From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">

Ellen K. wrote:
> On Mon, 05 Dec 2005 15:40:47 +0000, Adam
> <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near the
bridge"> wrote in
> message :
>
>
>>>>Israel has free speech unless you speak to someone about another
>>>>religion.  That's a free speech restriction based solely
upon religious
>>>>beliefs being voted into law.
>>>
>>>Let's be honest here.  There is no ban on "speaking to someone about
>>>another religion", for example in a course on comparative
religions etc.
>>>Proselytization is not at all the same thing as "speaking to someone
>>>about another religion".   Considering the Jews' history
of being given
>>>the choice to convert or be killed, banning proselytization is
>>>completely logical and appropriate.  It should be noted also that all
>>>religions are allowed to be freely practiced in Israel, unlike other
>>>middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia.
>>>
>>
>>Or Lebanon? Or Egypt? Or Morrocco?
>
>
> In my neighborhood there are five Sephardic synagogues and ALL of them
> are Morroccan.  I am told some 400,000 Jews lived in Morrocco  a
> generation ago.  There are about 2000 there now.   Why do you think that
> might be?
>

The mass expulsion of the Palestinians from Palestine?

>>>>The religious Jews and orthodoxy in Israel
>>>>participate in parliament and the creation of the laws of
Israel and are
>>>>deeply intertwined with the kind of laws made.  So
intertwined that I don't
>>>>think Israel can properly be called a secular state.
>>>
>>>The state is secular.  The fact that people run for office on a
>>>religious platform and get elected, just means it's a democracy.
>>>People also run for office on other platforms and get elected.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Who gets to decide who is a Jew & thus can live there in the first place?
>
> A person doesn't have to be Jewish to live in Israel, or to be a
> citizen, as I noted in my post to Gary.
>

No, He can be born there as a non Jew. However to emigrate there, you
certainly can't be Arab let alone muslim. Whereas a Jew need only turn up.

Adam

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