Israel is the only country in the world that does not recognise its own nationality. Why? Because a common national identity would sabotage Israel’s carefully veiled system of segregation
The anti Israel segment of Congress needs to study up on the mutual beneficial symbiotic nature of USA aid to Israel
Historically, approximately 74% to 100% of the military aid provided to Israel has been required to be spent on American-made defense goods and services. While Israel was previously permitted to use a portion of these funds to purchase from domestic Israeli firms, this domestic procurement allowance is being phased out.
A breakdown of the financial flow highlights exactly how the U.S. economy benefits from this relationship:
• Military Aid Requirements: Under the 2019-2028 Memorandum of Understanding, the U.S. provides about $3.3 billion annually in Foreign Military Financing (FMF). By law, these grants are used to purchase American-made military equipment, such as fighter jets and refueling planes, meaning the vast majority of these dollars flow directly into the U.S. defense industrial base.
•
• Domestic Procurement Phase-Out:
Historically, Israel was granted a unique exception to spend about 25% of its FMF aid on domestic Israeli defense firms. However, this offshore procurement benefit is being phased out, forcing all aid to be spent on American-made systems.
• Broader Economic Trade:
Outside of direct aid, Israel is a major purchaser of U.S. commercial goods. The U.S. and Israel engage in robust bilateral trade, with Israel purchasing tens of billions of dollars worth of American goods and services annually, significantly outpacing the total amount of U.S. military aid it receives. [
Thank you dear Jonathan for this masterclass in dissecting exactly how a settler state manufactures a "democratic" brand while maintaining a highly segregated, apartheid reality.
To add further urgency to the topic of conversion: Ironically, the only Palestinian convert to Judaism (his grandfather's religion) – David Ben Avraham (born Sameh Zeitoun in Hebon) – was fatally shot at a checkpoint near Bethlehem in March 2024 while shouting: “I am a Jew”.
There may be a vital point missing from this essay.
If Israelis enter into a cross-community relationship, the only way for them to get married is to go abroad (eg Cyprus).
What happens in cases of divorce, who rules on access to the children and division of the property?
Do the secular courts do it? I'd be worried that they have no say - only a religious court can dissolve such a marriage and equitably or otherwise rule on the competing interests.
The structural discrimination you describe is part of a much larger system. What’s also striking is how quickly American public opinion is shifting, especially among younger people. Polling shows unfavorable views of Israel rising sharply among Americans under 50 across both parties. That generational change is likely to make it harder to sustain the kind of political cover Israel has relied on in the West.
What a terrible picture you give us of the reality of being a non-Jew in Israel. I am so grateful that you are living there to report to us, and now I learn that you too are discriminated against because of your marriage. Where is the international outcry against this injustice? How can we energise our governments to take meaningful action against an apartheid situation that is worsening day by day? Are there any organisations that raise funds to improve educational resources for Palestinian children? Thank you again, Jonathan, for courageously shining a light on this darkness.
A society that brings up its children inculcating dehumanisation bears such poisonous fruits. Seeds coming out of such fruits must not spread to the world!
However, let's zoom out now and blur boundaries, change the country too. A democratic state: majority faith claims moral superiority too. Tiny minority (religious/linguistic/...) finds itself in existential crisis. How does it preserve its 'way of life' without restrictions on marriage, diet, cultural markings, etc on its own.
The balancing act of mingling, acceptance vs rejection, etc. is not a joke. We can't set a golden standard, as that creates bounds too. If no rules, when/how do we feel that some lines are being crossed? Ultimately, what is so precious to preserve as a human... for who to appreciate, to what end.
Sorry to have diverged, but trying to think of a solution out of this common theme of acrimony... let the world heal.
The first human divisive violence was tribe format. Later sophistication brought equally violent nations and states. zionism goes to sophistication of tribe format, in gradualist suicide..
CNN says the White House is furiously reining in Israel. Fox News says Washington is asserting dominance. Both networks are selling you a reality show.
Turn off the TV and look inside the underground Joint Command Centers in Tel Aviv. US and Israeli forces are currently staring at the exact same screens, flying side-by-side, and fusing raw AI sensor data in real-time. The diplomatic rift is a masterclass in plausible deniability. Here is the hard data on how the two militaries are actually merging. https://triggledger.substack.com/p/the-illusion-of-distance-why-the?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8gc1qf
Hafrada in Hebrew is usually translated as 'separation, ie apartheid (or perhaps neo-apartheid). A related term is Nishul, meaning displacement. I understand that they usually go together, as in Nishul and Hafrada. Zionism wanted the land ideally without the (indigenous) people.
