'We don't need a constitution—we have the Bible'

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

http://972mag.com/we-dont-need-a-constitution-we-have-the-bible/108411/

From the moment Israel’s founding fathers declared the independence of their state, Israeli politicians have been unable to agree on a formal constitution. Although the Declaration of Independence stipulated that a constitution be written by October 1, 1948, the 1948 war—as well as the inability of different groups in Israeli society to agree on the purpose and identity of the state—prevented that from happening.

Every so often the idea of a formal constitution is floated by politicians and civil society, but has never come to fruition. Now, it seems, the idea of preparing a constitution is being rendered redundant by the chairman of the Knesset committee charged with, among other things, determining the constitutionality of proposed Knesset bills.

In an interview with the Israel Hayom daily this week, Nissan Slomiansky, the chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, stated that drafting a constitution is unnecessary, since “Israel already has a constitution, the Bible.”

According to Slomiansky (Jewish Home), Knesset legislation should be “compatible with Jewish law,” adding that “there is no reason why this should not be the case.”

[oberliner]

1. Most Palestinians feel the same way

Support for sharia as the official law of the land also is widespread among Muslims in the Middle East-North Africa region – especially in Iraq (91%) and the Palestinian territories (89%)

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/the-worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-beliefs-about-sharia/

I don't think in Israel you'd get anything approaching 89% saying Talmudic law should be the official law of the land (though certainly a sizable minority does feel that way).

Does it concern you that just about 90 percent of Palestinians believe the law ought to be taken from the Koran?

[Mosby]

4. don't expect a reply

It doesn't fit the narrative.

[Mosby]

7. are you going to answer oberliner's question?

Does it concern you that just about 90 percent of Palestinians believe the law ought to be taken from the Koran?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

8. I really don't believe in polls. They can be misleading.

Off to school with you.


Do you find it troubling that Israel has the chance of slipping into theocracy?

[Mosby]

14. Maybe 10% of Israelis believe that Israeli law should be based on the bible

So the notion that Israel may or is turning into a theocracy is just demonization.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

16. Wrong. A majority if Israelis voted for these

RW nyuck nyucks. So I guess they knew what kind of batshit crazy they were getting.

Consider yourself schooled yet again.

[Mosby]

18. Likud got 23% of the votes in the last election

The party is RW but most of the voters are secular, not religious.

I really don't appreciate your snark and condescending attitude, are you capable of civility?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

20. I mentioned RW nyuck nyucks.

You mentioned Likrud.

Fact: a majority of Israelis voted for them.


Aaaaaaaaaaannnndddd.....

I don't care if that fact makes you uncomfortable.

No apologies.

[Mosby]

21. Your assuming that RW israelis are all religious

That's simply not true.

The Russian voters for example are very secular, and they all vote right wing.

Most of the mizrahim vote for the right wing candidates and they are mostly secular as well.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

22. No, you're assuming that I assume.

I stated that the majority of Israeli voters voted these nyuck nyucks in.

It looks more a case of hard bigotry of a lazy electorate.

[Israeli]

23. No Mosby ....

not all Russians vote Right wing ......and most Mizrahi are Traditionalists not secular.

[azurnoir]

10. seriously think about what percentage of law is taken from religious books in any event?

think laws against murder, theft, and yes moral conduct such as marrying your sibling, many if not most of our laws have their original basis in religious laws anyway

also what I've noticed over the years is that when ever something unflattering to Israel is pointed out the knee jerk response is BUT Muslims.........

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

12. I understand that, but if we were faced with

republican control of all three branches of government, citing what they consider undesirables...LGBTQ...liberals...minorities as little snakes, and then instead of following the laws of the land want to use the bible as a basis for law would scare the hell out of me.

I expect that from the Mullahs in Iran but not from politicians in Israel.

Scary shit.

