#Jewish state

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

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[for-zionists]

Am I the only one who thinks that if Israel wasn't a Jewish state, the left would praise it as a very beautiful thing? There's the obvious reason that it's a decolonization project, which leftist typically love, but it's deeper than that.

Israel has one big culture, the Jewish culture, but it's also influenced by many different cultures because of thousands of years of diaspora. It's a beautiful collection of many cultures coming together binded by another. People are finally returning to their homeland, but influenced by different cultures across the world. It's multicultural while being one, together. That's what the left likes. But no. Instead, they say, "stolen culture".

[askjumblr]

Alright, so this *is* I/P adjacent, but if you're getting into the weeds abt I/P, you're probably missing what I'm trying to ask.

What is a "Jewish state"? Like, what requirements must a country meet to be Jewish? Is it a cultural thing? A legal thing? A demographics thing? All of the above?

I'm not looking to hear what makes Israel specifically Jewish, but something along the lines of "how much/in what way would Israel need to change for you to no longer see it as Jewish?" would probably answer my question. I've been seeing the phrase a lot, and I think that I may be making assumptions about the definition that don't entirely match up with how some people use it.

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[eretzyisrael]

[challahbeloved]

On the subject of “What does it mean to be a Jewish State?” Here is a quote from David Grossman that I find enriching:

“Part of the great, miraculous revolution of the Jewish nation's return to its homeland is that it must now learn how to be a majority. It must heal itself from the ills of being a persecuted minority, and understand the duties of a majority toward the minorities living among it. This is not an easy exploration. It entails giving up both concrete assets and abstract ones - identity and self-perception. (Giving up stereotypes and prejudices is extremely difficult.) It requires a profound change in education curricula, for example. It requires a policy of protecting minorities from the ills of racism and hate crimes.

These steps have the power to create a reality that allows every person, from both the majority and the various minorities, to flourish, to feel protected, to feel represented in all systems of life and governance, to have equal rights and obligations, to live with dignity and parity - both economic and cultural. They may then feel valued, and able to nurture their own communities’ origin stories without erasing those of others. They may heal the wounds of past injuries contained in their roots.

If these steps are taken, we will then be able to inscribe and proudly quote this verse at the entrance to the Supreme Court: ‘Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for the home-born' (Leviticus 24:22). And the avowed secularists among us, and the atheists, will stand at the gates of the Knes set and read with great intention, as in a secular prayer, the verse inscribed there: 'And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them' (Genesis 1:27).

But why suffice with repairing the state's relationship with its large national minority? Why not go further and extend the aspiration to all minorities, all disadvantaged groups, of every nation, race and sex? Asylum seekers are also an anguished minority. Elderly people on the verge of hunger are suffering, too. As are disabled people, and those trapped under the poverty line, and Holocaust survivors. And more and more groups.

You may say: what you are proposing is a welfare state; what is 'Jewish' about your vision? It is Jewish because most of these wishes, this concept of society, this world view, have already been formulated in Hebrew, in the Bible. Moreover, as I mentioned, they will now be occurring in a state in which the Jews are the majority. The term is used here not merely as a mathematical fact: for thousands of years, Jews lived as a minority of foreigners, subject to hatred and suspicion, in countries that almost always mistreated, persecuted and degraded them, and even attempted to annihilate them. Even in ‘friendly’ countries, the Jewish minority was in a permanent sense of instability and transience, barely tolerated by the majority. The earth constantly trembled beneath its feet, and imaginary 'cutting lines' were always marked around it.

Today, that minority is the majority, a condition that comes with a large responsibility and demands sensitivity, empathy, and an overcoming of history that I question whether we are capable of. And yet, if Israel were to implement even some of the aspirations outlined here, we could then say wholeheartedly: 'A Jewish state is the Jewish people's national home, and it views the full equality of all its citizens as its great human test, and as the realisation of its prophets' and founders' vision.'

— David Grossman, The Thinking Heart: Essays on Israel and Palestine, pages 41-43.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

https://www.adl.org/resources/report/antisemitic-attitudes-america-2024

By: Center for Antisemitism Research

Published: Feb 29, 2024

Executive Summary

In the months since the October 7th, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel, the global Jewish community has witnessed an increase in antisemitic activity, unprecedented in recent years. For many in and around Jewish communities, this period has felt inherently different, a sentiment that has raised several critical questions about the current scope, nature, and implications of antisemitism.

To explore this, the ADL Center for Antisemitism Research has collected data since October 7th related to the scale and structure of the phenomenon of antisemitism in the United States and compared results to past findings.

