Israel does not have any of its own oil deposits, so all of its petroleum must be imported from neighboring countries. The petroleum they import is refined from what is called "crude oil" and made into gasoline and diesel for transportation. Because it is imported, it's significantly more expensive than what we're used to paying in the United States. This, combined with Israel's generally high taxes, means that Israelis pay about $6.30 per gallon of gasoline. This is a lot of money, so many people opt not to own personal cars.
The public transportation networks within the country are extremely comprehensive. Trains and buses run north to south and east to west in almost every possible arrangement to ensure that owning a car is not necessary the way that it is in many parts of the United States. The connectedness that we are used to seeing in large cities extends through the entire country. All kinds of people take public transportation, from young professionals to students to schoolchildren and grandmas.
In Tel Aviv, the city is crowded and parking is always hard to find. Many people don't need cars, as they live and work inside of the city.
