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Last update - 09:28 14/06/2008
Graduate student pushes for Jewish state in Germany
By Anat Or, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Ronen Eidelman, Weimar 

Whenever someone launches an initiative towards establishing a Jewish state in addition to the one already in existence, there is invariably a ripple effect. This time, however, an even bigger stir than usual has been caused by the proposed site of the "second Israel": Germany.

Last May, an announcement began making the rounds on the Internet, informing the public of a rally set to take place June 22 in the central square of the town of Weimar, situated in the east German state of Thuringia.

Ronen Eidelman, a journalist who espouses politically leftist views and is currently completing his masters studies at an art university in Weimar, says the movement that he heads is in fact his final academic project.
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"As of now, it is still an art project because it's in the idea stage, but the goal is certainly to become a political movement," Eidelman said. "I'm very serious about the process and what it does, which is make people ask questions [as well as] create a dialogue and conflict."

The idea of establishing a Jewish state outside of Israel has been recycled from years past. The most recent edition drew attention in August 2000, when the concept of declaring the independent state of "New Israel" on the Australian continent was proposed. Author Michael Chabon imagines what a Jewish state in Alaska would resemble in his latest book, The Yiddish Policemen's Union.

Eidelman cites another book, this one by Dudu Busi, entitled Mom Misses the Words. Busi ponders why a slice of German territory was not allocated specifically for Jewish settlement following the Second World War, even mentioning statements by former Knesset speaker Avraham Burg to the effect of a Jewish return en masse to Germany.

"It's sitting there in the collective subconscious," Eidelman said. "It's like it's in the air."

One of the motivating factors which compelled Eidelman to conceive of his idea was the famous speech delivered by Iran's president calling for the elimination of the state of Israel and the establishment of a Jewish-run entity in an alternate location in Europe. "It's clear that Ahmadinejad is an anti-Semite and Holocaust denier and not some great theoretician, but he touched upon a very exposed nerve." A video academic work produced by the artist Yael Bartana, which depicts a Polish member of parliament calling on the Jews to return to Poland ("We miss you"), served as the tipping point for Eidelman.

"The state of Thuringia is becoming more empty of people, the economy is not successful, and there is no immigration," Eidelman said. "They're hurting from the fact that there are no foreigners here. Hitler's dream of racially pure states has proven to be a nightmare. You walk down the street and notice all the girls look alike. I'm going to convince the Germans that a Jewish state here is to their benefit."

