THE KARAITES The small sect of Jews known as the Karaites dwell principally in Ashdod, Be'er Sheva, and the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramla. The community of 15,000 traces its roots to the 9th century CE. Formed out of the political and religious turmoil following the Muslim invasion, Karaites adhere strictly to the five books of the Torah, but they reject all later Jewish traditions. They are generally cohesive, and have their own religious courts. To an outsider, however, their practices appear similar to those dictated by traditional Jewish observance. THE SAMARITANS Currently, the Samaritan community is a tiny one, with roughly 500 adherents divided between Nablus on the West Bank and Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv. Origi- nally the residents of Samaria, Samaritans consider themselves the original Israel- ites, descended from the tribes of Joseph from whom other Israelites learned monotheism. The religion is seen by non-members as an offshoot of Judaism marked by literal interpretation of the Samaritan version of the Old Testament and the exclusion of later Jewish interpretation from its canon. A gradual, centuries-long separation between the two religions culminated with the destruction of the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim by the Hasmonean king John Hyrcanus in 128 ВСЕ. The mountain is still the most holy site of the Samari- tan religion. Centuries of persecution by the various rulers of Palestine and thou- sands of deaths in a 529 CE uprising against Byzantine rule shrank the community to its present size. While the Rabbinate does not recognize Samaritans as Jews, the Israeli government applies the Law of Return to them. CUSTOMS & ETIQUETTE_ Among Israelis, the standard introduction on the first meeting is Shalom followed by a handshake. Orthodox Jewish men are not supposed to shake hands with women; it is often the best policy for women to allow men to initiate the gesture. Israelis tend to speak at a closer distance to each other than Westerners do. There is also typically more physical contact during conversations-again, women should not initiate such contact. Extreme gesturing is acceptable in IsraeU society, but pointing is taboo. Any gesture in which the thumb is extended is considered offensive, so avoid giving thumbs up or thumbs down. The traditional Arab greeting involves each grasping the other's right hand, plac- ing the left hand on the other's right shoulder, and placing kisses on each cheek. Nevertheless, Palestinians accustomed to foreign visitors will likely initiate a stan- dard handshake. In the Arab world, the left hand is believed to be unclean. Eat only with the right hand. To show the bottom of the foot is considered gravely offensive. When entering mosques, be sure to remove your shoes. For more information on proper conduct, see the above section on Religion. In most religious settings, and in Muslim settlements in general, moderate dress is required.