5 ms·

Huh? Israel is a parliamentary democracy not a theocracy. It is more irreligious than USA/Canada and plenty of Europe: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_

by jjcon 3y ago

Huh? Israel is a parliamentary democracy not a theocracy. It is more irreligious than USA/Canada and plenty of Europe: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_irreligion https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_irrelig...

kasey_junk 3y ago
There are at least 5 parties in the ruling coalition that have specific religious orthodoxy as primary parts of their platform. I agree that the traditional definition of theocracy is probably overkill when describing the Israeli government but specific religious beliefs drive politics there well out of proportion to the beliefs of the constituents. In a way that feels out of line with secular western democracy at times.
HDThoreaun 3y ago
Israel likes to say this, but it is not true. The hasidic jews especially enjoy rights that other Israelis just dont have, and they have a large amount of control over the government.
- jjcon 3y ago
  It is true… that is literally their governmental type. There are religious parties in Israel (just like the religious are largely in the GOP in the USA) but that doesn’t make it theocratic… unless you bend the definition of theocracy beyond all meaning. That is all not to mention my second point which is that Israel isn’t even a particularly religious country compared to the west.
  - HDThoreaun 3y ago
    Theres no reason democracies cant be theocracies. You can come up with a pained definition to make it so, but if everyone votes for the religious party I think most would agree that thats a theocracy.
    - jjcon 3y ago
      That just plainly isn’t what a theocracy is though- by your definition the US could easily be called a theocracy for most of its history and even today. Beyond that you continue to ignore my other point - the people in Israel are less religious than the US/Canada and much of Europe. They are a less religious democracy than the US and yet you continue to call it what it just patently isn’t?
JumpCrisscross 3y ago
> Israel is a parliamentary democracy not a theocracy Israel legally defines itself in law as the nation-state of the Jewish people [1]. It isn’t a textbook theocracy, but neither is Iran. Elected governments with theocratic characteristics? [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law:_Israel_as_the_Nation-State_of_the_Jewish_People https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law:_Israel_as_the_Nat...

by jjcon 3y ago

kasey_junk 3y ago

There are at least 5 parties in the ruling coalition that have specific religious orthodoxy as primary parts of their platform. I agree that the traditional definition of theocracy is probably overkill when describing the Israeli government but specific religious beliefs drive politics there well out of proportion to the beliefs of the constituents. In a way that feels out of line with secular western democracy at times.

HDThoreaun 3y ago

Israel likes to say this, but it is not true. The hasidic jews especially enjoy rights that other Israelis just dont have, and they have a large amount of control over the government.

jjcon 3y ago
It is true… that is literally their governmental type. There are religious parties in Israel (just like the religious are largely in the GOP in the USA) but that doesn’t make it theocratic… unless you bend the definition of theocracy beyond all meaning. That is all not to mention my second point which is that Israel isn’t even a particularly religious country compared to the west.
- HDThoreaun 3y ago
  Theres no reason democracies cant be theocracies. You can come up with a pained definition to make it so, but if everyone votes for the religious party I think most would agree that thats a theocracy.
  - jjcon 3y ago
    That just plainly isn’t what a theocracy is though- by your definition the US could easily be called a theocracy for most of its history and even today. Beyond that you continue to ignore my other point - the people in Israel are less religious than the US/Canada and much of Europe. They are a less religious democracy than the US and yet you continue to call it what it just patently isn’t?

JumpCrisscross 3y ago

> Israel is a parliamentary democracy not a theocracy Israel legally defines itself in law as the nation-state of the Jewish people [1]. It isn’t a textbook theocracy, but neither is Iran. Elected governments with theocratic characteristics? [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law:_Israel_as_the_Nation-State_of_the_Jewish_People https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law:_Israel_as_the_Nat...