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      1.   Good idea 06:14  |  Steve 14/06/08
      2.   It will have the same fate like Birobijan and Uganda projects 06:40  |  Genuine Tosefta 14/06/08
      3.   It would all end in tears... 06:57  |  very little 14/06/08
      4.   Europe = Land of the Dead (Jews) 07:16  |  Ms Siamese 14/06/08
      5.   It`s a joke 07:17  |  very little 14/06/08
      6.   A second Jewish State 07:33  |  Shmuelshachor 14/06/08
      7.   Haaretz 07:53  |  CHGODMK 14/06/08
      8.   Let all leftist Jews move there, "Berlin is our Jerusalem" again 08:45  |  Tom 14/06/08
      9.   Illegal outposts in Bayern, Bavarian refugee camps in Austria 09:06  |  Jeff 14/06/08
      10.   Good please take the Charideem and Shas with you 09:57  |  SJ 14/06/08
      11.   A worthy idea for Haaretz to promote 10:01  |  Leon Rosgarten 14/06/08
      12.   c`mon 10:05  |  me 14/06/08
      13.   SUPERLATIVE idea! 10:06  |  CK Tan 14/06/08
      14.   Go for it! Would like to see German`s reaction to this. Will ... 10:13  |  JustMe 14/06/08
      15.   Surrealist Conceptual Artwork 10:18  |  Rowan 14/06/08
      16.   Not again 10:23  |  Dav 14/06/08
      17.   Hilarious - and after the barn burned 10:29  |  TimothyL 14/06/08
      18.   Jews, stop dreaming 10:29  |  Dav 14/06/08
      19.   ultimate solution 10:34  |  KMS 14/06/08
      20.   could have happened in `45 10:41  |  joki 14/06/08
      21.   I vote for Australia 10:43  |  Ron 14/06/08
      22.   but ve haf made many leetel states 10:43  |  samos 14/06/08
      23.   Better to stick with the problems we`ve got 11:00  |  MarkC 14/06/08
      24.   Why Dignify This With A Space on Haaretz? 11:12  |  B`Galil 14/06/08
      25.   wow... 11:14  |  watcher 14/06/08
      26.   Leftists Jews to the German Jewish State 11:25  |  Nepthay 14/06/08
      27.   More useful to establish a Palestinian state in Germany 11:41  |  Realist 14/06/08
      28.   Israel is the One & Only Jewish State 11:47  |  Michael J 14/06/08
      29.   Like you`d make a zoo for animals? 11:59  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/06/08
      30.   @11, leon, how is tel aviv univer.? 12:08  |  vladimir 14/06/08
      31.   Has this wiseguy asked the Germans? 12:17  |  AliciaYasmeen 14/06/08
      32.   How About Antartica or the Sahara Desert? 12:18  |  Johan Odin 14/06/08
      33.   Eidelman´s plan is a violation of a sovereign state 12:19  |  AliciaYasmeen 14/06/08
      34.   Eidelman: most urgently apologize to Germany for your arrogance 12:20  |  AliciaYasmeen 14/06/08
      35.   Israel ONLY jewish state 12:21  |  Joey 14/06/08
      36.   Eidelman has no morals nor respect for sovereign Germany 12:21  |  AliciaYasmeen 14/06/08
      37.   Eidelman: your idea is an insult 12:22  |  AliciaYasmeen 14/06/08
      38.   You already failed once when you declared war on Germany in 1933 12:26  |  Mr. Know-It-All 14/06/08
      39.   A leftist who calls for a jewish state! 12:31  |  lakshmi 14/06/08
      40.   Margie`s Zoo 12:32  |  Philip 14/06/08
      41.   Leon #11 12:36  |  Philip 14/06/08
      42.   Why do these graduate project of morons 13:17  |  msh 14/06/08
      43.   Another mess? 13:25  |  Ze German 14/06/08
      44.   Why Not Brooklyn? 13:39  |  Markus 14/06/08
      45.   No limits to idiocy 14:11  |  msh 14/06/08
      46.   Hello Philip 14:17  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/06/08
      47.   www.medinatweimar.org 14:21  |  ronen 14/06/08
      48.   German state.. 14:57  |  Edithann 14/06/08
      49.   SEND THE PALS THERE, THEY NEEEEEED A STATE. 15:01  |  petra 14/06/08
      50.   The price/// 15:08  |  Joe 14/06/08
      51.   Yes Israel failed, so why not. 15:18  |  Saladin 14/06/08
      52.   EU would not tolerate the israeli Coruption 15:22  |  Henry J 14/06/08
      53.   You Can Have a State Anywhere 15:37  |  Jamal Abu Khadijeh 14/06/08
      54.   Australia? Of course 15:47  |  Clickfool 14/06/08
      55.   WHAT A DANGEROUS & IGNORANT SUGGESTION 16:51  |  David P 14/06/08
      56.   A Jewish state in Europe is a good Idea 16:53  |  John 14/06/08
      57.   Antisemites Johan Odin & Co. are already against the idea 17:29  |  Genuine Tosefta 14/06/08
      58.   Please! not another blight on the world. 17:39  |  Chas. 14/06/08
      59.   Great news....How do we contribute to this.. 17:52  |  Mohammed 14/06/08
      60.   second jewish state 18:04  |  Poppy 14/06/08
      61.   60 years ago that would have been a good idea 18:04  |  Habakuk 14/06/08
      62.   Jewish State at Buchenwald? 18:21  |  Jonathan S 14/06/08
      63.   Ms Siamese 19:00  |  Craftsman 14/06/08
      64.   Alicia: Has this guy asked the Germans? 19:40  |  wibism 14/06/08
      65.   is this guy for real? 20:04  |  sweis Melbourne 14/06/08
      66.   Since When Moroccan go to.. 20:14  |  Buzaglow 14/06/08
      67.   Hitler`s dream 20:23  |  x 14/06/08
      68.   EXILE 20:27  |  Avraham ben Shmuel 14/06/08
      69.   Jewish state in Germany 21:13  |  Lars Adelskogh 14/06/08
      70.   Mr/Ms Haaretz Censre 21:35  |  Buzaglow 14/06/08
      71.   `Johan O