[azurnoir]

17. except we have a Constitution securely in place and a seperation of Church and State

that said this development does not surprise me a bit, Israel has been lurching rightward for years now

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. You do understand that this person, Nissan Slomiansky, is in the Israeli government? Do you?

Do you now understand that the Israeli government is supposed to be a democratic one?

But how can a supposedly democratic government suffer the slings and arrows of so many right wing theocrats within its own ruling majority?

I do applaud you for pointing to sharia law, but it appears that Israel is brewing its own version of that law....and that is troubling.


I do not applaud you for your interpretation of where Israel is going presently, since it seemingly is circling the drain with its RW nitwit government, but the problem that you so willingly overlook is that Israel is sinking into a very dark chapter where few countries emerge from unscathed.

As I sit here and nurse my third Gibson I leave you with a rather simple query.

Are you really starting to compare, then excuse, the state of Israel to other states that practice, in poll form, sharia law?



My god, ober. Christ on a cart, my fucking god.

[azurnoir]

19. Interesting poll however desire for Sharia doesn't seem to translate into elections Tunisia would

be a prime example where the Ennahda Movement who refuses sharia in favor secularism won handily
oh BTW didn't Pew predict Romney as the winner in 2012?

[oberliner]

24. No

Barack Obama has edged ahead of Mitt Romney in the final days of the presidential campaign. In the Pew Research Center’s election weekend survey, Obama holds a 48% to 45% lead over Romney among likely voters.

The survey finds that Obama maintains his modest lead when the probable decisions of undecided voters are taken into account. Our final estimate of the national popular vote is Obama 50% and Romney 47%, when the undecided vote is allocated between the two candidates based on several indicators and opinions.

http://www.people-press.org/2012/11/04/obama-gains-edge-in-campaigns-final-days/

[deathrind]

2. Yes- It is much better

To be able to pick and choose which laws one wants to abide by as opposed to a set of laws (like them or not) that one has to abide by.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

3. Why the Bible? Why not the Torah?

Or is 'Bible' just a translation issue?

[Israeli]

9. The settlers have won .......

Slomiansky, a founder of Gush Emunim (a Jewish messianic movement that promoted the settlement of Jews in the occupied territories) and former head of the Council of Judea and Samaria (Yesha Council), is one of the key forces pushing for a major overhaul of the court, an institution that he believes is “disconnected from the will of the people.” In essence, however, his goal is to replace its more liberal justices and allow the Knesset to override Supreme Court rulings that strike down anti-democratic legislation. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, also from his Jewish Home party, has expressed support in the past for this line of thinking.

Slomiansky and his ilk are unlikely to singlehandedly overturn Israel’s judicial system overnight. But his comments are reflective of the direction Israeli society has taken over recent years. The Jewish Home party has been unapologetic about its desire to give ascendancy to “Jewish” rather than “democratic” character of the state, and its annexationist aspirations in the West Bank, attacks on human rights NGOs, inculcation of religious-Zionist values in the nation’s youth, and its outright racism are all indications that Slomiansky’s pipe dream may be closer than we would like to think.

See : .........

Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken: Israel’s settlers have won

http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel/1.662793

[Little Tich]

11. Every parliament has an idiot or two, and the Knesset is no exception.

Some Israelis obviously cherish the good old medieval values of ignorance, intolerance and religious fundamentalism. As long as it's a minority view, it's not really harmful to Israel.

Unfortunately, those values are shared by the Israeli Justice Minister, who hates democracy with a vengeance. If she's compared with a Hamas leader, there isn't much of a difference - both are frothing at the mouth, and both are saying basically the same things.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

13. There's more than a few LT.

That's the scary thing.

[guillaumeb]

15. But if the Torah is in place of a Constitution,

does this mean that ALL the laws and proscriptions in the Torah have the force of law?

If so, why is Bibi Netanyahu not arrested for not having a beard?

Does this mean that noted, serial adulterer Newt Gingrich will never visit Israel?

Does this mean that no mixed fiber clothing is sold in Israel?