"5. Only refer to Israel as "the only democracy in the Middle East" if you will omit the fact that it is exclusively Jewish.
Let us examine the workings of "the only democratic country of goodwill in the Middle East." If you moved to Israel, Mr. Voight, you would be a second-class citizen because you are not Jewish. Israel is a Jewish ethnic state, which by definition, means it functions on social layering and ethno-religious categorization. In Israel, the ethno-national model is presented as the preferred exclusive political model; this means precedence goes to the Jews, everywhere. When a country explicitly decides to mostly have one religion populate its territory, and strictly labors to incite only one religion to immigrate to the country (research "Aliyah"), it is easy to call itself a democracy, isn't it? Where's the democratic challenge there? A selective democracy is not a real democracy, Mr. Voight. The real challenge would be for Israel to remain a democracy once it lets the Palestinians back into their lands, disrupt the Jewish-favored bias and live side by side, all equal before the law in one state. If Israel does that, then by all odds and measures, yes, it would be a most formidable democracy. But until then, it remains no different than the social structure of Saudi Arabia or Iran." (thanks Peter)
Let us examine the workings of "the only democratic country of goodwill in the Middle East." If you moved to Israel, Mr. Voight, you would be a second-class citizen because you are not Jewish. Israel is a Jewish ethnic state, which by definition, means it functions on social layering and ethno-religious categorization. In Israel, the ethno-national model is presented as the preferred exclusive political model; this means precedence goes to the Jews, everywhere. When a country explicitly decides to mostly have one religion populate its territory, and strictly labors to incite only one religion to immigrate to the country (research "Aliyah"), it is easy to call itself a democracy, isn't it? Where's the democratic challenge there? A selective democracy is not a real democracy, Mr. Voight. The real challenge would be for Israel to remain a democracy once it lets the Palestinians back into their lands, disrupt the Jewish-favored bias and live side by side, all equal before the law in one state. If Israel does that, then by all odds and measures, yes, it would be a most formidable democracy. But until then, it remains no different than the social structure of Saudi Arabia or Iran." (thanks Peter)
