Kesher Talk

Immigration and Israel: Must we keep it a Jewish state: An interesting quandary for someone like myself, who favors regulated but mostly open immigration to the U.S. (call me libertarian, why don't you), but appreciates the Jewish nature of Israel. It is a million times easier to assimilate someone into American culture (and each assimilated person adds to and changes that culture in the process) than to convert an immigrant to Israel to Judaism if he or she is not already a Jew.

Israeli Guy Gil Shterzer has raised this question.

Jews are welcomed in Israel at all times, others can and do immigrate for professional and marriage reasons. Israel is not a racist country, It's just trying to protect it self.

We can learn from history that Jews suffered from persecution in almost all the countries they lived in. Jewish interests were never taken into consideration in those states. The state of Israel was created to offer an alternative, to act upon Jewish interests.

Israel is tiny and heavily populated we can't allow in who ever who wishes to do so. if we will let everybody in we risk the lost of Jewish majority. And as we know only Jews sincerely care about other Jews.

I'm keen for input on this topic. Reconciling some of the basic tenets of a liberal democracy with ways for maintaining the Jewish state is no small feat. I've been unable to do so myself...

posted by Howard @ 6/06/2002 02:44:12 PM