Israel now Jewish state by law

[Gocka]

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world...tate-1.2012325

The Israeli cabinet has endorsed a controversial Bill enshrining Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, despite criticism by Israel’s Arab minority who fear the measure will leave them as second-class citizens.
A divided cabinet voted 14-6 in favour of the Bill yesterday after a session that ministers described as a “shouting match”.
Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu reportedly banged on the table and said “it cannot be that Arabs can live in Jewish towns, but Jews can’t live in Arab towns. A country within a country is developing.”
He said the law was needed because Palestinians refused to recognise Israel as a Jewish state and Israeli Arabs were seeking autonomy in the Galilee and the Negev.
“Israel is a Jewish democratic state. There are those who want democracy to take precedence over Judaism, and those who want Judaism to take precedence over democracy. In the law that I am bringing, both principles are equal and must be given equal consideration.”
Centrist ministers voted against and have threatened to do so again on Wednesday, when the Bill is due to be presented to the Knesset parliament for a preliminary vote.
The divisions have further strained Mr Netanyahu’s coalition and he may be forced to dismiss ministers who vote against the Bill, which could lead to early elections.
Two versions of the Bill were approved by ministers yesterday and a Knesset committee will merge the two after the Knesset passes the first reading. Both reinforce Israel’s national anthem and state symbols, use of the Hebrew calendar and the law of return, which grants any Jew the automatic right to emigrate to Israel.
Arab Knesset members described the Bill as racist, noting that one version would leave Hebrew as Israel’s only official language.
Gaza man shot dead
In separate developments, Israeli troops shot and killed a Gaza man yesterday – the first fatality since the end of the 50-day war in August.
Israel said troops opened fire on two men close to the border fence in the northern Gaza Strip, after first firing warning shots. Relatives of the 32-year-old man said he had been searching for song birds, which nest near the border and command high prices in Gaza markets.
An Israeli border police officer has been charged with manslaughter in the killing of a Palestinian minor during protests at the Bitunya West Bank crossing in May. State prosecutors believed the officer used live ammunition and not rubber bullets, in violation of the rules of engagement, and also lied to military and police investigators.
A home in a West Bank Palestinian village was set on fire early yesterday in what appears to be another “price tag” attack by Jewish extremists. No one was hurt. Hebrew graffiti was sprayed on the wall of the house reading “Death to the Arabs”.

I wish the USA and the EU would allow Macedonia to be one tenth as aggressive with the Albanians as Israel is with the Palestinians.
We have exactly the same issue, Albanians can live in Macedonian communities but Macedonians cant live in Albanian communities. They are making a state within a state and we have to just be good boys and sit back and watch. But good old Israel can continually push the boundary closer and closer to Nazism and no one blinks.

[Risto the Great]

Israel isn't answerable to anyone. Macedonia is still dropping its pants to try to join the EU (amongst others). It will never do anything to annoy its masters.

[Nikolaj]

Well when the USA is pretty much controlled by Jews, they can get any acceptance they want. Just like the time when every single country agreed to probe Israel to see if they're violating human rights policies because they've been caught doing it before, America was the only one who voted against it.

In terms of EU, I'm sure if Macedonia was in it they'd allow us to integrate tougher policies.

[Gocka]

In terms of EU, I'm sure if Macedonia was in it they'd allow us to integrate tougher policies.

Actually its more likely that the opposite will be true. Once your in the EU you have to play by their rules. Only the big boys like England and Germany are allowed to break them.

[Nikolaj]

Actually its more likely that the opposite will be true. Once your in the EU you have to play by their rules. Only the big boys like England and Germany are allowed to break them.

Yeah I guess so, but I personally believe England, Germany etc would want the best for their fellow EU member. I could be wrong but, they may not see it as a big issue unless it affects some form of trade.

However, I do agree if Macedonia wasn't an EU candidate, they would have integrated these policies a while ago because it wouldn't affect their future goals.

[Gocka]

I apologize but I again have to disagree. Believe me when I say that the EU doesn't care at all for its "fellow members". The EU is a way for the bigger countries to consolidate power and exert control over and exploit the rest of Europe. Its an attempt at the federalization of Europe at the expense of individual culture and free will. Basically make Europe into the USA part 2.

As for Macedonia, sadly Macedonians are too cowardly to implement anything. All we know how to do is pick up our hands and cry foul. Even our football team acts in this manner. We are always looking for someone else to come and do it for us. Whether it be the ref on the field or big brother in a political setting. Macedonia has no "goals" other than praying that we get into the EU and then money falls from the heavens.

Maybe if our country was being over run by more tolerable and fair people I wouldn't mind as much, but Macedonians should take note at what the other two Albanian states in Europe look like and then have a long hard think about what that means for Macedonians.

Yeah I guess so, but I personally believe England, Germany etc would want the best for their fellow EU member. I could be wrong but, they may not see it as a big issue unless it affects some form of trade.

However, I do agree if Macedonia wasn't an EU candidate, they would have integrated these policies a while ago because it wouldn't affect their future goals.

[Risto the Great]

Yeah I guess so, but I personally believe England, Germany etc would want the best for their fellow EU member.

Why? What do you base this statement on?

[Nikolaj]

I was specifically talking about the Albanianization in Macedonia, implying if Macedonia were to integrate an Orthodox Christianity policy, the larger EU members wouldn't directly disagree with it.

For almost every other thing, of course they won't care about fellow EU members as their objectives are already clear to us but this wasn't the point of the thread.

