Jerusalem – Israel’s cabinet breathed new life on Sunday into efforts to anchor in law the country’s status as a Jewish state, legislation Palestinians have described as an obstacle to peace.
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A ministerial committee approved a revised version of a bill first proposed in 2011 that declares the “State of Israel is the national home of the Jewish people”, its author, Avi Dichter of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party, wrote on Facebook.
The legislation still has to go through further drafting by the Justice Ministry and pass several votes in parliament in what could be a lengthy process.
But the cabinet-level step — two weeks before a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump — could help Netanyahu shore up relations with far-right members of his government and underpin his campaign to press Palestinians to recognize Israel as the “nation-state” of the Jewish people.
Such acknowledgement has been a key Netanyahu demand for reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that collapsed in 2014 and which Trump has pledged to pursue.
Palestinians say accepting Netanyahu’s call could deny Palestinian refugees of past wars any right of return. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has characterized such “nation-state” legislation as putting “obstacles in the way of peace”.
In meetings in Israel, Trump will discuss how he plans to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians, a goal that has evaded many previous administrations. He is also scheduled to meet Abbas during the trip.
Critics have described the proposed legislation, which also declares that the “right to self determination” in Israel is “unique to the Jewish people” as impinging on the rights of its Arab minority, who make up some 20 percent of the population.
Opponents said that the bill designates only Hebrew as the country’s official language, although it requires government services and forms to be available in Arabic as well.”The nation-state law is tyranny by the majority and ‘legally’ turns us into second-class citizens,” Arab legislator Ayman Odeh wrote on Twitter after the cabinet committee’s decision.
Dichter, however, called the move “an important step in entrenching our identity, not only in consciousness of the world but primarily in our own minds”.
The revised legislation appeared to soften previous language that would have given Jewish values prominence in law-making and judicial decisions.
Centrists in Netanyahu’s government have argued a “nation-state” bill is unnecessary, noting the 1948 Declaration of Independence already proclaimed a Jewish state. They have accused him of pandering to right-wingers, and past versions of the legislation failed to make it through parliament.
It is everything BUT a Jewish State! It is forbidden to declare any sort of Jewish state while were in Galus. Anyone can declare anything but if thr Torah forbids it it then who cares what they call it?? If they were AUTHENTIC Jews, they would know its not petmitted, but theyre not. Theyre non practicing Jews at heart. They have a Jewish lineage and thats all. A Jewish State if permitted would be with REAl jews as head of State. This is a unfunny joke and against our holy torah!!!
Your posting is a chilul hashem
No #1 is the truth, but not for the reason stated. This is an new attempt at an old quest that didn’t succeed. Ben Gurion asked the Harvard Law School to write a constitution for a SECULAR Jewish country. They answered that it was a contradiction in terms. A SECULAR Jewish country by can’t be democratic by definition. I.e., in democracy, the values of the country reflect the will of the majority. But if the constitution forces “Jewish” values, then there the laws have nothing to do about the will of the majority. At best, there is a status quo. I suspect, that these laws are also trying to insure that a religious majority can’t ever make the country a RELIGIOUS JEWISH country.
Waiting for Mashiach ?? To Do What ????
Read what Yidel Warter writes that the Amoire Shmuel, who formulated his successful campaign against early Christians and devised a slogan that said “” (EIN BEIN …אין בין עולם הזה לימות המשיח אלא שיעבוד מלכיות בלבד.) is also the reason why Jews should disassociate themselves from the so called state of Israel ,
The following is the Satmer Rebbes opinion why Advocating Herzl’s plan to establish a Jewish government without Meshiach is in violation with 2 of the 13 principles of the Jewish Religion :
A) Hashem Punishes, B). Waiting for Mashiach,
1) It is important to remember that Jewish Sovereignty over Eretz Yisroel is CONDITIONAL !!!!
2) At the Covenant of Hashem with our Father Abraham it was agreed that the punishment for violating the Jewish faith, would be Exile/Gules,
3) Hashem told us thru our Nevi’im that the redemption of the Jewish people will be by Meshiach.
4) The Amoira Shmuel the biggest Poisek in his Generation indicates with proclaiming the term “” EIN BEIN!!!! …אין בין עולם הזה לימות המשיח אלא שיעבוד מלכיות בלבד “”
That Hashem’s decree on us to WAIT for Meshiach, is meant for Mashiach’s EXCLUSIVE ACT to Restore A Jewish Sovereignty and to Reestablish a Jewish Government ,
“”All other attributes to Meshiach can be disputed or advanced by Others in alliance with Meshiach. “”
5) The Rambam brings down LeHalucha the words of Shmuel as impartial: “Umri Chachumim” and states that whoever does not WAIT for Meshiach (as described by Shmuel) is an Apikoires.
6) The ReShab Writes a warning for our days: “That even if the Herzl plan would achieve their goal, we must not listen to them in this matter “to make our redemption with our own power.”
7) So any one who is ONLY in the OPINION that Mashiach’s JOB may be achieved without him, is JUST Not Waiting for Him and is an Apikoires,
and The punishment for contemplating the Herzl plan is pre warned,
There’s a state right next to israel where all signs and speech is in arabic , let them all move there.