This study of 4,143 Americans, fielded between January 5th and January 18th, 2024, (with a margin of error of approximately 1.5%) found the following trends:

Anti-Jewish trope beliefs continue to increase, and younger Americans are showing higher rates.

From 2022 to 2024, the average number of anti-Jewish tropes endorsed by Americans increased from 4.18 to 4.31 out of 14. Using the original 11 statements comprising the ADL Index, agreement with 6 or more anti-Jewish tropes increased from 20% of the U.S. population in 2022 to just under 24% in 2024.

In a reversal of past trends, younger Americans are more likely to endorse anti-Jewish tropes, with millennials agreeing with the greatest number of anti-Jewish tropes on average, at 5.4. They’re followed by Gen Z at 5, Gen X at 4.2, and Baby Boomers at 3.1.

In addition to individual attitudes, more than 42% of Americans either have friends/family who dislike Jews (23.2%) or find it socially acceptable for a close family member to support Hamas (27.2%).

Conspiratorial thinking and social dominance orientation are key predictors of anti-Jewish belief.

Belief in conspiracy theories continues to be one of the main correlates of antisemitic attitudes, with an overall average correlation of .378 with anti-Jewish trope belief. Respondents who fall in the upper quartile of conspiracy theory belief endorsed over twice as many anti-Jewish tropes, on average, as those with the least conspiracy theory belief.

Anti-Jewish belief also correlates heavily with social dominance orientation – the belief that there should be higher status groups and that they should suppress lower status groups. For example, respondents who at least somewhat agreed with the statement that some groups of people are inferior to other groups were 3.6 times more likely to fall in the top quartile of anti-Jewish trope belief compared to those who did not.

There was also a strong relationship with the belief that the problems in the world “come down to the oppressor vs the oppressed.” Those who at least somewhat agreed with this belief were 2.6 times more likely to fall in the top quartile of anti-Jewish trope belief compared to those who disagreed with the statement.

A significant percentage of Americans hold anti-Israel positions, but also support a Jewish state’s right to exist.

Significant percentages of Americans hold certain anti-Israel positions, such as 20.1% who expressed support for removing Israeli products from a local grocery store and 30.4% who said supporters of Israel control the media. Younger Americans take these positions at significantly higher rates.

However, support for an independent Jewish state remains high, with 88.8% saying Jews have the right to an independent country. This is true even among those who take other anti-Israel positions. For example, 83.8% of people who believe that Israelis intend to cause as much suffering to Palestinians as possible believe that there should be a Jewish state.

October 7th and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war has not resulted in major changes in the percentage of Americans who hold anti-Israel positions.

However, in just about every anti-Israel position assessed, increased polarization appears evident. The proportion of respondents strongly agreeing or strongly disagreeing with Israel-related policies grew from the summer of 2023 to the present, whereas the proportion of those who somewhat agreed or somewhat disagreed shrank.

Individuals who held negative attitudes toward Israel-related policies, Israeli people, and Israel-oriented conspiracy theories were significantly more likely to believe anti-Jewish tropes.

Respondents not comfortable buying products from Israel were 3.4 times more likely to be among the top quartile of believers in anti-Jewish tropes.

Respondents who do not think Jews have the right to an independent country were 3.7 times more likely to be among the top quartile of believers in anti-Jewish tropes.

Respondents who believe Israelis intend to cause as much suffering to Palestinians as possible were 4.6 times more likely to be among the most antisemitic Americans.

Respondents who believe Israeli operatives are secretly manipulating US national policy through AIPAC or other influence tools were 7.5 times more likely to be among the top quartile of believers in anti-Jewish tropes.

Views of Hamas are also deeply concerning, with more than half of Gen Z expressing some degree of comfort being friends with a Hamas supporter.

[ Continued... ]

[israelseen1]

HARAV KOOK ON TISHA B’AV: REPAIRING THE WORLD WITH THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

HARAV KOOK ON TISHA B’AV: REPAIRING THE WORLD WITH THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE “If we  destroyed [the second Temple], and the world with us, through needless hatred, we will rebuild [the third Temple] and the world with us, through unconditional love.” (Notebook 8:47) This is one of Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook’s most well known and important statements. As Tisha Be’Av-the Ninth of Av…

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[carlocarrasco]

Keep praying to the Lord for the hostages and Israel

Released Israeli Hostage Returns Home to “Close the Circle” There are still many hostages held by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. For each hostage released under the current ceasefire (a very fragile one), Israel releases a lot of Palestinian prisoners. No matter what deception Hamas pulls off that gets magnified by the corrupted mainstream news media, Hamas cannot be…

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

But the awkward, unsayable fact is that a new peace cannot now be found. After the pogrom of October 7, 2023, it must surely be obvious to even the dimmest that the “two-state solution” is just an incantation uttered by people who want to appear serious but are actually not thinking. The idea of a sovereign Arab state right next to the heart of Israel, governed by Hamas or something like it, and separated from the Jewish state by no more than a fence and a raked strip, is so absurd that it is amazing anyone suggests it. But who do the advocates of this “solution” think will govern such a state?

