Asians in Israel is an independent bilingual publication covering the Asian diaspora communities in Israel — Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Nepali, Indian, and the smaller communities adjacent to them. We cover the businesses, restaurants, embassies, festivals, workplaces, and the practical mechanics of living and working here.
We exist because no one else was covering this beat. There are roughly a quarter of a million people from these communities in Israel, plus tens of thousands of Israelis who actively follow Asian culture, business, and travel. Mainstream Israeli media covers them episodically; community-internal channels are language-specific and fragmented. We sit in the middle: a single English + Hebrew surface that takes the community seriously as a community.
What we publish#
- A business directory of around 850 Asian-owned or Asian-serving businesses across Israel — restaurants, groceries, importers, cultural centres, embassies, professional services. Curated, bilingual, and updated as businesses open and close.
- News — Asian-community stories from Israel where we have a local angle (interview, on-the-ground reporting, primary document, or community input). We do not republish wire copy. See the editorial policy for the rule.
- Practical guides — caregiver rights, finding a doctor who speaks your language, navigating Israeli bureaucracy in a non-Hebrew first language, kosher considerations for Asian cuisines.
- Cuisine and city guides — annual roundups of where to find Korean, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, and Filipino food, plus the Asian grocery stores city by city.
- Events and jobs that the community actually cares about.
How we choose what to cover and how we verify it is on the methodology page.
Who runs it#
The site is edited by Maya Sasson — a pseudonym used by the publication’s editor to keep a single named, accountable point of contact for editorial decisions, corrections, and submissions, while preserving the editor’s personal privacy. The pseudonym is disclosed transparently here and on the editor’s page; it is not used to obscure conflicts of interest. See the editor’s page for the full bio and the reasoning behind the pseudonym.
The publication is independent: not affiliated with any embassy, community association, religious organisation, political party, or government. We are not funded by any of those. Revenue comes from paid directory placements and sponsored content as listed on /advertise/, plus optional reader support. The advertising policy sets out the firewall between commercial and editorial decisions.
The publisher is registered with Israeli tax authorities as an עוסק מורשה and issues proper Israeli tax invoices on commercial transactions.
How we work#
A few principles we apply consistently:
- Bilingual minimum (EN + HE). Every piece is published in English and Hebrew. We add Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Thai only when the content is specifically of that community — we do not machine-translate by default.
- Original or nothing. News coverage requires a local angle. Directory entries do not get a “Verified” badge unless we can confirm the business operates. Guides include businesses we have personally been to or that come from named community recommendations.
- AI assists language, not editorial judgement. Translation drafting and grammar are LLM-assisted. Sourcing, fact selection, framing, and ranking are human decisions. The methodology page describes the boundary.
- Corrections are visible. When we get something wrong, the post carries a “Corrected on YYYY-MM-DD” note with what changed. See editorial corrections.
How to get involved#
- Tell us about your business or event. The contact form is the fastest route; we also accept directory submissions via Telegram @aainewbot.
- Flag a correction or factual issue. Email editor@asiansinisrael.com.
- Submit a story or first-person piece. We pay for commissioned writing; pitch via the editor’s address above.
- Advertise. See the rate card and the advertising policy.
Reach#
- Discourse community forum — discussions, classifieds, longer threads
- Instagram — photo-first coverage, events
- Facebook — community page
- Telegram @aainewbot — bot route for submissions and tips
- Email: editor@asiansinisrael.com (editorial) · info@asiansinisrael.com (advertising, general)
Related: editor · editorial policy · methodology · advertising policy · community guidelines