| There is and always has been a tension in the claim that Israel is both Jewish and democratic, and more a projection that a reality. This tension has existed since the invention of the term "Zionism" was devided to define the political endeavour of Jewsih collective settlement in Palestine. Throughout its history, sometimes for ideology, others fir neccesity, the emphasis has been on the Jewish compnent of the equation-Israel as the national home for the Jews and zionism as the movement for Jewish self determination in a state for the Jews. Problem. What to do with those non-Jews that remain? What do we do with them and how do they relate to us-not as individual citizens but as a collectve. And vice versa. This national dilemma has never been properly addressed.Israel has looked upon it basically as a question of individual rights-to vote, be represented in the Knesset, speak and be educated in your language, but no recognition granted to the Arab citizens as a national community. |
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