I refuse to remain silent when my country is hijacked by a group of racist religious Jews, who are much more of a threat to Israel than any Arab or Muslim country, including Iran. Led by the yet another shameful religion-based politician, Eli Ishay -- the current Minister of Internal Affairs -- this group is a worse threat than the Palestinians, the Iranians, Hezbollah, and even Hamas.
In Israel's Declaration of Independence the founders of this country clearly state social, racial and religious equality and promises freedom of religion, speech, culture, education and so forth. Yet this group of neo-Zionists believes that letting children of illegal immigrants, who were born and raised here and know nothing but this country, stay in Israel, is un-Zionistic. Indeed, these children are not considered for deportation for economic consideration. They will be "sent back home" (a pathetic choice of words some still consider valid) because unlike any Jew in the world, regardless of their human quality, that can set foot in Israel and welcomed with bells and whistles, these kids - who were brought to life here with no fault of their own -- are not, simply put -- Jews.
The shameful Bibi (Israel's PM widely used nickname) was quoted in the Israeli daily, Ma'ariv saying, "the decision was influenced by two main considerations... humanity, and Zionism." Let me guess. Being humane is allowing children who were born in Israel, went to school here, speak the language, live the culture and are as Israeli as other children their age stay here despite their diverse backgrounds and religions. Deporting them based on this new restricted meaning of being a Zionist is nothing short of a racist. A racist can hardly be humane. A humanitarian cannot be a racist. Accordingly, it is hard for me to believe that mister eloquent prime minister did not simply say this to mask the racist decision of the not-so-eloquent mister minister of the interior.
The rise of this Zionist Orthodox front is the biggest issue Israel and Israelis will have to eventually face. It is the poison that will prevent any advances in the negotiations and peace with the Palestinians, that will break any moral fabric the sane moderates are holding unto, and will bring not only war from the outside, but a much uglier beast from within. This very narrow definition of Zionism dictates that Israel is and will remain a racist Jewish state. But in Israel itself there is a (lazy) majority that is far from this. Zionism for us equals patriotism much like it does to Americans; wanting the best for your country, believing in its principals and defending it when necessary. Only we don't believe in many of the neo-orthodox principals popping out like mushrooms in the rain. For that matter, we no longer feel very Zionistic in an environment that embraces totality and purity of race (a calamitous similarity to things that should not be named).
The reasons for establishing the state of Israel were moral, ethical and valid. The Holocaust was an abomination that once and for all showed the world that Jews were persecuted unjustly, treated with horrid disregard to their lives, and continuously insulted, demonized, hurt, murdered and finally massacred for the merely being Jews. Let us not arrive at the point where the reasons that underlined the establishment this country will become the basis for its destruction.