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Reasons to Affirm Israel's Jewish Character

(Jewish Chronicle-UK) Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll - To fully understand the creation of Israel's new nation-state law, one must go back to 2006-2007, when major Arab-Israeli NGOs released three significant publications: The Future Vision of the Arab Palestinians in Israel, the Democratic Constitution, and the Haifa Declaration. They sought veto power on national issues, the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and, critically, the annulment of Israel's Jewish character. They recommended two states - not one Jewish and one Palestinian, but one, a secular bi-national state of Jews and Arabs, and one exclusively Palestinian. These publications put Israel's Jewish character at risk, since the nature of the Jewish state had no legal definition in court. Israel does not have a constitution, but it does have 12 Basic Laws, ten of which deal with its democratic nature and civil liberties. Not one affirms Israel's Jewish character. Until last week. The question is whether a democratic Jewish state is a legitimate thing, or whether a homeland for Jews where all Jews are welcome and all citizens are guaranteed rights, yet where Jewish tradition, holidays and symbols are celebrated nationally, and Jews are in charge of their destiny, should be replaced by a state of all its citizens devoid of Jewish majority, symbolism and authority and where Jewish people are not automatically welcomed home.
2018-07-30 00:00:00
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