The farce of a secular and democratic Jewish state
By Gideon LevyThe debate over the conversion bill is deceptive. It's being held in -remote and dark places, it deals with trivial matters, it appears to affect the fate of very few, and it seems to interest even fewer. But what is really going on there should trouble every Israeli, because it touches on the most fundamental issues that define our society and state.
The question whether military or civilian rabbis will determine who is a Jew is marginal. Rafi Peretz or Shlomo Amar, who cares? Ten times more significant is the question whether we happen to be living in the only country on earth where clerics determine the right to citizenship. No less important, how do we dare continue deceiving ourselves that this is a secular and democratic state?
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| Photo by: Amos Biderman |
The rabbis are Israel's gatekeepers. What most of them believe became painfully evident recently when they published a ruling that prohibits renting apartments to Arabs and foreigners. One "moderate" rabbi did propose a "compromise": renting apartments only to "good Arabs." Another moderate rabbi said that "there is no wisdom" in the rabbis' letter, but not a word about morality and justice. Most of them are frighteningly narrow-minded, obsessed with fear, and willing to whip up hatred toward foreigners they never met. What do they know about the world? Or about human rights?
Convinced and trying to convince others that the Jews are a chosen people, to which entry and even contact with those deemed inferior is forbidden, they live in their narrow pale of settlement, most of them boorish and ignorant of what happens outside. They are our gatekeepers, and they determine our real image. Like the goons who get to select people at the entrance to dance clubs, the rabbis determine the character of the whole party, and this party is a benighted religious party.
The conversion debate raises another, deeper question: according to the bill, Judaism is a religion, solely a religion and not a nationality or people. So much for "the Jewish people" and "the people of Israel." If rabbis are the gatekeepers, then it's about joining a religion and ritual, not a people and state. In the so-called secular state of Israel, then, it is impossible to join the Jewish people and stay secular. How can we claim that Judaism is both a faith and nationality if joining it is based solely on Jewish law and rulings of rabbis? What about those who want to join "the people of Israel" but don't believe in God? Why is the word atheist still a profanity in Israel, unmentionable? Entry for religious people only? Only in a state governed by religious law.
It's time to admit that this approach can only be called racist. Yes, that hackneyed term. That's what it is when it is the blood flowing through the veins that determines your status. If the grandson of a woman whose Judaism is doubtful has the right to automatic citizenship when he arrives here from the ends of the earth, and a non-Jewish soldier who chose to fight and live here runs into rabbinic obstacles, then this is not just judgment by religious law, but judgment by racist law. If the Arab native is an outcast, but a member of the "Tribe of Menasseh" from Burma is welcomed with full rights simply because a rabbi said he was Jewish, then this is a benighted theocracy. Sixty-two years after the establishment of the state, the time has come to summon the courage and change this reality.
Sufficiently rooted already, Israel must continue to be a home and shelter for every Jew, but by no means just for them. The time has come for normalcy, for joining the enlightened world, in which immigration laws are determined solely by civil criteria. Not entry for all - there's no such thing anywhere in the world - but criteria of a state and society, not of God and religious law.
For most Israelis, who have grown up in this distorted reality, all this seems to be normal. It's normal to live in a state where there is no public transportation on the Sabbath, where on almost every doorpost there's a mezuzah, where there's no possibility of civil marriage, where the state institutes blatantly religious laws and the rabbis are the sole arbiters of who can join the people. There's virtually no protest against any of this. Even the public debate, to the extent that it exists, is limited to the marginal questions: the military or civil rabbinate? And after all this, we dare call ours a liberal and modern state.
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History gave us the Vatican States, Puritan settlements in North America, the Spanish Inquisition, Iran, English Anglicans, etc. Religion combined with government are the seeds for tyranny. Nationalism inevitably tarnishes religious values and allows the zealots to justify some of the most vile actions against non-believers. Einstein foresaw that dilemma for Israel when he predicted in 1947 that a Jewish state would create a narrow nationalism that would damage Judaism. For that reason he declined to be Israel's first president. We should have learned from history.
Before reading the responses to the article by Gideon Levy I wanted to write how moved I am by his perspective of the view of the Israeli experience. He expressed the very conflict I have with the love for the homeland of the Jewish people. How do I provide the support that I would love to give when it engages in such undemocratic and racist endeavors? How do I support a nation that calls for the separation of men and women on public transportation? How do I support a homeland that mistreats its own Arab citizens with racist derision? How do I support a nation that does not allow all Jews to practice freely? What a paradox I find when in Israel I learned that not all Jews are as free as they are in real free and democractic nations. In the USA women can worship along side men freely. Women can go up to the Beema or lead a congregation as a Rabbi. Not in Israel. Anyone can marry here as they see fit. In Israel, only if the gatekeepers decide if it is okay. This is not normal. This is not acceptable. The state has to empower itself to act more like a free and democractic state and separate from those who define for it what an Israeli is, what is a Jew.
