Originally posted by
kk fusion
Thanks, xenophon. I knew it would be controversial, but I didn't intend it as 'bait'.
According to the
Jerusalem Post the founders declared their admiration for the US declaration of independence (where freedom of religion was a core value) and then proceeded to kick off the new state of Israel in what was basically a big religious ceremony.
I knew Israel was founded as a state for the Jewish people, but I understood that in an
ethnic sense. If you're Jewish by ancestry, you will be considered a 'real' Jew even if you're 100% non-religious, right?
So let me repeat my question in no uncertain terms:
Is there a factual bias in favor of a single religion in the State of Israel?
Israel is culturally Jewish like the United States, Germany and pretty much most Western countries are culturally Christian. There's nothing in Israeli law that says that businesses have to close from noon Friday to sunset Saturday; it's just that when the majority of the country celebrates Sabbath on Saturday, it makes sense for businesses to close then, especially since spending (or carrying) money violates the Sabbath. Arab businesses close on Friday to celebrate the Muslim Sabbath. Christian businesses close on Sunday to celebrate that Sabbath.
Likewise, some restaurants choose to sell kosher food because, again, many Jews keep kosher. Restaurants are licensed kosher, but then, any restaurant that calls itself kosher has to submit to inspection and certification by a rabbi, and a license is simply proof that that restaurant has had such an inspection. In fact, I found
this site that says that a minority of restaurants are licensed as kosher. It's a business decision made by an owner who wishes to cater to the observant-Jewish market, but the government has no say in that decision.
I have been to Haifa, and while there is a good bit of religion, I can't say that I saw any signs of government-enforced religion. Heck, I saw "Sister Act" in Haifa, in English with Hebrew subtitles. Being able to see a movie about Catholic nuns in a predominately Jewish country doesn't spell government interference to me.