Future goals as in any progression for the country, implying EU wasn't one of them.

[Phoenix]

...I was specifically talking about the Albanianization in Macedonia, implying if Macedonia were to integrate an Orthodox Christianity policy, the larger EU members wouldn't directly disagree with it...

Nikolaj,

What would an 'Orthodox Christianity policy' look like...?

[Nikolaj]

Nikolaj,

What would an 'Orthodox Christianity policy' look like...?

I would not know nor is it relevant to the discussion. Maybe something like the Jewish policy Israel enforced.

Take the most popular religion of the nation and make it a policy. It's not to enforce the belief, but to kick out other religious groups in the country - in this case the Albanians who are commonly Islamic (for the same reason we know there aren't any Islamic Macedonians according to Wikipedia statistics).

[Phoenix]

[B]It's not to enforce the belief, but to kick out other religious groups in the country -...

"kick out other religious groups in the country"

Do you seriously think that type of policy is OK?

[spitfire]

AMENDMENT VII
1. The Macedonian Orthodox Church, as well as the Islamic Religious Community in Macedonia,
the Catholic Church, Evangelical Methodist Church, the Jewish Community and other Religious
communities and groups are separate from the state and equal before the law.

2. The Macedonian Orthodox Church, as well as the Islamic Religious Community in Macedonia,
the Catholic Church, Evangelical Methodist Church, the Jewish Community and other Religious
communities and groups are free to establish schools and other social and charitable institutions,
by way of a procedure regulated by law.

3. Item 1 of this amendment replaces paragraph 3 of Article 19 and Item 2 replaces paragraph 4
of Article 19 of the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia.

AMENDMENT VIII
1. Members of communities have a right freely to express, foster and develop their identity and
community attributes, and to use their community symbols.
The Republic guarantees the protection of the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of
all communities.
Members of communities have the right to establish institutions for culture, art, science and
education, as well as scholarly and other associations for the expression, fostering and
development of their identity.
Members of communities have the right to instruction in their language in primary and secondary
education, as determined by law. In schools where education is carried out in another language,
the Macedonian language is also studied.

2. This amendment replaces Article 48 of the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia.

http://eudo-citizenship.eu/NationalDB/docs/MAC%20Const%20Amendments%20IV-XVIII%20%28English%29.pdf

[Nikolaj]

"kick out other religious groups in the country"

Do you seriously think that type of policy is OK?

I never said it was okay so I don't know why you'd be asking me - I was only speaking in the context of the thread.

If it'll remove false Albanian nationalism and Albanian irredentism entirely, sure.

If you haven't noticed though, Albanians are taking over Western Macedonia claiming their own state. This isn't respectful to Macedonia in general so why should Macedonia be respectful to them? You could always ban religion all together, but considering Macedonia is a heavy Orthodox Christian nation, you would be left with soil.

This is not the only way to stop Albanianization in Macedonia, but like I said earlier I am only speaking in regard to the context of the thread.

[Risto the Great]

I do agree if Macedonia wasn't an EU candidate, they would have integrated these policies a while ago because it wouldn't affect their future goals.

This

if Macedonia were to integrate an Orthodox Christianity policy, the larger EU members wouldn't directly disagree with it.

You have me confused. First you say Macedonia would have had no problems implementing such strategies if it wasn't trying to get into the EU.

Then you say the larger EU members wouldn't disagree with such a policy.

The EU said this recently:

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2014/20141008-the-former-yugoslav-republic-of-macedonia-progress-report_en.pdf

serious challenges persist, and in some areas have increased. These relate, in particular, to the increasingly divisive political culture, serious concerns about increasing politicisation and government control over state institutions and media, and a still fragile inter-ethnic situation.
....
A more proactive and joint approach to promoting an inclusive multi-ethnic society is needed. The review of the Ohrid Framework Agreement still needs to be completed and its recommendations implemented.

The EU is not helping Macedonia with its issues relating to sovereignty whatsoever. This includes the ethnic Albanian push for federalisation of Macedonia based upon racial divisions.

An "Orthodox Christianity policy" will never mirror the Jewish situation in any way. I don't know what it means anyway, but it sounds scary.

[Nikolaj]

This

You have me confused. First you say Macedonia would have had no problems implementing such strategies if it wasn't trying to get into the EU.

Then you say the larger EU members wouldn't disagree with such a policy.

Implementing such strategies denies the rights to minorities in their country therefore violating human rights policies, which are a requirement when joining the EU.

I cannot tell you whether the EU members would agree or disagree with a policy like this as I am only speaking hypothetically. I am saying if Macedonia violates human rights policies before entering the EU they would probably be excluded right away. If however they violate these things after joining the EU by implementing a policy like this, there could be proper reasoning where the EU might look the other way.

The EU said this recently:

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2014/20141008-the-former-yugoslav-republic-of-macedonia-progress-report_en.pdf

The EU is not helping Macedonia with its issues relating to sovereignty whatsoever. This includes the ethnic Albanian push for federalisation of Macedonia based upon racial divisions.

An "Orthodox Christianity policy" will never mirror the Jewish situation in any way. I don't know what it means anyway, but it sounds scary.

It does say they won't help Macedonia on the Albanian push but it doesn't establish what response the EU would have if Macedonia were to establish a policy like this. But once again, I doubt an equivalent policy to this would be implemented in the first which is why it's hard to predict these things.

Also, thank you for that report I will give it a read.