This is another example of a problem regarding the nature of Israel. It is a Jewish state yet that has never been fully clarified in what that means. Israel is officially secular yet in its Constitution is obliged to grant citizenship to any Jew and in its laws grants various privelages to religious Jews. I think until that is resolved Israel is always going to have problems like this.
This is false. There are legal rights. Of course this is all irrelevant because Muslim nations operating under these pretenses don't tout themselves a democracies as Israel does.
Well recently the Israeli S. Ct. said that journalists should be allowed into Gaza. The politicos and the military refused to follow that. It would be good if the US could do something to promote democracy in Israel.
That's what Israel is. Once it stops granted special privileges to Jews, both in Israel and abroad, it stops being a "Jewish state". I agree that there is something fundamentally wrong with granting extra privileges to any particular group based on race/religion, but if we wish to "resolve" it than that is effectively calling for the "Zionist entity" (i.e. Israel as a Jewish state) to be "wiped out". And that would mean we side with the terrorists, you see.
Yes the problem is the "touting" part of it. Israel should just stop "touting" and I'm sure you guys will leave it alone.
If Israel no longer declares itself a democracy, that should be immediate grounds for the US to stop giving military aid.
Them touting it isn't the real problem. Israel is our ally. They're the ones we're set on defending (by arming them, our UN vetoes, threatening Iran, etc.). So, if they're doing something, anything, to antagonize their neighbors, that is something which should concern us. Israel is a reflection of ourselves in the Middle East. Anything they do is our responsibility.
Well what do ya know... they are just like us. Terrorist attack them.... they attack back, big time. The worst part is the terrorist always win.
The terrorists win? Last time I checked, Gaza was a shi*hole and Israel was one of the wealthiest nations in the world. How in the hell do the "terrorists" win? This has nothing to do with "attacking the terrorists" unless you're willing to allege that all Arab lawmakers are "terrorists" and that human rights and democratic freedoms are tools of "terrorism". It reflects very poorly on the United States if they endorse behavior of this kind.
For me, the worst part isn't who wins but who loses. Regarding Israel's current bombing onslaught on Gaza, its the Gazan people, and those who care about a viable, healthy, democratic state emerging out of Gaza, that will lose.
Like the legal right to be a second class citizen. The legal right to pay extra religious taxes. The legal right to not display your religion in any way shape or form in public. If someone made Muslims operate under these same 'rights'...
No one ever answered my questions previously. What if somone tell you, your families and your neighbors to give up your home to some foreigner because they are backed by a much stronger military force? Would you say tough luck on me and go peacefully?
can you please show me how many countries in the world today require non muslims to pay extra taxes? also list to me all the countries that allow no display. (saudi and waht else?)
The problem is though if it is just Israel for the Jews on a basis of religion they aren't living up to their charter as a secular state. While Judaism can be considered an ethnicity too Israel already allows non-Semitic Jews in, such as Ethiopian and Asian Jews in. So they have to decide, if they truly are secular they should be granting rights to everyone regardless of religion and Jewish state per se only implies to the founding of the country just like the US is an Anglo Saxon country or else they are religious and then are really not much different in national identity from countries like Malaysia and Pakistan.
Israel is an ethnocracy before a democracy, I think some people tend to forget that. I do not remember where I read it before but I remember an Israeli politician saying once that Israel would be forced to scrap democracy if Arabs were to ever become the majority voters in Israel proper. So yeah, Israel would become a military junta rather than be overrun by Arabs in its own home. Color me surprised (not)! So, does this move put Israel on par or behind Turkey as a Middle Eastern democracy? Can you still be democratic while randomly outlawing political parties that you do not approve of? If so, then Iran is definitely a functioning democracy as well whether or not you approve of their Islamist bent (yes, Islamists can be democratic, strange I know).
Right, sounds like the "unelected" Supreme Court of the United States (albeit with more power). They are basically a legal body that promotes and protects the Islamic Constitution of Iran. I am not even arguing that Iran is a democracy, all I am saying is if we keep lowering the threshold for what a modern democracy should be then Iran will eventually meet the definition.
You say it like being an Islamist is a bad thing. An Islamist is nothing but an orthodox Muslim. What is wrong with someone who has a lot of knowledge about Islam and/or follows the religion conventionally?
As a Jew, I have a real problem with Orthodox Jews and think they are damn near the scum of the earth. So naturally I have the same level of (dis)regard for Orthodox Muslims, although I have not met many in my life time (my Arab friends can hardly be considered the Orthodox type, we drink and bang Jewish and Arab girls with no reservations) You can add any extremist ideologue to that list be it a Marxist or someone else. Now I fully recognize their right to be, do and say whatever they want, but I also like to tell them on occasion (when we cross paths that is, mostly for reasons outside of my control) that they are the root of all evil. Fascists are probably the ones I respect the most, they tend to be much more rational, less hypocritical and unapologetic.