British journalist Peter Hitchens, in his latest article: The U.S. Should Get Out of the Israel-Palestine Game. Someone needs to pass these words onto the U.S. State Department, which is reportedly rushing to advance a Palestinian state in the aftermath of obscene Palestinian terrorism; in other words, rushing to reward the Palestinians for using extreme tactics to achieve their political goals.

[mazlizaothman]

The Jewish State

“The Jewish State” by Theodore Herzl is a political pamphlet published in 1896. It outlines his vision for the establishment of a sovereign Jewish state as a solution to the widespread persecution and anti-Semitism faced by Jews in Europe during the 19th century. He diagnoses the persistent problem of anti-Semitism in Europe and argues that assimilation has failed as a strategy for Jews to…

[israelseen1]

UNPACKED: Watch-5 Surprising Facts About the Jewish People

UNPACKED: Watch-5 Surprising Facts About the Jewish People   Who are the Jewish People, really? With only 15 million Jews worldwide, opinions about them are plenty, but understanding is rare. Because beyond the stereotypes and assumptions, there’s a rich diversity within Judaism that defies simple categorization. Here are 5 surprising facts about Jewish identity – including unique cultural…

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Kylie Ora Lobell

Now, Klompas has come out with a book, “Stand-Up Nation: Israeli Resilience in the Wake of Disaster” (Wicked Son), which is a unique approach to Israel activism. Rather than sharing news about the war, this book highlights Israel’s altruism towards the world. 

“Today, Israel is nicknamed the ‘Start-Up Nation,’ and it is celebrated for its booming economy and ingenious innovations,” she wrote in the book. “Less celebrated is the story of how Israel lifted up other nations as it lifted up itself — the story of Israel, a force for good in the world.”

“Today, Israel is nicknamed the ‘Start-Up Nation,’ and it is celebrated for its booming economy and ingenious innovations. Less celebrated is the story of how Israel lifted up other nations as it lifted up itself — the story of Israel, a force for good in the world.”

Klompas’ book outlines MASHAV’s work, such as when they built the first utility-scale solar field in East Africa, spearheaded clean water initiatives in Israel, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza and provided meals to starving children in India. 

“For a while, Israel became a global leader in supporting newly independent states. Precisely because it was small and poor, Israel had an advantage over larger, richer, and more established countries,” Klompas wrote. “It was a model and source of inspiration for newly emerging nations facing their own array of challenges.”

She saw this with her own eyes. After finishing up at the UN, she founded and led Project Inspire, an initiative to show Israel’s work in social, environmental and economic development in low-income nations. She ran tours in Uganda, Kenya, Guatemala, India and Nepal, showing participants how people in these countries utilize Israel’s teachings and technologies to tackle poverty and inequality. 

 When Klompas traveled, she saw Israel in “the most unlikely of places,” she wrote. “While trekking in East Africa and walking through a small craft market, I spotted a handmade beaded bracelet with the flag of Israel alongside bracelets with the flags of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. In the remote hills of Nepal, I happened upon a group of children, and as I passed by they yelled to me: ‘Shalom! Namaste! Hello!’ In Uganda, I visited a remote island on Lake Victoria. Getting there required a windy bus ride, followed by a rickety boat ride, followed by another bumpy bus ride. When we finally reached Osanidde Village, an orphanage for children with HIV, we were greeted by teenagers who sang the Ugandan national anthem followed by ‘Hatikva.’”

“Stand-Up Nation” is a callback to what Israel really is, and what a massive impact the small Jewish State has had on the world – a much-needed reminder post-Oct. 7, when it is being bashed everywhere we look. Klompas believes that enough isn’t being done to communicate Israel’s nation-building initiatives. 

“I think I’m the first one to write a book about it, if not one of the first,” she said. “I’m not sure that people who have been to Israel dozens of times are even familiar with MASHAV. How many people know this story about Israel as a developing country and founding an international development agency at the same time? It’s an untold story. And the more that I learn about it, the more it shocks me that people don’t know it.”

[wearenotjustnumbers2]

Important for people who are still stuck accusing people of antisemitism when they say genocide is actually not right.

[carlocarrasco]

God Has Not Forgotten His People

God Has Not Forgotten His People For your faith in the Lord and in support of Israel, read this reposted blog post. Live on with uncompromising faith in the Lord.