Israel cannot give the rabbies so much power as to decide who is or not a Jew. Recent rabbinical statement about not renting apartments to non Jews besides embarrasing goes against Jewish values, Remember "You were a sojourner in the Land of Egipt.."
If the current Orthodox attitude was applied to Ruth, a Moabite and symbol of conversion, David would have never been king. The sad truth, as Gideon Levy rightly asserts, is that Judaism has been hijacked by rabbinic interpretation of Torah frequently contradicting Torah itself. Magical, hocus pokus observance of rituals--defined by a Talmud filled with exaggerations and distorted requirements, has turned Judaism’s orthodoxy into a brainwashed cult. Their control of who is a Jew--and therefore a citizen--amounts to a "herem" (excommunication), a new form of inquisition. Wherever Moses’ grave is, he’s turning over in it.
Do we just let Israel consume itself?
The uni-cameral (one chamber) Knesset is inherently contrary to equal representation of Israeli Arabs. Just because the Knesset allows a vote to all citizens, including Arabs, does not mean they are choosing a representative from their own neighborhoods. The US system requires that in its second chamber, “The House of Representatives” the ones who are eligible are in the district where the voters actually live and vote. So the job of holding office is dependent on the representatives expressing the views of the local electorate--or they’re out of a job. Israel should consider the merits of a bicameral Knesset. The “Upper House” could have veto power (as does the US Senate)--and laws could provide that issues of war and peace be made by a 2/3 majority of the all-Jewish upper chamber. Today, Israel is a theocracy, one unfortunately largely guided by religious fundamentalists whose power rests on their sufficient number of Knesset seats to demand excessive influence in the coalition they join. If there were a “lower house” of Arab Israelis, the country would become a true democracy.
Bravo Mr.Levy, although I would be more brave than you are on the conclusion. However, does the Obama, Harper, Sarkozy, and the rest "liberal" minded ceter-left west understand that Israel is another Iran, if not worse?
Seems to me that the Rabbis are not so narrow- minded as they are security consious. The strangers that they want to isolate and keep out of Israel are in fact the very same people who have said many times before that they want to destroy Israel. There is nothing wrong with that. Unlike Mr. Levy who has never met a terrorist that he didn't like, the Rabbis are quite evidently working on their concerns and appear to be effective. It's all Israel and it's all for the Jews.
According to Gideon, the governance by religious principles is not modern and I will agree, because the irreligious and wicked are running their states everywhere else in the world and heaping up judgement against them and their people! So take your pick, but don't disparrage obedience to the Divine Laws by political authorities. "righteousness exalts a nation"
When Moses brought us the Torah and in it is said that we will return one day after we were dispersed, it never said it is going to be easy or that people, especially Amalek will not try to fight it (and obviously some of us are taking Amalek's side).Also it saiys that we are to be a nation of priests. Where were you when we received the book on Mount Sinai?
Taking a perusal of headlines of Gideon Levy's articles one would think that he has a deep dislike of his own country. Need a holiday Mr. Levy?
The Nation of Israel was born around 3300 years ago and has existed as a nation solely by virtue of the Torah up until this very day. The current Jewish nation called Israel is this same Nation of Israel. If it is to be a Jewish Nation, then properly it should have Jewish laws as defined by the Torah. Otherwise it is not a Jewish state, but a breeding ground for apostates and a giant hillul Hashem. If you don't want to be a Jew anymore, move out of Israel and assimilate somewhere, but don't keep "marrying in" and then teaching your children to hold the same contradictory beliefs that you do, adding to further destruction of the Jewish people. And don't assume the Orthodox don't know the ways of the world, you might very well be the one with no idea.
Rabbis do not decide who can emigrate to Israel or not. Legally only Halachic conversion is recognised not reform etc. These people who serve in the army don't give a dam about religion and in all honesty non jews like they we should not be forcing to convert because then religion becomes to them nothing more than a title and makes a laughing stock of the idea of a jewish state. Non jews such as them should be permitted to gain citizenship on their merits and not their faith. Real jews though and those who have chosen to go through a Halachic conversion under the Law of Return. The problem is we have never properly clarified who is a jew. The conversion laws are legally at least based on Halacha but its never quite been decided who is jewish which we need to do. As for Gideon Levys idea that we should allow immigration based on civil criteria only rather than faith, how can we we be a jewish state if we do not allow jews to immigrate based on the fact they are jews. Israel was founded for the sole purpose of being a jewish state not a European style country where faith and state are seperate. If we detach judaism from the state then Israel no longer has any purpose to exist and we may as well hand the whole place over to the arabs then we could have this idealists secular binational state. The civil marriage issue is something thats going to change very soon so its a non issue. The idea there is no public transport on Saturday and there is a mezuzah on almost every doorpost is not something to be ashamed of its nice that this state is upholding jewish laws. The national holidays & working week. If we are going to be a jewish state then we need to adopt at least some jewish customs and rules and if you don't like that Gideon why not move to some nice liberal European countries where everybody is welcome and you don't have to walk down he street and see orthodox men pulling people aside try get them to put on teffilin or and not a mezuzah in sight. Some of those left wing dominated liberal European countries are an atheists paradise and they think just like you do.
