Free Republic

Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has signed a deal to give an Israeli government post to an openly homophobic ultra-nationalist party leader. It is the latest development set to give far-right parties unprecedented power within Israel's ruling coalition. Avi Maoz will be a deputy minister and run a "Jewish identity" authority. He heads Noam, a religious-nationalist, anti-Arab and anti-LGBTQ party that argues for a strict interpretation of Jewish religious laws in Israel. The agreement has added to a growing sense of alarm over the composition of Mr Netanyahu's likely government. Outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid has described it as "full-on crazy",...

Polticians from outgoing coalition say Likud chief's agreement to put Avi Maoz in charge of Israel's Jewish identity is a 'slap in the face,' could 'plunge Israel into the abyss' The prospect of a hardline, ultra-conservative, anti-pluralistic, homophobic nationalist being appointed as the next government's head of "Jewish identity" was met with staunch rebuke from politicians from the outgoing coalition on Sunday, with lawmakers slamming the move by prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu as "insanity," "racist" and "unreal". Avi Moaz, the single lawmaker of the fringe Noam party, is one of the Knesset's most far-right politicians, holding non-pluralist Jewish views and...

Over 20% of Israelis feel more “Jewish” than “Israeli,” a poll revealed Sunday, and the percentage rises among the younger and religious populations. BINA, an organization for Jewish identity in Israel, released the poll ahead of Israeli Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut). The organization polled 500 men and women from across the religious spectrum in Israel as a representative sample of public opinion, and aims to check the level of religious and national identity in Israel—both now, and for the future. More religious Israeli identify primarily as “Jewish,” according to the poll. 49.5% of the Orthodox community feels more “Jewish” than...

My Friends Used to be Jewish By Norma Zager “We learn from history that we learn nothing from history...” George Bernard Shaw Anti-Semitism is as old as the world; hatred as old as man. Today I was treated to one of the saddest comments my poor ears have ever endured. When the anti-Semitism is by Jews toward Jews, it exceeds egregious. Recently, I heard one of the saddest comments my poor ears have ever endured while dining with friends. The name of a woman in the community was mentioned, unfamiliar to most. Further probing initiated the following comment from one...

Pope Benedict XVI has become political Islam's newest excuse for rioting.... While Benedict's specific message was to his fellow Christians, the Jewish people should take heed of his general message for ourselves. Today, the Jewish people...find ourselves under attack from all quarters. ...We tell ourselves we are hated because we are too strong — or because we are too weak. We are hated because we are too religious — or we are hated because we are not religious enough. We are hated because we insist on defending Israel — or we are hated because we are willing to compromise on...