Insofar as Hafrada was official government policy it means when translated that Israel has always been officially and self-avowedly (apparently) an apartheid state.
As if Jews in the 1940s said, echoing Herzl, OK, you don't want us among you, you don't really want us anywhere, so we'll go and get a place of our own, and exclusively so. And furthermore we might well recognise how wickedly successful our enemies were so we'll do to others as they did to us. As the late widely unlamented rabbi Kehane said, 'There are too many nice Jewish people in nice Jewish graves'.
Norman Finkelstein rightly saw the Hamas October breakout as a slave revolt similar to the Nat Turner rebellion in 1831 (Tony Greenstein compared it to the Haiti slave rebellion in the late 18th century).
I think a case can be made out that the bloody genocidal creation of Israel can also be seen as such a 'Ressentiment' slave revolt.
It's history, wrong but all too human -- we're a flawed species. The Nazi mentality exists in Israel and amongst Jews as it's existed everywhere as long as humans evolved to survive the harshness and perils of natural selection. But who among western politicians are themselves so morally virtuous as to be able to point the finger? South Africa can't do it all by themselves.
I can't see anyone being brought to book for it. We know, despite all our efforts, it will happen again, the names, the places, the circumstances will be different but it will be ever the same, although, as we've learned, each time significantly worse than any previous iterations. Until someone drops the Bomb, others follow and the fabric of our universe cracks.
But we keep on. Why? Not because there's anything at the end we might call everlasting success but simply because while we can, we must.
I confess that several years ago I stopped campaigning for the Palestinians simply because I thought it was, realistically, all over for them and I wanted to do other things with the time left to me, things more likely to be successful as to results. Then came October 2023 and I thought I'd been wrong. And the American Empire was failing. China was (again) on the rise. That's what always gets us in the end -- hope.
As my old medical prof used to say, "Remember, you can always give your patient a dose of hope."
Making noise. Almost every claim is slightly false, adding up to an argument in direct opposition to the truth.
First, Compare with every Islamic state. Israel’s laws are looser.
Second, There are serious internal divisions in Israel, one of the most ethnically diverse societies, in the world, that’s no secret. That does not make apartheid.
Third, Israel recognizes most marriages from other countries. Lebanon, supposedly multi ethnic, has similar restrictions - they line up behind each other in Cyprus.
This feels like stuffing dinnerware in a cannon because you’re out of ammo.
Detailed questions which require detailed answers.
What I mean by recognize is just that - Jews married under civil laws in foreign countries don't have to get "remarried" in Israel.
Marriage is taken very seriously in Jewish culture - that's why we frame the marriage contract (ketubah) that gives rights to the bride. That's why legal recognition of marriage is under the authority of the Chief Rabbinate for Jews and for the respective religious authorities for other religions. As far as the cases you mentioned - same answer - we just take the religious aspect of marriage seriously, it's a big part of Scripture and Talmudic commentary. To secular societies this seems "weird." To us, it's our tradition, it's what it means to be Jewish, to live and raise families in our religion.
Read the above. It directly answers your question. If you want detailed legal guidance regarding the breakdown of your mixed marriage, consult licensed legal advisors and get off Facebook.
This pile of misinformation is "antizionist" distortion at it's worse. Almost completely false, and spins or distorts the few facts it gets right.
Israel is a pluralistic society that supports and respects all religions, principally Muslim, Christian, Druze and of course Jewish.
Every religious group has authority over certain elements of family law, so that Jews don't dictate to Muslims terms that are contrary to their faith. Put another way, when it comes to voluntary family relationships, Israel allows elements of Sharia Law among the 2M Muslim citizens of Israel.
Israel however **recognizes any marriage of any kind from any authority.** Interfaith, interracial, gay, you name it.
They do NOT interfere, and do not conduct ANY civil marriages by the state.
People who want a civil marriage go online or nearby. Due to the intolerance in Muslim countries, this generally means Cyprus, about 1hr away by plane and $100 flight.
This article then quotes Smotrich (fringe politician with 3% popular support) about what he said in a meeting. The title of that article is "MK denounces intermarriage, is ousted from Knesset meeting."
Yep: when someone says that in Israel, despite being an elected official, they are literally thrown out of the room.
Israeli Olympian gold medalist Dolgopyth wasn't allowed to marry in Israel because born of a Jewish mother he was a Russian atheist .
Capitalism is a”Bitch” 🤢
The anti Israel segment of Congress needs to study up on the mutual beneficial symbiotic nature of USA aid to Israel
Historically, approximately 74% to 100% of the military aid provided to Israel has been required to be spent on American-made defense goods and services. While Israel was previously permitted to use a portion of these funds to purchase from domestic Israeli firms, this domestic procurement allowance is being phased out.
