Israel is the only country that faces a barrage of criticism any time it tries to cement its identity through legislation. Any time lawmakers propose a bill calling Israel the Jewish people's nation state, the world accuses Israel of racism and discrimination, saying its policies infringe civil liberties. Practically all nation states have ethnic minorities, both small and large. But not a single state gives its minorities the right to self-determination by realizing their political or national goals (although minorities often enjoy civil rights and are allowed to maintain their cultural and religious heritage). This policy is designed to prevent minorities from establishing a state within a state or deciding no longer to pledge allegiance to the state's authorities, which could ultimately lead to the disintegration of the state. When Scotland held a referendum on its independence in September, voters considered this scenario -- and rejected it. Last week, The Economist ran a lengthy piece about similar cases in which nation states have struggled with their identity. Although the United States may not be your typical nation state, there are laws in place that would essentially outlaw or otherwise prohibit seditious activity or statements that threaten the territorial integrity of the union, its character and its constitution. In that sense, the U.S. behaves like all other nation states. The various versions of the "Jewish state" bill have their faults -- and some of the provisions are outright wrong. That said, the original draft was supposed to undergo major changes before its final passage. According to the plan, the Knesset plenum was to hold a preliminary reading that would be followed by more committee deliberations. But early elections were called and the lawmakers never got a chance to insert more liberal themes. The final language was to give equal weight to the nation's Jewish character as to the rights of its minorities. But the two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, Judaism is very compatible with democratic ideas, and, unlike some Christian denominations and Islamic sects, it welcomes criticism. In fact, challenging others is what Judaism is all about. One of Theodor Herzl's famous works is called "The Jewish State" ("Der Judenstaat"). The title suggests that the Zionist leader envisioned a nation state for the Jewish people, not necessarily a Jewish state. Had the signatories of the Declaration of Independence embraced Herzl's approach, we would have been spared some of the pointless debates on this matter. If Israel was to call itself the nation state of the Jews (essentially complementing the Law of Return), many Diaspora Jews would no longer view Israel as just another state where Jews happen to be living but as the spiritual and national center of the Jewish people that celebrates their glorious heritage. Calling Israel a nation state will help maintain solidarity with Israel overseas. The "Jewish state" bill also has a bearing on the peace process. Israel has justifiably insisted that the Palestinians recognize it as the nation-state of the Jews. But we must do so first. Those who oppose the "Jewish state" bill in Israel and abroad have done so because they are ignorant of the facts. Moreover, by refusing to accept the Israeli demand, the Palestinians reject Jewish self-determination and the very idea of Jewish statehood. The Palestinians have now cast their lot with the Security Council, hoping it will endorse Palestinian independence. Their move is designed to achieve one objective: creating facts on the ground both here and abroad. In turn, they hope, Israel's very existence will come into question.
