Not Your Average Jewess

Well, I'll try not to blatantly ruin your ecstacy, Maria. It's a nice idea, and nice to have them pay tithes to charity. But in general, I wish to say, many businesses make easy money of people's devotion for Israel. The fact that they may be devoted to Israel themselves or may have served in the Israeli Army (like millions of others) isn't very relevant.

I am especially angry to see cases - not this one, probably - where people are made to believe that their purchase supports Israsel or the IDF, where in fact they simply buy overpriced products from a fully private business.

Again, this is probably not the case, and maybe I am hypersensitive on this issue. Of course, it's your choice how to use your money, whether related to Isreal or not, but really, I just want to say: This necklace is is a *business*, so I wouldn't give it too much meaning beyond that.

Hehe Orly I thought you'd say something like that. Well it was actually cheap, and I wanted it, so you needn't worry about me. I don't care who designed it by the way :-)

He he it's nice you can read my mind. You think 18$ for a piece of land is cheap? Maybe I should start my own business :-p

Orly I shall tell you what I have told so many before: I'm from Iceland. For me everything is cheap! 18 dollars is nothing...

And I realise that carrying sand and dirt around your neck seems lame for someone who lives in Israel (and always did), such as yourself, but I assure you it's different when you don't.
And so what if they take atvantage of people's devotion to Israel? If everybody is happy, then let them! I make a living off taking atvantage of people's interest in Iceland. And believe me when I tell you things cost a loooooot more here :-) But hey, I don't force anyone to buy anything.

I would like your take on Iceland's welcome to Bobby Fisher, a washed up chess player who spouts off the most horrible anti-semitic statements. Why is Iceland so interested in this nasty perverted individual?

A lot of Israelis buy bottled water from springs in the Golan. Once I had a friend over from the Golan, he said, "We flush our toilets with that."

It is the "intrinsic value" fallacy: if you bring a thing from where it is common to where it is dear, you don't increase its value, therefore the merchant who does it is a parasite. This argument has been used against Jews for thousands of years.

Well whatever. I still want the necklace :p

FWIW, I think it's a nice touch (though we use earth from Israel for more somber purposes).
Better to walk on it than wear it, though.

David: You refer to so-called mineral water. Nobody buys them becasue they are "from the Golan", but because they allegedly come from a spring and thus are better than regular tap water. Your friend probably meant to say that the value of mineral water is not as claimed to be.

Anyway, it's everyone's right to buy/sell things and pay according to their emotional rather than actual value. What bothers me in this field is that many businesses create a FALSE display as if they are charity or non-profit organizations.

Whether a business or helping out or a mixture of both it's a cute idea.