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That language is an explicit part of Israel - the Declaration of Independence enshrines the idea that Israel is, first and foremost, a Jewish state. In more rec
by simiones 5y ago
That language is an explicit part of Israel - the Declaration of Independence enshrines the idea that Israel is, first and foremost, a Jewish state. In more recent times, the nature of the state is often referred to as "Jewish and democratic". It is also enshrined in the basic laws of Israel (Israel doesn't have a constitution).
This entire concept has a dedicated article on Wikipedia [0]. It's a pretty fun read for those that believe Arab(or those of other non-Jewish ehtnicities, though they are far fewer) citizens of Israel are fundamentally equal to Jewish citizens of Israel.
Basically, Israel is all for equality, but with some limits - essentially, it would not be acceptable for people who are not Jewish to have an outsize power in Israel, though they are free to participate as minority parties. This is, in my opinion, the main reason why Israel has never attempted to annex the Palestinian territories. The Arab majority (or near majority today) that would form in the population would seriously challenge the idea of a Jewish and democratic state - they would be forced to stop recognizing Arabs' right to vote and/or hold office.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_and_democratic_state https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_and_democratic_state
- nix23 5y agoYeah see, sh*t like that happens when you make a country only based on/for a religion.
- toyg 5y agoJudaism is not just a religion; because of how they define membership of such religion, it's intrinsecally inseparable from a tribalistic element. Whether that ends up in outright racism, depends on who you ask.
- zozbot234 5y agoHindu religion is quite similar. In fact Judaism explicitly allows for conversion (which, to be sure, is a difficult process) whereas Hinduism only acknowledges "purification" of "ethnically/ancestrally Hindu" people who were introduced to other religions.
- toyg 5y agoConversions don't grant full "membership" in all circumstances, there are strict conditions.
- School-Cotton 5y agoJews are an ethnic group, not a religion. (Even if traditionally most members of that ethnic group followed a particular religion, many don’t now).
- ComputerGuru 5y agoExcept they will give residency to people that converted to Judaism via special programs not available to members of other religions.
- nix23 5y ago>Jews are an ethnic group, not a religion. Ethnoreligious...to be precise.
- ravar 5y agoAtheist Christian doesn't make much sense last time I checked.
- JudgePenitent 5y agoAnd yet Zizek offers himself as that exact contradiction: https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/zizek-has-a-lot-to-say-about-christ-but-should-the-church-listen/ https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/zizek-has-a-lot-to... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UOM3C3q7II https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UOM3C3q7II Zizek is certainly a madman, being both an atheist christian and a marxist in our day and age
- nix23 5y agoIt's a raw definition of a group and not of a single person. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnoreligious_group https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnoreligious_group
- bitcurious 5y agoBased on ethnic identity, which is how the vast majority of non-Americas nations are structured. Japan for Japanese, Italy for Italians, Israel for Jews. As an immigrant, I’m partial to the American civic approach, but Israel ain’t special.
- nix23 5y ago>Japan for Japanese, Italy for Italians, Israel for Jews With your logic it would be like: Japan is for Shintos, Italy for Roman Catholics, Israel for Jews....sounds terrible no? Since like forever Jews where all over the world (and called it their home) with vastly different cultures/food/music, there is not the ONE Jewish Culture but thousands, you just cant compare it to Japan or Italy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliyah#Zionist_Aliyah_(1882_on) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliyah#Zionist_Aliyah_(1882_on... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliyah#From_Iran https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliyah#From_Iran
- taken_username 5y agoThe problem is judaism is used both for ethnicity and religion. You cannot become a Japanese if you practice their religion for seven years, but you can become Jewish.
- toyg 5y agoItaly is explicitly defined in its constitution as a state that does not discriminate on the basis of religion or race. It even recognises a level of jus-soli citizenship for children of non-citizens if born in the country, although after they reach 18 years of age. So I don't know why you'd point it out as an ethnostate - which it definitely has not been for generations, if ever. I know "Italians are racists lol" trends in football subreddits, but that has nothing to do with the law of the land.
- simiones 5y agoThere are two major problems when comparing these: 1. Israel wasn't formed organically, they first had to get rid of the hundreds of thousands of pesky Palestinians living in Palestine for a few hundred years. The Japanese didn't take over a, say, Chinese island and settle there (though they tried in Manchuria during WWII). 2. None of the other states you mention has anything resembling the ethno-state character of Israel. There is nothing in the Italian constitution that is even slightly aimed at making sure a non-Italian can't become president (even if not explicitly prohibiting it)[0]. Italy doesn't recognize the right of ethnic Italians to automatically become citizens by moving to Italy. [0] though it's rare, there are well known cases of nation states having presidents of minority ethnicity. For example, right now in the middle of war, the president of Ukraine is himself Jewish. Also right now, Klaus Iohannis, of German ethnicity, is president of Romania. Peru has had an ethnically Japanese president (Alberto Fujimori) and more recently the son of an Austrian immigrant.
- moltke 5y agoOlder founding documents for the US enshrined it as a White nation.
- pirate787 5y agoI've never heard that. Source?
- throw0101a 5y agoPerhaps referring to: > The Naturalization Act of 1790 (1 Stat. 103, enacted March 26, 1790) was a law of the United States Congress that set the first uniform rules for the granting of United States citizenship by naturalization. The law limited naturalization to "free White person(s) ... of good character", thus excluding Native Americans, indentured servants, slaves, free black people and later Asians, although free black people were allowed citizenship at the state level in a number of states. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalization_Act_of_1790 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalization_Act_of_1790 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_nationalism#United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_nationalism#United_State...
- mschuster91 5y ago> This is, in my opinion, the main reason why Israel has never attempted to annex the Palestinian territories. The Arab majority (or near majority today) that would form in the population would seriously challenge the idea of a Jewish and democratic state - they would be forced to stop recognizing Arabs' right to vote and/or hold office. For what it's worth Israel could go the federation route - basically, have three largely autonomous federal states, one for Jewish Israel, one for the West Bank and one for Gaza, with the federal government only taking care of finances, energy, water and security, and the rest - including passports and diplomatic relations - be done by the individual states.
- slothtrop 5y agoInstead they want to have their cake and eat it too. Keep the ethnostate, but opt for land encroachment and kicking people out.
- estaseuropano 5y agoOr they could do the obvious, which is to let the Palestinians form a full state within the internationally recognized borders. But Israel does not want to respect those borders so does not want to accept a two (or three) state solution with a Palestinian state.
- mschuster91 5y agoNo way that will happen as long as Iran and others supply the Palestinians with rockets to terrorize the Israeli population.
- simiones 5y agoEven if they did that, as long as they allow universal voting, they run the risk of an Arabic party leading the federal government. Also, a federal government that is not in charge of diplomatic relationships is no government at all.