frankfurter, a combination of beef and pork with fried onion, that gives it just the right sweetness. Take your sausages on top of the house stew of white bean with bacon and root vegetables. A little tip: seat yourself on one of the couches, because it’s easy to fall asleep after a meal like this.
The price: NIS 69 on the afternoon special, along with a first course
The location: 14 Ha’arbaa Street, Tel Aviv
Racecar with Israel’s flag is set to take part in one of US top spectator sports – the Daytona 500
A new team is set to join the NASCAR racing league, a sport currently holding the number two spot in revenues and number of viewers (after football) – Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East.”
The new team is planning on having their car, adorned with an Israeli flag; participate in the Daytona 500 which is set to take place at the end of the month in Florida. The race is considered one of the most watched sporting events in the country, with over 30 million Americans watching it last year.
The two people behind the venture are Christian Americans who consider themselves to be avid supporters of the State of Israel. They are cooperating with a veteran team that regularly has two cars in the prestigious races.
An agreement with the racing team means that AIR will be sponsoring one of the cars which in addition to Israel’s flag, will feature the American eagle and an olive branch as a symbol for peace.
Speaking on the reasons behind the venture, Rich Shirey, co- founder of AIR said: “This is a critical time in our nation’s history as it pertains to our relationship with Israel.”
“As the only true democracy in the Middle East, we feel it is critical that the United States reaffirms its commitment to stand beside Israel. By fielding a car in the most-watched race of the year, we hope to show Israel just how many Americans feel the same way.”
The team has already launched fundraising efforts in a bid to run the “Zionist” car in another major race, the famous Indy 500.
Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Yuli Edelstein said in response: “I am very pleased with the AIR initiative which will contribute to strengthening the recognition of the importance of the ties and the steady support the US gives Israel.”
Source: Ynetnews.com
Maccabi Tel Aviv became Israel’s first volleyball team to reach a European quarterfinal
Maccabi Tel Aviv became Israel’s first volleyball team to reach a European quarterfinal after defeating Greek champion Olympiacos yesterday at home.
Marcelo Mendes Sacchi, Maccabi’s 39-year-old wing-spiker from Brazil, was the catalyzer, while fellow wing-spiker Shon Faiga and middle-blocker Genadi Sokolov provided crucial plays to propel the team to victory.
Having lost last week in Greece, Maccabi needed to win both the match and then a tie-breaking set.
The evening started off poorly as the hosts looked unfocused. Olympiacos dominated to take the set 25-20, and it looked like yet again the Israeli side will fail to reach the quarterfinal stage.
Instead, the fiery Sacchi applied all his experience to rally the team even as it trailed midway through the second set. Where the team faltered in the first set last week, which it had dropped 30-28, Maccabi steeled its nerves and took the hotly contested set 26-24.
By the third set Maccabi looked firmly in control. Olympiacos made a myriad of unforced errors, serving into the net several times, allowing Maccabi to win the third set easily 25-19 and then go on to take the match 25-21 in the fourth set.
That win set up the tie-breaker, played to 15 points. Olympiacos won the first two points and almost broke Maccabi with a third straight point, but Sacchi saved the situation and Maccabi surged back into the lead. The lead switched twice more, but Faiga, Sokolov and Sacchi each scored down the stretch to secure a 15-12 win and book their place in the quarterfinals.
“For me it’s the best emotion of my life,” an excited Sacchi said after the game.
Source: Haaretz.com
More bike lanes for Tel Aviv
The Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo will spent another NIS150 million (30 million euro) in the next five years on building 150 km of new bike-lanes in the city. Fourteen years ago, Tel Aviv did not have even one bicycle path. As for today the city has more then 100 kilometers of paths, trails and lanes. According to a 2010 municipal poll, 38 percent of Tel Aviv residents own a bicycle.
The now familair green bikes in the city (the rental program Tel-O-Fan began last spring) have logged more then 280.000 (!) seperate rides. In the light of this enormous success (and therefore high demand) Tel-O-Fan will install 50 additional stations (with 500 more bicycles) around the city this year.
Another great effort by the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo, because everybody, who is walking the streets of Tel Aviv this days, knows that more bike-lanes are needed asap.
Source: TelAviv Fever
‘Israel to have water surplus within decade’
National water company predicts that increase desalination will create substantial surplus of water within eight years
Israel may face a happy predicament within a decade – a water surplus. Mekorot, the national water company, said Wednesday that the increased desalination of seawater will eventually enable Israel to rehabilitate all of its fresh water reservoirs.
The heads of Mekorot briefed the Knesset’s Economics Committee on the situation of Israel’s water market, in a meeting marking the company’s 75th anniversary.
Currently, Israel is missing 2B cubic meters of water, but Mekorot’s data suggests that by 2013, 75% of Israeli households would be using desalinated water.
Israel has six desalination facilities, which produce 600 million cubic meters of water a year.
Existing fresh water reservoirs would remain a pivotal source for the water market and stand to enjoy the reduced production, the company said; adding that reduced pumping would also help rehabilitate the Coastal Aquifer – one of the most important sources of groundwater in Israel.
Mekorot also said that one of its long-term goals is to create a second, desalinated water-designated carrier to funnel the water, which are currently used mostly for irrigation.
Israel’s agricultural irrigation is slated to be based completely on desalinated and brackish water by 2030.
Mekorot Chairman Alex Wiznitzer added that the company was also exploring the possibility of building its own power plant, adjacent to the desalination facility in Ashdod.
Mekorot stands to receive government funds amounting to NIS 6 billion (roughly $1.61 billion) over the next five years in favor of its desalination projects.
Source: Ynetnews.com