Conflicts in the Middle East

Wednesday, March 26

The Coupling of the Opposition and Ultra-Orthodox in Israel

A strange phenomenon, if not a paradox has occurred in Israeli politics. It is the coupling of the ultra-Orthodox parties with the left of center Labor Party. In my previous article, I mentioned the channeling of funds from ultra-Orthodox projects to Bayit Hayehudi settlement projects in the occupied West Bank. This has created a situation where the Shas and Torah Judaism Parties are becoming bedfellows of Labor.

The main reason for this new found cooperation is that Labor is not making an issue of conscription of the Haredim into the IDF. As I said, six of one (Zionist right wing religious Bayit Hayehudi Party) and half a dozen of the other (the ultra-Orthodox non-Zionist Parties) in the coalition is not in Israel's interests. The latter is preferable, as they have no problem with a two-state solution when it comes to peace with the Palestinians, as long as the government gives them money for their partisan projects.

The compulsory ballot is another trick in hypocrisy and stealth. It is also a populist tactic. Conscripting the ultra-Orthodox males would cost Israel an astronomical amount of money as the IDF would have to establish units that correspond to their lifestyle. This is in Kashrut, Torah study and rituals. In other words, the IDF would have to bend to the religious customs of the ultra-Orthodox conscripts rather than the other way round as in the case of secular and modern Orthodox conscripts. The government suspended financing the ultra-Orthodox projects but the Bennett Bayit Heyudi are getting the finances from the government for their own occupation projects such as settlement expansion, yeshivot, headed by extremist right wing racist rabbis as well as shortened army service (1 year and 5 months for those in Yeshivot Hesder) for the right wing, Zionist orthodox conscripts. Normal length of service for 18 year old males is 3 years. So where is the equality of burden in serving in the IDF? The right wing religious Zionists in the settlements beyond he green line have never had it so good. The priorities of the present government are financing further illegal settlement while decreasing financial aid to ultra-Orthodox projects.

The settlements in the West Bank are getting increased financial aid from the government. This makes the two-state solution more complicated to achieve.

Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that people on both sides of the conflict have an increased feeling of frustration. The negotiating teams on both sides are getting nowhere. The antics on both sides are to please John Kerry without delivering the goods, each side for their own partisan reasons which do not coincide. The two-state solution is dying and before long it will enter the critical phase of rigor mortis which is the point of no return.

While the acrobatics of peace negotiations proceeds, Bibi Netanyahu harps on about Iran in order to digress from the real problems that need to be addressed. The main problems are Israel's security and the occupation. The latter is weakening Israel's stand in the world as well as its credibility and human rights record. While Israel is viewed as a colonialist power in the West Bank by its actions of building new settlements unabated, the threat to Israel's democracy will remain. Democracy within the green line exists while in the occupied territories it does not. The apartheid state similarity in the territories just cannot be concealed anymore. World opinion always sides with the victim (Palestinians) and not with the victor (Israel). While Israel remains an occupying power, it will always be under severe criticism because the settlers get all the privileges while the conquered get nothing. This is the differentiation which strengthens the slogan of Israel being an apartheid state.

It appears, from Haaretz reports, that the government is giving a large budget to the West Bank settler enterprise. This issue has been raised in the Knesset by MK Stav Shaffir of the Labor Party. This confirms suspicions that the government does not intend to freeze settlements in occupied territories. It also gives another message of "pseudo-sharing "of the national burden of conscription into the IDF. In reality, the illegal settlers in the territories will be getting increasing government aid. When ex-Shin Bet chief lambasts Netanyahu's Likud as "shallow",we should take him seriously.

Friday, March 7

Right wing religious settlers replacing ultra-Orthodox for Government Favors?

Ariel Uri Yehuda (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The latest mantra in Israel is equality in military service. This means that Haredim (ultra-Orthodox) will be enlisted to do army service like everybody else in Israel. Their National Insurance stipends will be cut and they will no longer reap the benefits of money from the state while they study Torah. Sounds just, if not altruistic, or in colloquial terms it is really "Israbluff".

Let us not fool ourselves into believing this. Money that has been channeled into Haredi institutions is now channeled into right-wing religious Zionist causes at their expense. The guru of these causes is the Minister of Economic Affairs and Religious Affairs, Naphtali Bennett. He is also the leader of the Bayit Hayehudi Party, an extreme right wing Zionist religious party that is not interested in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. He also seems to have considerable support and is an important person in the coalition that pressurizes Netanyahu.

