 Welcome back to my YouTube channel where you can find a steady stream of random information, although it's usually connected to Israel and living in Jerusalem. I recently covered the engrossing subject of the dangers of using a certain type of plug in Israel. While a specific type of the two-pronged Euro plug will fit into Israeli sockets, to be on the safe side, it's often better to make sure that you're using appliances in Israel with an Israeli plug type. If you care enough about this, then consider watching that video. I decided, however, that I hadn't yet exhausted this rich treasure trove of information. So today I have another obscure fact to present to you. Did you know that Israel uses a type of plug that is used literally nowhere else in the world? Today, the type of plug socket you will find in use throughout Israel is classified as type H, or type H, as Americans would pronounce the letter. Israel standardised on the type H connection in 1989, the same year in which I was born. It consists of three round sockets, looking at the plug, the neutral connections on the left, the live wires on the right, and the bottom third prong is the connection to Earth. The outlet supplies electricity at 230 volts at 50 hertz. But here's the kicker. The Israeli plug interface is used exclusively in Israel, and the Palestinian Authority controlled areas like parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Literally no other country on the planet uses this plug socket. According to the Digital Museum of Plugs and Sockets, and yes, that's actually what the website is called, until the early 1980s Israel actually used a different variant of the S132 socket, which had three flat rather than round pins. These were rated to supply a current of up to 16 amps and a voltage of up to 250 volts. From the 1980s onwards, however, Israel began transitioning towards round pin plugs, which ensured greater compatibility with European plug standards. Initially, sockets were installed onto homes and businesses that could accept both round and flat pin connectors, and eventually everything became the round pins we have today. Another type of connector that you'll apparently sometimes see in Israel is Type M, which is otherwise only used in South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho. Type M also has three round pins, although it's spaced a bit differently than Type H. The World Appliance website says that you'll find these used pretty much exclusively for high amperage connections like hold building air conditioning units. However, in close on 10 years living in Israel, I've personally never seen these sockets in homes or businesses. So there's certainly nowhere near as common as Type H connections, which are the ones you'll see literally everywhere. I chose to describe Israel's unique plug type as controversial because on the face of it, not going with a plug type that's already in widespread use seems like a needless decision that only serves to jack up prices for the Israeli consumer. For instance, if all European appliances have to be terminated in Israel's unique plug after they're imported from Europe, then this is bound to jack up the price and create monopoly for vested interests. Israel and Europe share a common electricity supply voltage, so it would seem that life would be a lot simpler if Israel simply adopted a European type of plug. Like for example, the Type F Shuko plug, which has two prongs with grounding or even the Type G plug, which is used in the UK and Ireland and which has three flap plugs. Both of these plug types are grounded and are compatible with the type of electricity which is used in Israel. According to some opinionated people on the internet, Israel's decision to introduce its very own plug type was actually rooted in precisely this idea, protectionism. Mandating the use of a plug that is entirely unique to Israel creates state-sanctioned monopolies in building materials. After all, pretty much every home and business needs plenty of plug sockets, as well as for importers who can pass on middleman costs through having to re-terminate specific electrical appliances. Whether the protectionism theory is the actual explanation for Israel's unique plug type or an urban legend propagated by people looking for boogie men for Israel's high-cost living, I'm not entirely sure. But Israel's seemingly unnecessary unique plug type does come up somewhat frequently whenever the cost of living is being discussed. And unique and unnecessary Israel-specific standards, like the plug type, are presented as part of the problem. The usual punching bag is a body called the Standards Institution of Israel or in Hebrew, Mechonet Ekanima Israeli. This is the government body responsible for setting health and safety standards for just about everything in Israel. These days, the two-pronged, unerished Euro plug, which is plug type C, is the most widespread plug you throw out Europe. While type C plugs will fit into Israeli sockets, they're only intended for low-current double-insulated appliances, which do not require earthing. Therefore, many higher-amperage appliances in Israel, let's take washing machines and vacuum cleaners as two simple examples, continue to use and require Israel's unique plug type. What do you think about the Israeli plug controversy? Is it too late for Israel to shift to a different connection? Or did you hear a competing theory about why the unique plug was introduced in the first place? If so, consider leaving a comment. Thanks for watching today's video.