wrote to customer care and they responded:
"Please accept our apology for any inconvenience you experienced during the interruption of your travel plans.
As alternative options to your claim for compensation under Israeli Air Service Regulation, we would like to offer you a choice of a $1,000 (USD) United Travel Certificate* (redeemable and transferable toward the purchase of any United or United Express operated flight) or 30,000 United MileagePlus® miles (redeemable on flights operated by United, United Express or by Air Canada, ANA, Austrian, Lufthansa, SAS Scandinavian, Swiss, Thai and 20 additional Star Alliance partners worldwide.)
If you desire one of these options, please let us know your preference and we'll facilitate delivery via e-mail within 3-5 business days. However, if you still wish to pursue cash compensation of ILS3080.00 under the Israeli Law, please provide your banking information for a wire transfer. Processing of your payment may take up to 6 weeks."
Thoughts? Seems like they try to get you to choose the certificate by saying 6 weeks for the other.