The only town in modern Israel both founded and still populated by Arabs, Ramla (pronounced RAM-leh and not to be confused with Ramallah) is not simply a place of yarmulkes morphed into keffiyehs and cries of “Shalom!” replaced with “Salaam!” Sure, the great mosque and bustling souq pay homage to the town’s Arabic character, but the city is a melting pot—a hub for Ethiopian and Russian Jews, African and Christian Arabs, and settlers from India. Shisha joints sit comfortably next to tandoors.A shopkeeper may have to cycle through five languages before he hits the right one. Despite all that culture and 13 centuries of backstory, Ramla’s history has manifested more in dilapidation than in anything charming or old-timey. The city has garnered a national reputation for being grimy, ramshackle, and run-down—tell an Israeli you went to Ramla, and she may offer a little snigger in return. After all, the town’s most prominent piece of modernity is a mammoth industrial plant towering over the city. Ramla is not exactly a tourist mecca, and there’s really nowhere to stay, unless a jail cell is your style. Your best bet is to get to the city early enough to see the small crowd of churches, mosques, and ancient relics that huddle around the Old City, then grab some grub and get back to Tel Aviv by bedtime.