"Business dress is less formal than Westerners are accustomed to at home."
This actually changes the further west from NYC you travel in the U.S.
In NYC - three piece suits. Button-down shirt, tie, khakis if it's for a picnic.
In the midwest - button-down shirt, khakis, sneakers.
In the southwest (NM, AZ, TX) - Jeans and a nice shirt. Maybe khaki shorts.
West coast - your best jean cutoff shorts and rock concert t-shirt.
San Francisco - T-shirt of whatever startup you are working at right now. Most comfortable pair of sandals you own, regardless of how they smell.
I interpret the first bullet point as: expect personal questions and feel free to evade them.
I think you're being a bit thin-skinned. Generalities are not definitive. Every business has a department that is responsible for making sure that no client is offended by "the company"... someone is just doing their job. It's unfortunate that Itai Braun felt the need to publicize it.
I thought everybody was Belgian in here... oh, well I won't hold it against ye.
The dress code is really weird. feels like it was written in the 70's.
Now I'm half thinking of a big Microsoft dialog box:
Do you wish to conduct business with this Israeli company?
* Please read all instructions.....
...................................
Checkbox -> By reading and accepting this you realise that I am inviting you out for dinner?
Accept | Cancel
It's interesting to get some insights into how things are different over there, sometimes I feel like I have a very isolated view of the world.