a_unique_person
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Division in Israel over withdrawal from settlements
It has been predicted here that the inevitable time when Israel has to decide just what it will call it's borders will create a big internal division. Capel has said it will create a civil war.
this http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/524068.html article pretty well sums up the division of the secular vs the extremist religious groups.
Who will win out? At present, the contortions that Sharon has had to go to to even maintain a parliamentery majority, and the fragility of the one he has created, seem to indicate that no one can predict the outcome.
As with the Palestinian elections that are about to happen, both sides are about to enter a whole new phase in the ongoing saga.
An indication of the outlook of the extremists is summed up with this quote.
quote:
Ben Shohat, who grew up in the Ramot neighborhood in Jerusalem, came to Yitzhar "because here they live the ideals. Here people are closer to the truth and to the Holy One, blessed be he, than in other places."
What truth?
Ben Shohat: "Judaism, which is endangering your democracy."
Is there no Judaism outside of Yitzhar?
"Of course there is, but here the commitment is many times greater, and also there is no inhibition about touching the points of friction today - settling the land and war on the enemy."
Ben Shohat's attitude toward the state is complex. The dispute is between a Jewish state and a state of Israelis; between a Jewish state and a democratic state. "Together - it isn't going to work! Judaism is unequivocally contradictory to democracy, and the laws of the Torah take precedence over the laws of the state. Whom will I obey? My Creator or a commander who might be a year or two older than me?"
A lot of Israelis would disagree with that sentiment, but until now, a united front against the Palestinians and Arabs has allowed Israelis to ignore these divisions.
Which side will win out? It could all be a load of bluster and Sharon will win out quickly. The revolt within the armed forces could grow, or die out rapidly.
I think that the good that may come out of this is that Israel will be forced to finally confront it's contradictions, and make a rational choice for all parties. That rational outcome, however, will not be the one that Sharon or Likud wanted. A lot of the conservatives are wide awake to the possibility of this slippery slope, however. At least this time, there won't be Sharon waiting to capitalise on the assasination of the PM.
The cynical side of me, however, sees that outcome as just being a confirmation of the hold that the extremists have over the majority.
I don't know if anyone else here has any predictions of how this will pan out.
* One thing I like about this newspaper is the long articles, the idea that someone might like to read a lot about an important issue seems to be disappearing in the local newspapers.
It has been predicted here that the inevitable time when Israel has to decide just what it will call it's borders will create a big internal division. Capel has said it will create a civil war.
this http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/524068.html article pretty well sums up the division of the secular vs the extremist religious groups.
Who will win out? At present, the contortions that Sharon has had to go to to even maintain a parliamentery majority, and the fragility of the one he has created, seem to indicate that no one can predict the outcome.
As with the Palestinian elections that are about to happen, both sides are about to enter a whole new phase in the ongoing saga.
An indication of the outlook of the extremists is summed up with this quote.
quote:
Ben Shohat, who grew up in the Ramot neighborhood in Jerusalem, came to Yitzhar "because here they live the ideals. Here people are closer to the truth and to the Holy One, blessed be he, than in other places."
What truth?
Ben Shohat: "Judaism, which is endangering your democracy."
Is there no Judaism outside of Yitzhar?
"Of course there is, but here the commitment is many times greater, and also there is no inhibition about touching the points of friction today - settling the land and war on the enemy."
Ben Shohat's attitude toward the state is complex. The dispute is between a Jewish state and a state of Israelis; between a Jewish state and a democratic state. "Together - it isn't going to work! Judaism is unequivocally contradictory to democracy, and the laws of the Torah take precedence over the laws of the state. Whom will I obey? My Creator or a commander who might be a year or two older than me?"
A lot of Israelis would disagree with that sentiment, but until now, a united front against the Palestinians and Arabs has allowed Israelis to ignore these divisions.
Which side will win out? It could all be a load of bluster and Sharon will win out quickly. The revolt within the armed forces could grow, or die out rapidly.
I think that the good that may come out of this is that Israel will be forced to finally confront it's contradictions, and make a rational choice for all parties. That rational outcome, however, will not be the one that Sharon or Likud wanted. A lot of the conservatives are wide awake to the possibility of this slippery slope, however. At least this time, there won't be Sharon waiting to capitalise on the assasination of the PM.
The cynical side of me, however, sees that outcome as just being a confirmation of the hold that the extremists have over the majority.
I don't know if anyone else here has any predictions of how this will pan out.
* One thing I like about this newspaper is the long articles, the idea that someone might like to read a lot about an important issue seems to be disappearing in the local newspapers.