New airport

Yesterday we went to the new airport for the first time. Actually it's not
technically a new airport but a new terminal (#3) at Ben Gurion Airport. It
is very large and very modern and is already crowded. I was not prepared
for how crowded it would be, already the huge car parks were almost full,
and the arrival and departures were incredibly busy.
This terminal was supposed to have been built by 2000, for the extra crowds
expected then for the visit of the Pope and the Christian pilgrims. But,
once they missed that they slowed down. One good thing about this terminal
is that it has walkways directly onto the planes, which the old terminal did
not. They said it was for security, but that seems the opposite to me, this
is more secure. We were not impressed by the security entering the terminal
or inside, but they do still have a checkpoint as you enter the airport.
The terminal has a lot of shops and cafes outside the departure gates. We
did not go inside to see the duty free, but it's supposed to be a big
supermarket. Anyway, this terminal represents another step forward for
Israel as it develops into a modern advanced country. Many Israelis bemoan
the fact that Israel is becoming "Americanized," but in that sense so is
most of the world becoming modernized.
In other transportation respects Israel is behind the times. There is still
no railway connection between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. They closed the old
line built by the British because it was in disrepair, and started to build
a new more direct one, via the new airport and Modi'in. The part to the
airport is now working, but they realized it would take so long to get it to
Jerusalem, that they decided to renovate the old tracks. So there will be a
rail connection some time in the future, but no-one knows when.
Route 6 is a great addition to the road system in Israel because it runs
north-south, but more inland, so that some traffic is transferred from the
clogged coastal roads. But, now they need to spend much more money on an
efficient urban rail system. Perhaps we'll get to these things if the
defense budget ever gets significantly reduced, if there is ever a
meaningful peace process.