Sam Harris

The History of European Secularism to repeat itself in the “Holy Land” for a better future and without the possibility religionists with nuclear bombs:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1117378.html

“The demand for secularization should be supported by all religious Israelis, because it is no less in their interest than it is in that of secular Jews.”

Long live critical thought!

I read the article you submitted. I’ve also just come back from a visit to Israel. I think the current situation in Israel is incomparable with the situation in 16th or 17th century Western Europe. The struggle between Israelians and Palestines strikes me more as a struggle between two national or ethnic identities rather than religions. I was further under the impression that a lot of Israelis were in fact quite secularized but I must admit that I was mainly staying in Tel Aviv. I saw remarkably few religious Jews in Tel Aviv, in spite of the fact that it was ‘Rosj Hasjana’ on the day of my arrival. However, I agree with you on the fact that secularization, in combination with the principle of ‘Rule of Law’, is the only solution to creating a nation state in which people of various religious and non-religious background can live together in peace.

the majority of israel are secular jews(like einstein for example), and almost half of all secular jews in israel are atheists\agnostics. but the orthodox minority are sort of fundamentalsits, half of them are ultra-orthodox(the most fundamentalist stream of judaism), and they want to establish a jewish theocracy. they stone secular jews, and they abide to no law but the rule of rabbi. the politicians are of course happy, because they can pay a certain rabbi money and he will get them elected, but anti-clericalism is slowly rising.