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DuctapeFatwa Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Feb-08-04 11:19 AM
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Identity crisis
Israel will undoubtedly continue to exist as the state of the Jews. However, is a state in which Jews constitute a majority also by the same token a Jewish state? Is it a state in which the humane values of Judaism in the course of 3,000 years are also leading values for the majority of its citizens?

The value of universal human dignity. In the words of Hillel: Do not do unto others what you find hateful. That is the whole Torah, and all the rest is commentary. In the words of Akiva: Love your neighbor as yourself, that is a great principle of Torah.

Former Sephardi chief rabbi Eliahu Bakshi-Doron said human dignity is more important than other religious precepts, because to violate it is tantamount to violating the foundation of faith and the Creator who thought so highly of man that he made him in his image. Finally, in the words of the president of the Supreme Court, Justice Aharon Barak: The Basic Law of Human Dignity and Freedom is a meta-law, which integrates Israel's values as a Jewish and democratic state.

The true test of human dignity, however, resides not in declarations and laws, but in the answer to this question: Is respect for universal human dignity a leading value in the behavior of the majority of Israelis?

Dozens of times the Bible declares: "You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." This refers, of course, to strangers as minority groups. And the emphasis is on the fact that the Israelites were liberated from their bondage in Egypt not so they might repeat the same pattern...

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/391717.html
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ex_jew Donating Member (627 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Feb-08-04 01:04 PM
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1. ... And if I am only for myself, then what am I ?
Too bad Maimonides never answered this question.
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