A breakdown of the financial flow highlights exactly how the U.S. economy benefits from this relationship:
• Military Aid Requirements: Under the 2019-2028 Memorandum of Understanding, the U.S. provides about $3.3 billion annually in Foreign Military Financing (FMF). By law, these grants are used to purchase American-made military equipment, such as fighter jets and refueling planes, meaning the vast majority of these dollars flow directly into the U.S. defense industrial base.
•
• Domestic Procurement Phase-Out:
Historically, Israel was granted a unique exception to spend about 25% of its FMF aid on domestic Israeli defense firms. However, this offshore procurement benefit is being phased out, forcing all aid to be spent on American-made systems.
• Broader Economic Trade:
Outside of direct aid, Israel is a major purchaser of U.S. commercial goods. The U.S. and Israel engage in robust bilateral trade, with Israel purchasing tens of billions of dollars worth of American goods and services annually, significantly outpacing the total amount of U.S. military aid it receives. [
Thank you dear Jonathan for this masterclass in dissecting exactly how a settler state manufactures a "democratic" brand while maintaining a highly segregated, apartheid reality.
To add further urgency to the topic of conversion: Ironically, the only Palestinian convert to Judaism (his grandfather's religion) – David Ben Avraham (born Sameh Zeitoun in Hebon) – was fatally shot at a checkpoint near Bethlehem in March 2024 while shouting: “I am a Jew”.
The second holocaust is happening in Palestine and Lebanon now.
There may be a vital point missing from this essay.
If Israelis enter into a cross-community relationship, the only way for them to get married is to go abroad (eg Cyprus).
What happens in cases of divorce, who rules on access to the children and division of the property?
Do the secular courts do it? I'd be worried that they have no say - only a religious court can dissolve such a marriage and equitably or otherwise rule on the competing interests.
The structural discrimination you describe is part of a much larger system. What’s also striking is how quickly American public opinion is shifting, especially among younger people. Polling shows unfavorable views of Israel rising sharply among Americans under 50 across both parties. That generational change is likely to make it harder to sustain the kind of political cover Israel has relied on in the West.
What a terrible picture you give us of the reality of being a non-Jew in Israel. I am so grateful that you are living there to report to us, and now I learn that you too are discriminated against because of your marriage. Where is the international outcry against this injustice? How can we energise our governments to take meaningful action against an apartheid situation that is worsening day by day? Are there any organisations that raise funds to improve educational resources for Palestinian children? Thank you again, Jonathan, for courageously shining a light on this darkness.
A society that brings up its children inculcating dehumanisation bears such poisonous fruits. Seeds coming out of such fruits must not spread to the world!
However, let's zoom out now and blur boundaries, change the country too. A democratic state: majority faith claims moral superiority too. Tiny minority (religious/linguistic/...) finds itself in existential crisis. How does it preserve its 'way of life' without restrictions on marriage, diet, cultural markings, etc on its own.
The balancing act of mingling, acceptance vs rejection, etc. is not a joke. We can't set a golden standard, as that creates bounds too. If no rules, when/how do we feel that some lines are being crossed? Ultimately, what is so precious to preserve as a human... for who to appreciate, to what end.
Sorry to have diverged, but trying to think of a solution out of this common theme of acrimony... let the world heal.
The first human divisive violence was tribe format. Later sophistication brought equally violent nations and states. zionism goes to sophistication of tribe format, in gradualist suicide..
CNN says the White House is furiously reining in Israel. Fox News says Washington is asserting dominance. Both networks are selling you a reality show.
Turn off the TV and look inside the underground Joint Command Centers in Tel Aviv. US and Israeli forces are currently staring at the exact same screens, flying side-by-side, and fusing raw AI sensor data in real-time. The diplomatic rift is a masterclass in plausible deniability. Here is the hard data on how the two militaries are actually merging. https://triggledger.substack.com/p/the-illusion-of-distance-why-the?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8gc1qf
Hafrada in Hebrew is usually translated as 'separation, ie apartheid (or perhaps neo-apartheid). A related term is Nishul, meaning displacement. I understand that they usually go together, as in Nishul and Hafrada. Zionism wanted the land ideally without the (indigenous) people.
Insofar as Hafrada was official government policy it means when translated that Israel has always been officially and self-avowedly (apparently) an apartheid state.