Thanks Gideon Levy, keep reminding us that there is no democracy if religion rules, when will the majority wake up?
That'll do the trick.
Israel is more democratic than the US.
Gideon Levy articulates very concisely the dilemma - if not tragedy - the State of Israel finds itself in these days. The time has definitely come - actually it' is way overdue - to reassess the essence and the character of the State. If Israel is to live up to the precepts and promises stated in its Declaration of Independence, announcing the establishment of a State based on democratic principles which grants equal rights to ALL its inhabitants, it MUST curtail the interference of the Rabbinate in the establishment and execution of laws designed to protect and promote those democratic principles. From the Declaration of Independence: "it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations."
What an absurdity, for rabbis who don't recognize the state as such they trample over each other to issue edicts and ruling that they wish have force of mandatory laws. Hypocrisy is the right adjective
The simple fact is that as long as there are laws with the word "Jew" in them (whether religious or ethnic group) Israel is not a democratic state for everybody.
Wonderful ... thanks a lot for the writing! Israel should not become a 2nd Iran a Theocracy
True, Arab Israelis were clearly oppressed for the first 20 years - and suppressed for the last 30. Still Israelis tried to be both a secular democracy and a 'Jewish state.' The rise to dominance by the ultra-right and religious fanatics has left Israel a Jewish State which tolerates seculars and democracy. Neither the ultra-right or religious fanatics as represented by it's ruling parties are the least bit inclined towards tolerance of anything they are not. Thus the fate of Israel has been decided it will be Jewish first, democratic only when convenient and not the least bit secular.
If Jews in Israel won't rent apartments to non-Jews in Israel, does it mean that non-Jews should not rent apartments to Jews outside of Israel? Another question: If rabbis will define who is and who is not a Jew in Israel, then who will define who is a Jew outside of Israel? Fascinating questions for the racists amongst us.
If you truly believe in this land and the dreams of Herzl, Szenes, Ben-Gurion and thousands of others before and after them - you would not give up so easily. I don't know about your experiences, but I do know that anything worthwhile is worth fighting for - and that includes building this country up and working to transform it to a truly all inclusive, fair and representative State. If everyone who was discontent with the way things are here would leave, as you said you had, then the dreams of Zion will remain just that - a dream. This country is young, and it has a long way to go - and it needs people willing to work and fight to make it better -- and if one is not up to that task, then they cannot call themselves a Zionist. and be taken seriously.
As one of your longstanding fans, Gideon, I'm ashamed of this cheap piece of rabble-rousing. You have mixed theology, politics, parties and individuals in a totally unacceptable manner. If you were to do the same with seculars, branding all under one heading, you would Gideon Levi sharing a bed with Yigal Yitzchak Rabin, Amira Hass and Bar Refaeli ....
This is an excellent piece that gets to the heart of an existential contradiction that Israeli society deperately needs to confront. That Israel continue, rightfully, to serve as a haven for Jews cannot come at the expense of treating non-Jewish or even secular Jewish Israelis as second-class citizens. There are broader principles at play here, those of universal humanitarian values, that, as a Jew, I would hope to see Israel defend.
I think that before to base the entire State on the "word of God", religious people should at least prove that God exists!!! No evidence given, no money given.
is the hostage of the sectarism Ashkenazi point of view.
turn around and condemn them for their extremism
This is really a minor point, but what is Gideon Levy's obsession with mezuzot as a symbol of a theocratic state? Public transportation on shabbat, no civil marriage, orthodox only conversion, I can understand. But why on earth is he repeatedly using the mezuzah, which for many Jewish atheists is just a symbol of a jewish home, similar to a magen david or hai pendant, and are not putting any deeper meaning into it. No one is coercing anyone to put one on their doorsill and many religious and nonreligious Jews abroad chose to hang one. This is borderline pathological.
Maybe he is refering to public buildings? Here in Brazil many public buildings have Crosses, in the US I think it's against the law, it's a decision a country has to make. I didn't pay attention to that in my last visit to Israel, are there mezuzot in public buildings?
