The common consensus among the travelling press pack is that Tel Aviv is not at all like it was advertised in the brochure.

Initial fears of a war-ravaged city, ringed by security fences and machine-gun toting guards, have been dispelled and replaced by the reality of a lively Mediterranean beach resort not too dissimilar to Marseille where Newcastle played their last European game in April.

There are regular reminders of the troubled security situation of course, but they are nowhere near as prominent, or as prevalent, as might have been expected.

Detailed security checks upon entering any shop, bar or restaurant take a little bit of getting used to, as does the sight of an armed police officer frisking people on the way into McDonald's or KFC.

But, in general, Israeli life seems to go on uninterrupted by the threat of violence from Palestinian extremists.

It hasn't always been like that of course, and one of the more poignant stops on our wander around the city was Mike's Bar - the scene of one of the most high-profile suicide bombings in recent years. The bar has always been aimed at Tel Aviv's small number of tourists, and visitors to the city are urged to sample its wares as a statement against terrorism. Needless to say the offer was taken up.

Terrorism of a different nature was also linked to the imperious Israeli Security Forces building which dominates the Tel Aviv skyline. The towering minaret was the target for 39 Scud missiles unleashed by Saddam Hussein as part of the Gulf War - all of which missed their target.

Incredibly, there were only two fatalities as a result of the bombings, and one of those was because of a heart attack suffered as the air-raid sirens sounded.

The rest of Israel is not all like Tel Aviv of course, and it has been instructive to see the way in which the Jewish and Arabic societies interact. Personal relationships seem friendly enough, although there are deep-rooted institutional divisions which serve to keep the races apart.

The press are a part of this, with English-language newspapers carrying very different stories and pictures to media outlets aimed at the Arab world.

The hotel TV has a myriad of channels available, but none are in the Arabic language and none seems to focus on the Palestinian perspective of what is happening.

One person who is in the local newspapers is Tony Blair, with the Prime Minister's speech to the Labour party conference making the headlines in Israel.

The Israeli population are impressed with Blair's hard line on Iraq and his desire to push Israeli-Palestinian relations to the forefront of his discussions with George Bush. With his popularity continuing to drop in the UK, Blair could always stand for the Knesset if he was looking unlikely to secure a third term.

Sakhnin's small support base means a meagre crowd is expected in the 50,000 capacity Ramat Gan Stadium for tonight's game.

Only 1,500 fans attended Sakhnin's first European game against Albanian side Partizani Tirana - a figure that would represent the smallest ever crowd for a European game involving Newcastle. More than treble that are expected tonight though, with Sakhnin slashing tickets prices and laying on 50 buses to transport their fans to Tel Aviv.

One of the real pleasures of a European trip is the chance to catch up with the gossip and rumours that are doing the rounds in other parts of the country.

So here's a couple to get you guessing - neither of which involves North-East players.

Which established international has spent the first month of the season being treated for an embarrassing sexual disease? And, more interestingly, how did he get it? And which Premiership import apparently likes to dress up in women's clothes?

Just like HP, I cannot reveal the secret of my sources.

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