I don’t have much time, but let me pen down a few thoughts:
Trying to define Israel’s government is impossible because there isn’t a word for it. Its unique.
In my opinion, its not a democracy because those who run for office have to be pro-Jewish and its certainly not a theocracy due to the fact that we’re talking about ethnicity and not religion. In the U.S., an African-American muslim Louis Ferrakhan is notorious for his anti-semitic remarks. Our laws allow him to run for any office he chooses regardless of his beliefs, not so in Israel. If U.S citizen Adam Perlman is captured tomorrow, charged with treason and acquitted, there is no law stopping him from gathering signatures and getting his name on the ballot to hold public office.
Many people on this board will try to convince that Israel is just “democratic” as its West. Not. At. All. But even with tax dollars and technology flowing from Washington to Tel Aviv, the region remains light years behind the bar. Consider this. The State declared independence in the late 40’s and, to my knowledge, still hasn’t sat down and formulated a Constitution :smack:.
Anyway, having a constitution is not necessarily something to be proud of. Look at this list of national constitutions. Some of those countries are real armpits (North Korea, I’m looking at you. You too, Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Simple. Just as you state, a non-Jewish PM? Never.
To answer, ask yourself this: Does an Atheist stand a chance?
No? Theocracy. Just like the good 'ol US. Obama isn’t Christian,
but believes in God, still making many shudder. If he didn’t believe at all,
who would risk to nominate him?
I seem to recall the phrase “I’m black, and I’m proud!” but maybe that’s just me. People just tend to take pride in carrying on the traditions of their heritage.
Valete,
Vox Imperatoris
ETA: Locrian, what the heck? Obama is most definitely a Christian. And whether non-Jews (or non-Christians) stand a chance has nothing to do with it being a theocracy, as has already been pointed out. Not to mention that non-religious Jews have in fact been elected PM in Israel. And don’t format your posts like they’re poems; the board software inserts line breaks well enough on its own.
“Theocracy” seems like a completely inappropriate descriptor here: as others have pointed out, the concept of theocracy implies that governmental power is directly vested in the dominant religious authority.
“Largely secular democracy with some fundamental religious discrimination” is the best I can come up with. The essential idea of Israel as a “Jewish state” means that it is not religiously neutral across the board, even if it forbids religious discrimination in some areas. For example, immigration laws are different for Jews and non-Jews. Laws on mandatory military service are different for Jews and non-Jews.
If your definition of “democracy” includes the condition “having a strictly secular government in which the same laws apply equally to all citizens regardless of religious belief”, then no, Israel doesn’t qualify. But that’s a pretty restrictive condition on the definition of “democracy”.
This is complicated because Judaism is both an ethnicity and a religion. Even if someone ethnically Jewish practices say Christianity, Islam, or Shinto they’d still be allowed to immigrate and be liable for military service.
As Honesty states, is this how Jews describe themselves? Judaism is an ethnicity and not a religion? Or, as alphaboi867 states
it’s both…
So, when Israel is referred to as the Jewish state, what exactly does that mean?
As far as the definition of democracy goes, I don’t think the U.S. qualifies. As I understand the definitions, the U.S. is a representative republic. In the strictest sense of the word, I don’t believe any country is a true democracy.
I’m very surprised at any ME country having an Agnostic anything in office. Cite, please?
And you’re partially agreeing with me. Protestant is not Christian, I said Obama was not Christian. The closest founding father I can name as an agnost is Thomas jefferson,
who believed in God, just not religion.
Besides, we’re talking about now. Israel - Democracy or Theocracy? Not historical.
Protestant is a subset of Christian. The church that Obama belongs to, Trinity United Church of Christ (hint hint), is a Christian denomination.
What may be confusing you is the fact that Obama was brought up as the child of an interfaith marriage (a couple of them, actually) with a rather multifaith religious perspective. However, he has been a baptized churchgoing Christian for most of his adult life.
Nonsense. Israel is a “Jewish state” in the same sense as Germany is a “German state”. It is ethno-nationalist - just like most states in good ol’ Europe.
It is true that some ethnic and religious minorities do not serve in the Israeli army. But this does not serve your point, as some minorities who do not serve are Jewish (the ultra-Orthodox - a very sore point within Israel) and some minorities who do serve are not Jewish (for example, Druze). It is hardly an example of “religious discrimination”!
Nopester. The Israeli immigration laws discriminate based on religion as well as on ethno-nationality. That is, non-ethnically-Jewish converts to Judaism are also covered by the Law of Return, just as ethnic Jews are.
Would-be immigrants who are not ethnically Jewish and have not converted to Judaism, on the other hand, are not immediately entitled to Israeli citizenship. That’s a distinction on religious grounds, not ethnic grounds.
“Ethnicity” means more than you appear to think it means.
Judaism is perhaps unique in that it is an ethnicity based on what is, currently, a religion (rather than some other cultural traits such as a common language). But this does not thereby render the fact of “ethnicity” not true.
“Ethnicity” is, in essence, an allegiance (through descent, fictive or real, or otherwise) to some “ethnic group”. The purpose of the “Law of Return” was to offer a safe refuge for “Jews” - the ethnic group - and not to promote some religious object.
One can certainly be a “Jew” and not believe in the Jewish religion; or one can become a “Jew” by conversion - but the latter is as a matter of fact very, very rare. Judaism is not a prostheletizing religion and it actively discourages conversion.
Israel is, in reality, no different from other countries which provide immigration privileges to individuals with ethnic ties to these countries, such as Germany, Ireland, Greece, Japan, Turkey, Spain, Chile, Finland and the United Kingdom, where those with an ancestor who was a citizen (typically a grandparent or closer) can immigrate more easily than others.
Edit: I see you have no response to the Israeli army point.
And note that various ethnic groups around the world allow someone to join their particular ethnic group. For instance, a person of English descent could be adopted into the Cherokee tribe. As far as the Cherokees are concerned this person is a Cherokee, regardless of their hair color or skin color or ancestry. You can become a Jew by converting to Judaism. Other ethnic groups can have other methods whereby people outside the ethnic group can or cannot join that ethnic group. I know it seems a little odd because from our modern perspective nationality, ethnicity, language, race, and religion are all separate things that have very little to do with each other. But this is a distinctly modern notion, and the Jewish notion of Jewish ethnicity is premodern.
People just tend to take pride in carrying on the traditions of their heritage.
What the hell are you talking about? Israel has had several agnostic PMs. Obama is a Protestant and several of the Founding Fathers were deists.