Peres: Rabbis' petition against renting to Arabs creates moral crisis in Israel
The president bitterly attacked the rabbis' letter, which called on Israelis not to rent or sell property to non-Jews, a move particularly aimed against Arabs.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Israel news Shimon Peres ultra-OrthodoxPresident Shimon Peres on Wednesday issued a strong condemnation of a letter signed by several leading rabbis calling on Israelis to refrain from renting or selling property to non-Jews.
"The rabbis' letter creates a fundamental moral crisis in Israel which affects the definition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state," Peres said.
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Shimon Peres. |
| Photo by: AP |
"Every person is created in God's image – that is one of the main tenets of Judaism, and it forms the basis for democracy," said Peres.
"The state of Israel is composed of Jewish citizens and non-Jewish citizens, and we all have the same rights, which include the right to practice any religion," he continued.
"This fundamental right is engraved in our Declaration of Independence, as well as in legislation forged in the Knesset. I call on all of us to keep intact the true nature of the democratic, Jewish and egalitarian State of Israel," the president concluded.
A group of religious Zionist activists had started circulating the letter in hopes of decreasing the rental of properties to Arabs. In addition, the signatories to the letter urged support for Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the chief rabbi of Safed, who several weeks ago called for residents of Safed to stop renting and selling property to Arabs.
The signatories hoped that their support of the measure would make it clear to the attorney general that this is a religious position, and that he cannot bring charges against Rabbi Eliyahu or anyone else with regard to what many Israelis have dubbed a racist political-economic stance.
Among the signatories were chief rabbis from the following cities: Ramat Hasharon, Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, Rishon Letzion, Carmiel and others.
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"The rabbis' letter creates a fundamental moral crisis in Israel which affects the definition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state," - Shimon Peres. Israel has gone from being a Democracy which was a Jewish state, to a Jewish State which sees democratic principles as a threat.
Condemnations are a good first step, but most of those rabbis are public employees and their salary comes from my taxes. Fire every single one of them as soon as possible.
where is the hue and cry among American rabbis against this filthy racism masquerading as nationalism
no one in their right mind should encourage such despicable call. that's even worse coming out of religious representatives. there seem to be way too many religious figures those days (in all faith) who misunderstand the message of God and if not misunderstood, deliberatly hijack its message to spread hartred and injustice.
While Muslims are view as the major threat, Christian and non-religious Jews at also view as a threat by these ultra conservative Rabbis. Being Jewish in US or EU means little if you are not Jewish enough for these Rabbis and want to move to Israel or get married there.
This makes their statements semi-official, not private religious opinions.
You pay for their advice, listen to it. Keep Israel Holy.
Israel has laws on the books which blatently discriminate against their Arab citizens. There are also a host of local policies and regulations which are equally discriminating. As long as the state practices racism, the president of the state has no business criticizing the citizens for being racists. (P.S. If someone will be kind enough to ask for the discriminatory laws, I have enough to fill three posts)
Israel may want the internatinal commuty to believe that but it is not true. Arabs are not equal. srael is a state for the Jews in a way in which it is not for non-Jews.
You speak as if Israel does not have a moral problem already. It is sad that this moral problem is caused by the people who are supposed to shine like a beacon to the rest to the world. Leave the Palestinians alone, that's all. Maybe you'll be able to forgive yourselves one day!
From birth to death, from circumcision to funeral, from the establishment of the state to the establishment of the last of the illegal settlements and outposts in the West Bank - Israel is operating in the shadow of the commandments of religion. Self destructive imbecilic self appointed "spirital" leaders.
Religion erodes democracy. Religion enflames ethnic tensions. Religion is triumphalistic. Religion encourages war. Religion is a symptom of a brain dysfunction caused by a high degree of survival anxiety. Religion is pathological. A symbolic attempt by the brain to regulate it’s own chemistry (more endorphins please?) but it tolerates all kinds of delusional behavior and rewards the most extreme acting out. This kind of nitpicking nonsense has no place in the contemporary world.
Europe killed the Jews, not Muslims or Palestinians. Then, they think, how do we make it up to the Jews, let's give them Palestine ... Why not give the Jews Germany or England?
primitive politically contaminated "ruling" - gratuitously insulting for everybody not belonging to the particular deviation within Haredi community.
Rabbis? or rubbish?
Normal people look normal; these people don't.
do what your rabbis ask from you, and the world will know that that which israel's supporters say of you - that israel is the only democracy in the middle east - is a lie. israel is more and more resembling apartheid south africa.
"I call on all of us to keep intact the true nature of the democratic, Jewish and egalitarian State of Israel". We need Israel, thus we cannot have the cake and eat it at the same time: There are non-Jews among us in our state. They not only must be "tolerated" but loved as equals, even if their culture, religion, values are not our tribe's ones. Peres is a decent man. He is right in being appalled and saying this is a moral crisis.