Almost sixty-seven years ago, Israel was established as the Jewish State, not a Jewish State, simply because there is no other in the world. Lots of countries have official religions. Growing up in the United States of America, it was always clear that it is/was a Christian country.
All of the Christian Holidays are national American holidays. Schools are closed on those days. It used to be that stores were closed and bars even for most of their day of rest on Sunday so that all people, other than the police, firemen and hospital staff could be with their families.
Public schools had budgets for large religious Christmas displays when I was growing up. In my very Jewish neighborhood, Bayside, NY, the displays were either inclusive with Chanuka, too, or just snow-oriented.
When I moved to Great Neck, as a teenager, I was suddenly in a more Christian community. A teacher in Great Neck North complained that “it was much nicer before the Jews came.” When we asked how she could say such a thing and why, she replied: “The Jews stopped the beautiful Christmas pageants we used to have in the school.”
No doubt, in schools without non-Christians, these were and may still be routine. There are many European countries that are officially Catholic, Christian etc. And there are many, many other countries officially Moslem, including all of Israel’s neighbors, if I’m not mistaken. So why do we here in Israel feel it necessary to change our basic national status, to water down the Jewish element?
The Knesset is voting on various bills to give non-Jews more official status. According to PM Netanyahu, the bill would enshrine full equality under law to all Israeli citizens regardless of race, religion or gender, while ensuring Israel’s Jewish identity.
Let us continue as a Jewish State, and if anyone doesn’t want that, they can leave!