PM Netanyahu is pandering to his right wing cronies and is giving them more attention than they deserve. The Bennett, Moshe Feiglin, Danon, Akunis and Elkin factions are steering the government into a dangerous, extremist, right wing direction. The illegal settlers have never had it so good. The present Minister of Housing, Uri Ariel, who is astrong supporter of the illegal settlements enterprise, shows very little concern for housing within the green line. His main concern is accelerated building in the occupied territories and killing the two state solution.

What is worse for

Israel

- money for the illegal settler enterprise and its right wing religious Zionist supporters, or the ultra-Orthodox institutions, which are non-Zionist? Both are bad for Israel. However the former is worse, while the latter has no problems with a solution to the conflict as long as their partisan requirements are met.

The right wing are against a two-state solution and are in favor of prolonging the occupation indefinitely. They are against a settlement freeze and wish to continue usurping Palestinian Land destined to be part of a Palestinian state alongside Israel in the future.

We have witnessed a massive demonstration of ultra-Orthodox communities in Jerusalem. The purpose is voicing their opposition to conscription into the IDF or even doing civilian national service. The amount of demonstrators who participated were estimated to be about 600 000.

The benefits given to settlers living in the occupied territories are good. They get taxation concessions, subsidized housing. Rates and municipal taxes are also less than in Israel within the green line.

On 4th March 2014, PM Netanyahu addressed AIPAC in the US. His speech to all intents and purposes was impressive. He said all the right things that members of AIPAC want to hear. He emphasized the danger of Iran in the Middle East and its hate of Israel and the US. It also happened that a day later, the Israeli Navy intercepted a ship with Iranian missiles destined for Gaza. This gave Netanyahu a much needed boost. Naturally Iran denied responsibility for the shipments.

After all who are the AIPAC members? Most of them are wealthy, diamond studded, armchair Zionists with good connections in the US Administration and are unaware of the omissions that Netanyahu purposefully made in his speech. They are also ignorant of many unpleasant realities in Israel. These realities are not pleasing to the ear or conscience of those concerned with basic human rights. Of course it is paradise compared to the bludgeon going in Syria, Iran, Lebanon and Hamas-ruled Gaza. He never spoke about the occupation or civil rights for the Palestinians in the occupied territories not being equal to those of the illegal settlers.

He also kept on harping ad nauseam about recognition of Israel as the Jewish State and making it a condition for recognition by the Palestinian leadership in order that negotiations proceed as if Israel's Jewish majority is not de facto. No other country recognizing Israel has that condition attached, not even Egypt and Jordan, so why the Palestinians? Is that so important? It is enough that they recognize Israel as a state without the verbose description of its Jewishness. Israel is listed as the State of Israel on its official letterheads and not the Jewish State of Israel. The fact that the UN recognizes Israel as the State of Israel has not created a problem. Israel's leaders have not requested the UN to recognize Israel as the Jewish State of Israel. It is obvious that Netanyahu is pressurized by the extreme right in his party. They call the tone.

There are other omissions in Netanyahu's speech. The treatment of refugees from Darfur, Sudan and Eritrea does not exactly reflect the Jewish heart which Netanyahu is so proud of emphasizing. The treatment of foreign workers is shocking in many cases. The list goes on.

Young married couples have problems getting housing at reasonable prices. If they move to the occupied territories the benefits as mentioned earlier are there for the taking.

Netanyahu's speech had so many omissions that for those, who know the seamy side of Israel, felt these omissions conspicuous by their absence.

The occupation remains a serious obstacle in reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians as well as improving relations with the Arab world. No matter how much Israel's public relations campaign for Israel being the only democracy in the Middle East, and justifying the measures it takes for ensuring its security, will lack credibility. Israel's

Price Tag Vandalism against non-Jewish Holy Places

Demonstrations in Jerusalem against the ballot

Example of Price Tag Vandalism

PM Netanyahu addressing AIPAC

democracy falls short in the territories when it comes to the Palestinians. Destruction of Palestinian property by Price Tag hooligans goes unpunished. No arrests have been made. The settlers take the law into their own hands.