As if Jews in the 1940s said, echoing Herzl, OK, you don't want us among you, you don't really want us anywhere, so we'll go and get a place of our own, and exclusively so. And furthermore we might well recognise how wickedly successful our enemies were so we'll do to others as they did to us. As the late widely unlamented rabbi Kehane said, 'There are too many nice Jewish people in nice Jewish graves'.
See by the way https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ressentiment
Norman Finkelstein rightly saw the Hamas October breakout as a slave revolt similar to the Nat Turner rebellion in 1831 (Tony Greenstein compared it to the Haiti slave rebellion in the late 18th century).
I think a case can be made out that the bloody genocidal creation of Israel can also be seen as such a 'Ressentiment' slave revolt.
It's history, wrong but all too human -- we're a flawed species. The Nazi mentality exists in Israel and amongst Jews as it's existed everywhere as long as humans evolved to survive the harshness and perils of natural selection. But who among western politicians are themselves so morally virtuous as to be able to point the finger? South Africa can't do it all by themselves.
I can't see anyone being brought to book for it. We know, despite all our efforts, it will happen again, the names, the places, the circumstances will be different but it will be ever the same, although, as we've learned, each time significantly worse than any previous iterations. Until someone drops the Bomb, others follow and the fabric of our universe cracks.
But we keep on. Why? Not because there's anything at the end we might call everlasting success but simply because while we can, we must.
I confess that several years ago I stopped campaigning for the Palestinians simply because I thought it was, realistically, all over for them and I wanted to do other things with the time left to me, things more likely to be successful as to results. Then came October 2023 and I thought I'd been wrong. And the American Empire was failing. China was (again) on the rise. That's what always gets us in the end -- hope.
As my old medical prof used to say, "Remember, you can always give your patient a dose of hope."
https://wikispooks.com/w/images/f/f6/Final_Judgment.pdf
Making noise. Almost every claim is slightly false, adding up to an argument in direct opposition to the truth.
First, Compare with every Islamic state. Israel’s laws are looser.
Second, There are serious internal divisions in Israel, one of the most ethnically diverse societies, in the world, that’s no secret. That does not make apartheid.
Third, Israel recognizes most marriages from other countries. Lebanon, supposedly multi ethnic, has similar restrictions - they line up behind each other in Cyprus.
This feels like stuffing dinnerware in a cannon because you’re out of ammo.
What do you mean by "recognise" marriages blessed in other countries?
What happens in the event of a divorce, who decides on property division, custody of kids?
Is it the state, or is it one of the religious authorities? Which one?
Detailed questions which require detailed answers.
What I mean by recognize is just that - Jews married under civil laws in foreign countries don't have to get "remarried" in Israel.
Marriage is taken very seriously in Jewish culture - that's why we frame the marriage contract (ketubah) that gives rights to the bride. That's why legal recognition of marriage is under the authority of the Chief Rabbinate for Jews and for the respective religious authorities for other religions. As far as the cases you mentioned - same answer - we just take the religious aspect of marriage seriously, it's a big part of Scripture and Talmudic commentary. To secular societies this seems "weird." To us, it's our tradition, it's what it means to be Jewish, to live and raise families in our religion.
I regret you seem unable to answer the question.
Which authority divides up the property in the event of the breakdown of a mixed marriage in Israel? Ditto child care and access?
Read the above. It directly answers your question. If you want detailed legal guidance regarding the breakdown of your mixed marriage, consult licensed legal advisors and get off Facebook.
This pile of misinformation is "antizionist" distortion at it's worse. Almost completely false, and spins or distorts the few facts it gets right.
Israel is a pluralistic society that supports and respects all religions, principally Muslim, Christian, Druze and of course Jewish.
Every religious group has authority over certain elements of family law, so that Jews don't dictate to Muslims terms that are contrary to their faith. Put another way, when it comes to voluntary family relationships, Israel allows elements of Sharia Law among the 2M Muslim citizens of Israel.
Israel however **recognizes any marriage of any kind from any authority.** Interfaith, interracial, gay, you name it.
They do NOT interfere, and do not conduct ANY civil marriages by the state.
People who want a civil marriage go online or nearby. Due to the intolerance in Muslim countries, this generally means Cyprus, about 1hr away by plane and $100 flight.
This article then quotes Smotrich (fringe politician with 3% popular support) about what he said in a meeting. The title of that article is "MK denounces intermarriage, is ousted from Knesset meeting."
Yep: when someone says that in Israel, despite being an elected official, they are literally thrown out of the room.
Antizionist propaganda at its worst.
You mean the Zionist state, Mehdi?
Mehdi Hasan monetising anti Zionist sentiment after helping the Zionists stop Corbyn. And he still won't take down the tweet and apologise for it.