Posted on 11/24/2003 9:08:53 AM PST by yonif
President Moshe Katzav stands by his statement that the secular public had no right to choose between secularism and religion, but retracted his description of secular people as "captive babies," he told a delegation for the YAHAD council for Religious and Secular relations in the President's residence.
Speaking earlier to Army Radio, Katzav said that the fact that an Israeli child does not know what the Talmud is, is a social flaw; however, he continued, the religious sector should also adopt more freedom of information.
Katzav explained his position to the YAHAD delegation Monday, saying, "Some secular Jews are like captive babies, in that they have not been given the information upon which they can make a choice. A religious person knows both ways and can choose, but a secular one can't. He has only studied the secular way of life."
Justice Minister Yossef Lapid (Shinui) reacted to the President's words: "I am sorry to say that in this instance, President Katzav is a baby, captivated by a prejudice he holds against the majority of the public."
Would Minister Lapid prefer that all such people be referred to as "deliberate and wicked sinners" like himself?
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