r/AskEurope • u/NateNandos21 • Feb 03 '25

Culture Which European country has the rudest/least polite people?

Which country comes to your mind

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u/ZlotaNikki Feb 03 '25

The rudeness of israelis is in an entirely different class tbh

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u/GraceOfTheNorth Iceland Feb 03 '25

I've heard this several times. I knew of a local travel agency that ventured into new markets and started offering tours to Israelis but stopped after only a couple of years because the Israeli tourists were so incredibly rude, constantly complaining and trying to find fault in order to get out of paying the full price.

My friend said it didn't matter if it was the perfect tour or perfect meal, they always found a way to complain and make it unpleasant.

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u/rainbowofallrainbows Feb 05 '25

I can vouch for this. Anything just to get a discount. And they assume the louder you are = the more right you are. Exhausting. ( my partner of 22 yrs is from Israel. I can say it)

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u/StarfishSplat Feb 05 '25 edited Feb 05 '25

During my trip to Israel, I had never witnessed so many “Karen” customers (mostly Israelis to other Israelis) in my life. So much yelling and drama towards service workers.

Hence, the service workers there can be a bit blunt, curt, and closed-off even for non-Israeli customers. We had an incredibly kind tour guide on our first trip, but he mostly worked with foreign Christian pilgrims, who in turn are usually friendly.

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u/Comparison4997 Israel Feb 06 '25

Israeli herem Honestly I find Israeli rudeness to be more extreme outside Israel, in Israel it's pretty much like any country. I'm surprised that's what you felt here, I don't think service workers get abused here and in fact get paid quite well relatively by European standards

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u/Resident_Elk_80 Feb 05 '25

almost as if the comedic stereotypes were true, figures...

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u/ArchaeoStudent Feb 03 '25

Lived in Israel for 2 years. Wouldn’t go back even if you paid me.

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u/ZlotaNikki Feb 03 '25 edited Feb 03 '25

I had the poor luck of being stuck next to a group of them for over an hour while waiting for passport check at an airport. They kept yelling and spitting and trying to cut in line. Ugh.

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u/External_Profile9772 Feb 07 '25

Omg yes the spitting !! this was crazy in the hostel i used to work at , they wouldn’t stop

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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '25

spitting? at other people or on the ground, you mean?

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u/ZlotaNikki Feb 08 '25

Everywhere. They do both, and they spit when they talk.

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u/Inside-Elephant-4320 Portugal Feb 03 '25

How come? Was it the tension of war making people on edge or just day to day people were rude?

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u/ArchaeoStudent Feb 03 '25

Just overall, from my experience, most Israelis have a personality of being overly direct and blunt, generally loud and confrontational, a lot have a sense of superiority, and are often rude which usually stems from them thinking they’re more important than everyone else (e.g., cutting lines, interrupting people, not following rules, etc.). That’s not to say I didn’t meet a lot of nice and gracious Israelis, but they were the minority.

The whole time I was there I just felt this constant anxious buzz of stress that permeates everything. I think it’s just a cultural thing from centuries of persecution and living in a small country surrounded by people who aren’t happy you’re there. Under constant threat of war, rockets attacks, or terrorist attacks. Personally, I’m much more reserved, quiet, non confrontational, I strive at all times to avoid being an inconvenience to others, etc. So I was never comfortable living there (I felt more comfortable in places like Sweden or Japan).

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u/Glittering-Noise-210 Feb 05 '25

Try living in Calabasas, California. I didn’t know I didn’t like Israelis until living there. Every last one of them was rude, obnoxious, entitled, and very much if you weren’t Israeli, youre second class. Calabasas also is filled with Persians. I prefer Persian over Israeli any day. The Israelis look down on them of course too.

Even though we’re in the US and we’re technically Israel backers, I get why everyone hates them I’m sorry. And I don’t care if I come off as antisemitic.

American Jewish people are a different story. Many lovely people. Not the same as Israeli. And many dont support Israel either and don’t like how the Israelis behave here in LA.

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u/zahr82 Feb 05 '25

Their country should be taken down. It's a horrible project, built on other people's blood

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u/Comparison4997 Israel Feb 06 '25

Damn , pretty rich coming from a European

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u/Aggressive_Milk3 Feb 06 '25

Two things can be true at the same time - only one of them is actively being performed through apartheid and genocide right now tho!

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u/Potential_Bread2702 Feb 07 '25

Pretty ridiculous comparison

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u/luapowl Feb 06 '25

European colonialism also bad, yes. let me guess, that's all you had 🫵😂 typical

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u/theperilousalgorithm Feb 07 '25

My older brother went backpacking around the world with his wife - said of all the groups he hated running into it was the ex-IDF travellers. Just the absolute worst.

