Log In | Register
The refusal of the Palestinian Authority to acknowledge Israel as a legitimate Jewish state isn't a denial of reality; it is a sign of their determination to change that reality. Like Arab leaders going back a century, they seek not to live in peace with the Jewish state, but in place of the Jewish state. Olmert can show up at Annapolis bearing Palestinian sovereignty on a silver platter, with half of Jerusalem thrown in for good measure. He will not walk away with peace. On the contrary: He will intensify the Arab determination to replace the world's one Jewish state with its 23rd Arab state.
The key to Arab-Israeli peace is not Palestinian statehood. It is to compel the Arab world to abandon its dream of liquidating Israel. As a matter of national self-respect, Olmert should repeat his demand that the Palestinians acknowledge Israel's Jewish identity - and make it nonnegotiable. If Israel cannot insist even on so fundamental a point of honor, it has already lost more than it knows.
Is Israel a Jewish state?
Article Source: The Boston Globe- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (3)
The irony of the situation is, in Saudi Arabia you aren't permitted to bring in a bible or a crucifix into the country, let alone build or attend a church or synagogue service, yet that is all right!
After two centuries of persecution it never ceases to amaze me how rational people can't see the justification of a country where Jews are free to live as Jews. If a Jew can't live in the Land of Israel, the land where Judaism was "invented" and flourished and struggled to return to when exiled throughout all the centuries, I personally doubt whether there is any place on earth for a Jew.
- 2 votes
#1 - Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:02 AM ESTMany countries link national identity and religion. A few examples:
Argentina law requires government support for the Roman Catholic faith.
Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Church of England.
The constitution in Bhutan proclaims Buddhism the nation's "spiritual heritage."
In Denmark and Norway, the royal families must be members of the Church of Denmark and the Church of Norway, respectively.
In Muslim nations in the Middle East, this type of arrangement is common. The flag of Saudi Arabia features the shahada (Islamic declaration of faith) in white Arabic script on a green background. The flag of Iran features the Islamic phrase "Allah Akbar" 22 times. The Palestinian Authority's Basic Law provides in Article 4 that "Islam is the official religion in Palestine" and that "the principles of Islamic sharia shall be the main source of legislation."
In almost every nation mentioned above, the population of the country includes many religious beliefs.
Obviously, the members of the Arab League have no problem in linking religion and national identity, except, it seems, in the case of Israel.
- 2 votes
#3 - Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:10 AM ESTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