While the occupation and encouragement of settling in areas designated for the future Palestinian state continues, Israel's colonial image will remain and the Palestinians will be viewed as victims of that colonialism. White-washing this situation as well as digression by rhetoric on the Iranian threat to peace will not improve Israel's image. It adds grist to the mill of BDS supporters.

Sunday, February 23

Religious Corruption in Israel

The deification of many establishment rabbis in high places is frightening. Added to this, are the large sums of money that is involved in this relationship. Recently the Israeli tycoon, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto has been involved in a very big scandal. He is listed as one of Israel`s richest rabbis. Tycoons have always come to him for blessings and while receiving Pinto’s blessings, large sums of money probably land in his coffers.

The plot thickens and the list of suspects involved in the Pinto Affair gets more and more complicated. The cartel of those involved in misdemeanors or even crimes range from tycoons, businessmen, underworld figures, and some Knesset members, senior police officers involved in uncovering fraud, bribery, and corruption, money laundering and other crimes.

The belief in "Yehudo-Voodoo" among many Israelis is very strong, this is the stuff giving rabbinical charlatans enormous power, and this power creeps, like a cancer, into many business dealings. Bribery, corruption and blackmail are part of their trade. Large sums of money change hands. Some rabbis become very wealthy, and when questions are asked about the source of their wealth the answer inevitably is that "it comes from donations of supporters of these rabbis, who regard them as the ultimate spiritual authority in their lives". This somehow keeps the law enforcement authorities at bay for a while.

However, when rabbis start giving money to the "poor" such as high level police officers, who are responsible for inquiries into bribery and corruption, then it is reasonable to start asking questions as to whether the rabbi's relationship with law enforcement officers is proper.

At this stage, there is a lot of cloudiness over the whole investigation and much has to unfold. Pinto has tentacles with followers attached even in the U.S. Even an ex-FBI official is involved. This is only the beginning of all kinds of rabbinical monkey business going on, which is also an embarrassment to the Israeli Police. One of its top crime investigation officers is also on suspicion of being caught up in this rabbinical web of iniquity. It seems that the tip of the iceberg of crime in rabbinical circles has been scratched. More red faces under the cloak and dagger of Torah will soon be revealed. It should be of deep concern to law-abiding citizens in Israel, who pay taxes. Much of the money from these taxes go to the running of corrupt institutions responsible for maintaining the chief rabbinate and other yeshivot of dubious repute.

Meanwhile, Major General Menashe Arviv, who commanded Lahav 433, a unit popularly known as the "Israeli FBI," which includes the fraud squad, serious and international crimes unit, and the financial investigations unit, has resigned as the noose round his neck tightens. This does not mean that he will not be brought to trial. Brig. Gen. Ephraim Bracha – the commander of the national fraud squad – in 2012 was also involved. Pinto is suspected of trying to bribe Bracha in return for information on the investigation being conducted against him. Pinto was also the target of a joint investigation by the authorities in the United States and Israel, into the suspected misuse of funds at Hazon Yeshaya, a nonprofit controlled by the rabbi and his wife.

This rather complicated business does not seem to have an end at this stage. Surprises occur all the time. Apart from suspicions of bribing senior police officers and associating with crime king-pins like Shlomo Domrani, Pinto has an amazing cartel of tycoons and characters.Some of his associates and "friends" have criminal records.One of Pinto's aides in the past, Ben Zion Suky, is connected to porn sales and has a host of legal problems. The impression is that Rabbi Pinto is not such a "tzadik" (saint) as most of his followers believe. Pinto is a shrewd businessman. He is a multimillionaire because "God was good to him as he is a great example of humility and saintliness". I have a feeling of deja vu. There is some similarity here to the reaction of his followers against the investigation of this rabbi and the reaction of the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in the bribery and corruption case involving Aryeh Deri of Shas some years ago.Yosef proclaimed Deri's innocence in public.

The latest news is that Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto is suspected of systematically collecting information about senior police officers, demanding that some of them be replaced, threatening an officer, offering bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and intimidating witnesses, according to a document prosecutors sent to Pinto and his wife, Rivka, a few weeks ago.

Prosecutors are now busy turning the 10-page document detailing these suspicions into an indictment, as Pinto waived his right to a hearing. The likely charges will include offering bribes, obstructing an investigation, suborning witnesses, making threats and money laundering. Pinto denies all the allegations.