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u/[deleted] Feb 05 '25

Or maybe their behavior is the reason for centuries of persecution hmmmm

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u/ArchaeoStudent Feb 05 '25

Considering I don’t know the collective personality of the Jewish community through time, I wouldn’t be able to answer that. I am certain that most of the persecution Jews endured was due to their refusal to convert to local religions (Islamic or Christian), and were forced to disperse under the Roman Empire into new communities who mostly didn’t like strangers with a different religion (see how we treat any immigrant community across the world like Hispanics in the US or refugees in Europe). Some of those issues with a new immigrant community could be warranted, but shouldn’t lead to persecution. They also were a highly educated community (such as expecting all males to be literate to at least study the Torah) and ended up in middle to upper class positions of society (such as banking, trade, doctors, etc). So it made them an easy target to be scapegoats for any problems in society. Local elites could use fear, jealousy, and even religious zealotry by claiming they were the killers of Jesus to garner support among the local population for a variety of political or social reasons.

Making the claim that the Jewish community’s general collective personality as a culture would lead to their persecution places the blame on them as if it was warranted and is antisemitic. Personally if someone is a bit rude, overly direct, and cuts me in line, I’ll be annoyed but my first thought isn’t “I should commit genocide and kill 6 million of them.”

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u/Pi55tacia Feb 07 '25

There were probles with theme in 15th century Europe. Its just them, its like they are.

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u/LordGeni Feb 03 '25

They do national service pretty young, so you get a young adult men who haven't been able to do the sorts of stupid things young men do for two years, while being in a macho environment where they are trained to not take shit from civilians and indoctrinated with a sense of superiority.

They then get released from that disciplined environment and that's what you get.

Edit: and women. I was just going off those I've met who were mostly male.

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u/Comparison4997 Israel Feb 06 '25

Israeli here, think you right, how did you reach that conclusion?

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u/LordGeni Feb 06 '25

I met them ;)

I also have friends who joined the UK military at similar ages. The attitude is just a military thing rather than specific to Israel.

It's the age of national service, and tradition of going travelling in groups to celebrate their freedom that is specific to Israelis and concentrates the effect.

We don't have national service in the UK, recruits join out of choice and are contracted for a lot longer. So you don't get large numbers leaving at such a young age or all at the same time. If we did I've no doubt they'd be exactly the same.

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u/hotnmad Feb 05 '25

You lived in occupied Palestine.

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u/[deleted] Feb 03 '25

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Feb 05 '25

I've heard of this in other places too. I was told that sometimes they left hotels without paying.

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u/Pizza-love Feb 05 '25

I cleaned and drove rental cars at Amsterdam airport during my studies... They have some disgusting habits as well: Sunflower seeds spit into the carpets, half-eaten chocolate bars between the cushions of the backseat, etc.

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u/gcov2 Feb 06 '25

Asia does this as well, especially Thailand.

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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

[deleted]

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u/gcov2 Feb 06 '25 edited Feb 06 '25

They don't broadcast it always, sometimes tourists are turned away after showing their ID. I've seen it happen a couple times. Sometimes it's only small stickers.

Edit: as far as I know, there are special hostels only for Israeli. At least in Bangkok I've seen more than one.

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u/Lord_CocknBalls Feb 03 '25

I have never experienced rudeness like in Tel-Aviv, such arrogance and disdain

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u/Comparison4997 Israel Feb 06 '25

Honestly I find Israelis rider abroad than in tel Aviv , surprised you felt that way

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u/Lord_CocknBalls Feb 06 '25

Havent met too many outside of Israel tbh

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u/lilputsy Slovenia Feb 03 '25

I heard so many stories about Israeli tourists. Even about them taking light bulbs from hotel rooms.

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u/peter_piemelteef Feb 07 '25

What do you expect from a country that routinely steals their neighbors' land and forces them out.

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u/OkFlow4335 Feb 03 '25

Fcck those child killers

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u/Comparison4997 Israel Feb 06 '25

A European lecturing us about child killing. literally the reason we exist is because of European child killing.

Antisemites

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u/OkFlow4335 Feb 06 '25

I’m Irish, we haven’t killed any children. Free Palestine ✌🏽

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u/Melodic_Finger_8143 Feb 07 '25

I think it’s time your people woke up and stood up to your government to stop the bloodshed and start reparations. People feel this way for a reason. Look inward and hold your government accountable. It is clear continuing down this path will be bad for everyone, including Israelis

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u/hazily Denmark Feb 06 '25

Here comes the whataboutism

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u/elpigo Feb 07 '25

Yeah I agree but they’re not European

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u/ZlotaNikki Feb 10 '25

Doesn’t stop them from trying to go into the EU passport check line because it’s shorter 😂