Israeli demand sparks `Jewish state' debate

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By DAN PERRY

JERUSALEM (AP) - Is Israel "the Jewish state"?

The answer may seem as obvious as the Star of David on the Israeli flag. Yet the question is starting to complicate the ambitious U.S. effort to ram through a peace deal between the Palestinians and Israel.

A broad-based group of Israelis plans to lobby the Knesset to declare the country, for the first time, a Jewish state by law. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded that the Palestinians recognize Israel's Jewish status explicitly as part of any agreement.

"This is the Jewish land. This is the Jewish state," he said in a speech this week to assembled U.S. Jewish leaders. "When we make an agreement it is an agreement between the nation state of the Jewish people and a nation state of the Palestinian people."

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140220/DAC37JR00.html

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In this Monday, May 9, 2011 file photo, Israeli youths dance with Israeli flags, prior to a prayer at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, marking Israel's Independence Day,in Jerusalem. The notion of Israel’s “Jewishness” has gained both currency and controversy recently because of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demand that the Palestinians recognize it explicitly as part of an agreement and plans by a broad-based group of Israelis to lobby the Knesset to declare the country a Jewish state by law. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

[cosmicone]

1. I'll never settle with the Raiders' state of Oakland

unless they agree to respect my 49er status.

Silly

[1000words]

2. Why is it important?

Is one's faith diminished without said status?

[Lancero]

3. Ironically...

If someone demanded a "White State", we'd be calling the guy a racist prick.

So, in favor of equality... Benny Netty, You're a racist prick.

[KareBear]

4. And what race is Jew again? <nt>

[azurnoir]

8. perhaps this will 'clarify' for you :)

race 1 (rās)
n.
1. A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
2. A group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution: the German race.
3. A genealogical line; a lineage.
4. Humans considered as a group.
5. Biology
a. An interbreeding, usually geographically isolated population of organisms differing from other populations of the same species in the frequency of hereditary traits. A race that has been given formal taxonomic recognition is known as a subspecies.
b. A breed or strain, as of domestic animals.
6. A distinguishing or characteristic quality, such as the flavor of a wine.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Race

[KareBear]

9. Interesting definition

By those standards anything is a race. New Yorkers are now a race. Congratulations New York! If Boston beats you at baseball they are racists.

[another_liberal]

5. Guilt demands it . . .

The Israelis know in their hearts the enormous wrongs they have done to the rightful owners of their land. Now they have to try and put a different label on Palestine by calling it a "Jewish State," as if calling it that will change what it actually is. Their inescapable guilt demands it be done.

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

6. ".....he said in a speech this week to assembled U.S. Jewish leaders."

Gotta give it to Bibi: He knows where the power driving our foreign policy is.

[BillZBubb]

7. The "Jewish State" demand is just another Israeli poison pill attempt.

If the Palestinians agree that Israel is a legitimate, sovereign state and further agree to live at peace with Israel, whether Israel is Jewish or not is immaterial.

But by adding the emotionally charged "Jewish state" demand, Netanyahu and the rest of the Likudnik anti-peace Israeli's can rally their hard core base and alienate the Palestinians.

Funny how up to this time even the Israeli Knesset hasn't felt the need to declare Israel a Jewish state.