Buy Everything Day

You gotta love it. On international Buy Nothing Day, which was actually marked on the streets of Tel Aviv this Friday, the shops in Azrieli offered a special 'Shocking Sale' with huge discounts. Reports Ha'aretz: "The Shocking Sale, shop owners acknowledged, lived up to its promise: They were positively stunned by the final tally at the end of the day."

The day will also no doubt be inscribed deep in the memories of taxi drivers and security guards posted at the entrances to the mall. The traffic jams and the long lines at its entrance showed for the umpteenth time that the spirit of consumerism is stronger than any dictate to the contrary. Eyewitnesses said that there were times when the mall looked liked the Muqata during Arafat's funeral. "They were throwing punches here yesterday over the shirts," reported one proud shopkeeper.

'The spirit of consumerism'.... a rather tame way to define Israelis' legendary shopping killer instinct!