The saga unfolds and is far from completion as everyday a new twist occurs. There is a dangerous trend in Israel. The Rabbi Pinto Case is an example of what happens when rabbis have tremendous power and influence over the lives of citizens in theocratic Israel. They fill the observant Jewish Israeli mind with religious muck and many of these religious people become dependent on the teachings and purveyors of pseudo-religious superstitions. This involves purchasing religious cameos against "the evil eye" and all kinds of folklore, including other pseudo-religious paraphernalia. There are rabbis with enormous powers in the eyes of the superstitious observant, who are grist to the mill in the talons of these charismatic, rabbinical ignoramuses, many of whom have great influence in high places in the rabbinate. These rabbis feel that they are above the law and have the right to bribe government officials whether they are high ranking officers in the Israeli Police Force or even in the government. They are the "Rasputins of Israel". Some are also faith healers such as the X-ray Rabbi Ifergan, who is wealthy in his own right.

Rabbi Yeshiyahu Pinto

The following is a list of Israel's wealthiest rabbis:

1. Rabbi Pinchas Abuhatzeira – NIS 1,300,000,000
2. Rabbi David Abuhatzeira – NIS 750,000,000
3. Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter – NIS 350,000,000
4. Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeaḥ – NIS 180,000,000
5. Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi – NIS 100,000,000
6. Rabbi Yaakov Ifargin – NIS 75,000,000
7. Rabbi Yeshayahu Pinto – NIS 75,000,000
8. Rabbi Baruch Abuhatzeira – NIS 50,000,000
9. Rabbi Reuven Elbaz – NIS 40,000,000
10. Rabbi Yoram Abargil – NIS35,000,000

The corruption in religion occurs because of the monopoly held by establishment orthodox rabbis in Israel. They do not recognize other religious streams in Judaism. A glaring example of Orthodox Judicial hegemony is non-recognition of Conservative, Progressive and Reconstructionist streams in Judaism. These non-Orthodox streams in Judaism cannot perform marriage ceremonies recognized in Israel because they are not recognized by the Orthodox Establishment. The reason is competition and loss in financial profit that goes into the orthodox establishment rabbinical coffers and not so much because of Halacha as they claim. Let us not be naïve.

The doctrinaire and intolerant behavior of the Orthodox Rabbinical Establishment in Israel drives many Jews from the fold including the writer of this article.

The Rabbi Pinto corruption scandal is a symptom of the disease and it is only a matter of time before more corrupt orthodox rabbis are uncovered in their quest to make a quick buck from the religious believers seeking a sop for their problems.

Saturday, February 8

The Chosen People and BDS

Israel - Boycott, divest, sanction (Photo credit: Takver)

John Kerry

These days the peace talks between Israel and Palestine, under the facilitation of John Kerry, are reaching a deadlock. This is to be expected. Netanyahu wishes to preserve his government coalition at all costs. He panders to his extreme right wing flank like a mite burrowing into the pubes, creating a great itch and a hiccup. The emphasis of the Palestinians recognizing Israel as a Jewish State is being blown out of all proportions. Nobody denies that Israel is a state with a Jewish majority and also has a sizeable non-Jewish minority.

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, the indefatigable mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, is showing signs of frustration. Past US mediators in this conflict also started off with great enthusiasm, only to throw in the towel.

New revelations of the "settlement enterprise" in the occupied territories has come to light. The ultra-Orthodox Haredi Parties are out of the coalition, the right wing illegal settler Bayit Hayehudi Party under Naftali Bennet has replaced them. The taxpayer is now footing the bill for the building of illegal settlements for the right wing religious Zionists who are having a field day with a right wing government coalition sympathetic to their cause.

It was reported on Israel Channel 2 Television that there seem to be illegal transfer of funds to the Yesha Council for settlements. It was reported that local councils in the West Bank receive state funds to compensate them for losses incurred because of Israel's freeze on settlement building.

The Finance Minister, Yair Lapid, suspended funding as a result of information that these funds are not being used for their original purpose, such as security and maintenance of kindergartens, but rather being transferred to the Yesha Council and its bunch of right wing croneys for political purposes. This of course means financing pro-settlement propaganda which means another stab at a two-state solution of this festering conflict. At the moment this issue is being investigated. Naturally the Yesha Council denies any misappropriation of funds and they argue that they have not broken the law. Would they say that they are breaking the law?

