Hitchhiking in Israel
Trempiyada (accent on the syllable -ya-) is Hebrew (טרמפיאדה, derived from the German "trampen") for a designated place at a junction of highways or main roads in Israel from which hitchhikers, called "trempists", may solicit rides. There are often many people waiting at trempiadas, and passing motorists often stop to pick them up. Trempiadas often also have bus stops at the same location. Some scholars have pointed out the religious or spiritual connotation that hitchhiking carries in Israel. Nehemia Akiva Stern writing for the University of Pittsburgh argued that it's "almost exclusively practiced by religious Zionists , mainly youth...primarily within the West Bank" and that "in short, the practice of hitchhiking within the West Bank is a ritual of sacred travel." Etiquette. There is an unofficial etiquette governing trempiada use which determines priority for rides such as the obvious elderly before youth. Once inside there are certain courtesies that should be observed. Incidents. Hitchhiking in Israel has been the source of political tension and has sometimes resulted in incident. Most notably in 2014, three Israeli teenagers were abducted whilst hitchhiking and found deceased soon after. Following the event, there was increased hostilities between Jewish and Arab  communities. Critics blame the event on the "cavalier" attitude of young Israelis hitchhikers. Further, some journalists have observed that some Israelis insist on hitchhiking as a demonstration of their freedom and right to travel. Despite tensions and events of violence, many insist on hitchhiking and affirm its institutional role in Israeli society.