I am a Zionist who cannot live in Israel. This article is right on the mark. I belong to the tribe of Judah, the same way an Apache belongs. I will never be religious. I do not believe the dreams of the ingathering of exiles was ever meant to be exclusive. You want in, there's room on the boat for you. Come. The Rabbis and their following (in part) drove me off. But The Jewish Agency also drove me off. And when the government ignored my letters, and set the state against me, I packed up and left, and I will not return. Corrupt Rabbis, Corrupt Charities, and Corrupt Government. Not Herzl's dream. Not Hannah Senesh's dream. Not Ben-Gurion's dream. Not Begin's dream. Not my dream. Whose nightmare is this?
Well, what did you expect. Israel has always been a semi-theocracy. Half theocracy half ethnocracy, a mix of Iran and apartheid South Africa. Time to end the Law of Return and behave like a normal country.
Another splendid and stinging piece of self-criticism. Gideon Levy is absolutely right, and I hope that people finally will realize that something has to be done to break the rabbinical monopoly on deciding who can be an Israeli and who can't. I love this country, with all its faults, and we should work hard as hell to improve it. It should be possible, given the fact that secular Israelis still constitute the majority.
Yes Mike, but it is a sleeping, almost comatose majority.
That there is only one Gideon Levy, Israel could use a few more...
Gideon Levy for Prime Minister!
most Israelis and Jewish people-at-large designate the modern State of Israel as Jewish religiously and nationally because of those particular attributes? Is this not the minimum, Saturday is the Sabbath so no public transportation (but there's no one stopping you from driving); a mezuzah is usually found on most Jewish people's homes' doorposts; and Jewish ritual marriages are the norm (but perhaps there should be flexibility on civilian marriages given that not everyone can afford a flight to Cypress for the whole mishpacha!)
"but there's no one stopping you from driving"
But if the "people of Israel" or "the Jewish people" continues to be defined as an endogamic tribe as 3,000 years ago, then golbalization, assimilation and mixed marriages threaten the endogamic tribe. That tribe, which strives to be also a democratic nation-state, won't succeed. As a religion, led by liberal (conservative, reform, reconstructionist, non-denominational and modern orthodox) rabbis and lay leaders, the people rids itself of tribal-halachic endogamy and comes closer to the "lay of return" definition of a jew, whoch doesn't solve things, but facilitate a transition to Jewishness be first a religion, then a people, and a nation-state as the outcome of the former.
What it needs is a liberalization of religion, by l;etting other sources of Judaism to share a hold in the state. Conservative and reformist conversion should compiete with orthodoxy. Orthodoxy is ruining the state of Israel.
I am a Jew, one who loves being Jewish, loves Israel, is a Zionist, -are you nuts to call me an anti-Semite? I am saying that there is a very real, creative yet painful tension: Our endogamic tribal definition of who is a Jew, in Halachic terms, collides with the concept of a post-modern nation-state. So if we become Jews as a religion first, and only then a people, chances are that our membrane can adapt to a nation-state definition. If we stick to Halachah, we are on collision course with a nation-state. I trust the creativity of our Jewish people, and our capacity to uphold exception and continue to survive and thrive. How sad that posts lack voice and body language. I am a Jewisj Jew from Colombia, old poster at Haaretz, and carry as a badge of honor the daily thumbs-down I get for speaking up my independent mind and heart. PLEASE HAARETZ, don't swalow up this post. Thanks, Fortuna Benmayor.
Judaism has changed, which is why it has survived. It changed during the Babylonian exile and again during the Diaspora. After the destruction of the second Temple, Rabbi Yochana Ben Zakkai reframed and reshaped Judaism, and it has continued to evolve since. For some reason, the Haredi insist on freezing Judaism into a particular moment among a particular sect from hundreds of years ago in Eastern Europe. And they insist on creating the rules for the entire modern state of Israel.
Is to ask on which premise was the state of Israel founded? On Herzl's ideal, which was zionism, and which was based on Jewish nationality - to which religion was no more than an incidental - or was it based in religious edicts - to which the ideals of zionism BECAME facilitators only after the fact? In Herzl's ideal, the Jewish state would provide the Jewish 'people', AND others, the freedom to practice their religion without fear of persecution...but NEVER did he envision a Jewish state in which the Jewish religion dictated to the Jewish 'people' or sought to exclude the rights of non-Jews..which is in essence little more than fascism. So which is it, Israel? Were you based on the ideals of Zionism; or on those of fascism? If zionism, then religion needs be relegated to its rightful domain; and if you were based on religious fascism, then end the facade of democracy that grows more transparent every day!
your convoluted dialectic is suitable for one of the N London taxpayer funded Madrassas laughingly referred to as "universities"