With this cloud of corruption hanging over the Yesha Council and the tacit support of extreme right wing members of the coalition, it would be in the best interests of peace if Yesh Atid would resign from the coalition. Bennet and Lapid are not "brothers" anymore as they claimed after both were elected to the Knesset.

It is very difficult to understand what is happening in the peace process. Nothing has changed except the tactics but the accusations and counter accusations go on as if both sides do not wish to see progress towards peace. It is an exercise in squirming and trying to satisfy John Kerry. Each side accuses the other for the failure of the peace negotiations. This has been going on over many years. The players change but the excuses and lack of trust remains the same.

John Kerry, the indefatigable mediator between the Israelis and Palestinians, is showing signs of frustration as his predecessors at the lack of progress. The paranoid Israeli Government accuses him of being anti-Semitic because he made some remarks about failure of progress towards an agreement with the Palestinians would lead to a boycott of trade and business with Israel. He expressed an opinion which is legitimate. The conflict is a festering sore that does not heal. One of the symptoms that prevents healing is the illegal settlement enterprise that seems to expand.

Why is it that when John Kerry says that if the talks fail and he warns Israel about the EU boycott of Israel is he accused of being anti-Israel and even anti-Semitic? The same goes for President Obama as well. Israel's most reliable and trusted friend in the world is the US. It is in US interests as well as European interests that the occupation is ended. It is in Israel's interest as well though the illegal settler friendly government of Netanyahu fail to realize this.

There is a cancer eating into Israeli society. This cancer is alive and kicking in the extreme right wing flank of the Coalition Government. It turns a blind eye to Price Tag attacks against Christian and Muslim holy places and property. It coddles the kippa, tzizit and peiyot dangling hill-top youth - allies of violence. The cancer is also found in the increase of illegal settlement activity in areas in the Palestinian state-to-be if it will ever occur in the future. The cure to this widespread cancer in Israel is BDS. The inability of the Israeli Police to arrest Price Tag terrorists is an ominous sign of indifference towards terrorism and vandalism. The self-righteous, paranoid rhetoric is coming from the right wing and extreme right-wing, defining antisemitism as criticism of Israel's occupation is very dangerous and is not in Israel's interest. It gives leeway to fascism which is gaining ground.

The Israeli Government attitude towards John Kerry can be summed up in the statement by Israel's Defense Minister, Moshe Ayalon, as very unfortunate. Ayalon apologized for his statement under pressure. Kerry is now persona non grata in the eyes of the right wing because he warned Israel that failure to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians would lead to a boycott of Israel. He never stated that he supported a BDS. The contrary is true. It just illustrates how the Israeli Government is manipulating the people to believe that Kerry is an anti-Semite despite him being a true friend of Israel. In the the eyes of the right and extreme right, the whole world is anti-Semitic and ganging up to boycott Israel in order to destroy the Jewish State.

They sing the same song of the evil going on in Syria which the UN and much of the world are turning a blind eye. True! Much evil is happening in Syria and nothing is done. This is disgusting and abhorrent. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is also abhorrent no less. Israel's justification of colonization of the West Bank on the ground by building settlements turns the two-state solution into a bi-national state solution. There is no other way of looking at it.

Thursday, January 16

Xenophobes in Israel

It is a very sad, unpleasant fact that we Israelis have forgotten our tragic history. Our ancestors were persecuted in Europe for centuries because they were Jews. The climax of persecution was the Holocaust during the notorious Nazi rule in Germany, when six million Jews were slaughtered for just being Jews. The world did nothing to prevent this "ethnic cleansing" (to use a modern term that has become trendy for the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians) that was not only carried out against Jews but also against other minorities such as Gypsies, Slavs, homosexuals and opponents of the Nazi regime in Germany.

Sudanese Demonstrators

Over the weekend of 11th January 2014, the ex-Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon passed away after being unconscious for 8 years. He was buried on 13th January 2014. Everything came to a stop for two days and all the other problems, including those of xenophobia, were shelved for the duration.
Now with all the ceremonials of Sharon's burial over we can return to our routines.

The problems of foreign workers and refugees in Israel remain. There does seem to be a lack of distinction between foreign workers and refugees from the Sudan. What is important to remember is that both groups have much in common concerning the attitude of the Israeli Government towards them. Both groups need work to survive economically.

The reasons for both groups being here are different but the result is the same. Many foreign workers are here because of the "swinging door" policy of the Ministry of the Interior. These workers are no threat to Israeli workers as they do menial labor that Israelis are not prepared to undertake. Jobs like care-giving to the aged, agricultural work, cleaning staff who works under sub contractors and the building trade, are just a few examples of work that is no threat to employment of Israelis.

Refugees are housed in camps in the Negev under shocking conditions and their freedom to find work is undermined.

In many countries, refugees are given the opportunity to become citizens of their adopted countries. Their offspring have the right to education and most become loyal citizens of the countries that have given them shelter.

Foreign workers, and in this category I wish to use the care-giver as an example of a gross injustice by the Israeli Authorities. The arm of the law is the dreaded Migration Police.


Rose Fostanes who came first in the X-Factor TV show in Israel

Care-givers perform a devoted service to the elderly under their care. Their job is being on duty for 24 hours a day and many do not even have free time. Many aged people have Alzheimer’s disease, depression and other chronic diseases. They are dependent on nursing care. Care-givers have a hard time trying to find a replacement in order to have a break from their very exhausting routine. This is essential for their well-being. Working with incontinent aged as well as feeding them also has a heavy price on the care-giver's mental health. This very often results in physical abuse of the aged by the care-giver who is caught in a trap because of the stress under which they work.

These matters are hidden very often from the public. There is exploitation of the care-giver in many cases. Not only do they care for the aged, they cook and clean the house as well which is not part of their contract. The employer breaks the law as care-givers were granted visas for that purpose only but the employer or their guardian uses these people for cleaning and cooking. According to the law they are not allowed to receive pay for extra duties not stipulated in their visas. This creates a situation of abuse of the care-giver for which he/she has no address.

The aged under nursing aide care very often pass away and the care-giver must find a job within a month or they lose their working visa in which case they are considered illegal and are sent to detention centers to await deportation when discovered. The Immigration Police do spot checks of foreign workers at various centers where they are known to congregate. This is a humiliating experience for foreign workers, whose permit has expired. When the victim of a Migration Police round up asks why he/she is being detained, the answer is "We are only carrying out orders!" Is there a feeling of déjà vu in this answer?

The "swinging door policies" are a kick back from the days when Eli Yishai of the xenophobic Shas Party was Minister of the Interior. The policies towards the foreign worker and refugee are based on a xenophobic fear of assimilation which is viewed as a danger to Israel's character as a Jewish state.

The ramifications of this go even further. If there is the demonization of the non-Jewish foreign worker and refugee, it snowballs and the cry of danger to Jewish existence in Israel becomes exaggerated.

Right wing yeshivas know how to exploit this situation and the racist rabbis of these institutions are the chief culprits of creating hatred towards the non-Jew. The brainwashed students, who were educated in these yeshivas under the influence of these rabbinical bigots, create destructive groups such as Price Tag who regularly go on the rampage destroying property of Palestinians, including mosques and churches. The amazing outcome of this is that nobody has been apprehended. Is it possible that vandalism not aimed at synagogues but at churches and mosques, is overlooked?

Another aspect of xenophobia Israel Authority-style is detention without trial. Mandatory laws are enforced creating tremendous difficulties for the foreign worker and refugee. Surely these people should have the right to appeal against deportation orders if these orders are felt to be unjust.

There are care-givers, mostly Filipinos, who have given years of faithful service until their employer passes away. This creates enormous stress to the care-giver who is on the horns of a dilemma - finding a job within a month or face detention and then deportation.

A care-giver, who has a permit only to work as such, cannot work in another position. I think of the Filipino winner, Rose Fostanes, in the recent X-Factor competition on Israel TV Channel 2. She cannot develop her singing career in Israel as she has a permit to work as a care-giver only. She may perform in concerts without pay. She cannot enjoy the fruits of her success in Israel. The reason - xenophobes have crept into the law - making processes with the idea of preventing assimilation that is viewed as a danger to the survival of Judaism in Israel.

Is Israel becoming a racist state? Foreign workers who have lived in Israel for many years and have made a great contribution to alleviating the suffering of our aged deserve to be given the option of becoming Israeli Citizens. This will not be a danger to Jewish survival.