Dear David,

«All parties involved hold their religion dear.»

I wish that was true.
In reality, what they hold dear is their nationalism, whereas for religion they only pay a lip service.
Netanyahu and his gang are anything but religious Jews - of the bible, they only recognise and care for the book of Joshua (wherein are described the ancient conquests of the Israelites)!

«However, what they hold dear is really crap.»

... which again, is NOT religion.

Truly religious people who hold dear the eternal good of their souls above the crappy temporal good of their bodies and prestige are to be commended (but that is not the case in the Middle-East).

«one Jewish sect is in control and there is no separation of religion and state as there would be if Israel really were a democracy rather than calling itself one.»

Yes, but you misidentify the primary problem, which is that different groups of people, with little between them and their values, are forced to live together as one state.

Orthodox Jews should be able to live in their exclusive state, so do reform Jews, so do Arabs/Muslims, etc. The problem you describe occurs because one of the parties assumes a disproportionately larger part of the land. As for democracy, that is only a secondary issue: once each group is allowed to live independently on their own piece of land, small as it may be, the question of how they manage their internal affairs among them should not be of much concern to others.

Dear Yuyutsu,

You wrote: "Yes, but you misidentify the primary problem, which is that different groups of people, with little between them and their values, are forced to live together as one state."

I misidentify nothing. In a civilized democratic society people with different identities learn to get along with other people who have different values and get along in one state. I disagree profoundly with you, but I am sure that if we had to live in close quarters with each other we could get along.

One problem in Israel is that it puts up obstacles between people. Why should two individuals who wish to get married have to get the approval of clergy? Why shouldn't children of different backgrounds go to school together?

I don't believe that humans are so narrow and prejudiced that they can't get along with other humans if the barriers set up by religious and other crap are removed.

Reconciliation is important. But it takes time. In 'One State' there ought be equality except in the composition of the armed forces. Israel needs security guarantees before it makes the big compromises I'm suggesting. Without this we'd be more likely to get another civil war instead of reconciliation. In the meantime the Palestinians need to wage a civil rights struggle for equality in other respects. The Left should support the Palestinians in this ; but not the destruction of Israel.

It has to be accepted that there is no solution.
The Palestinians do not accept that there is a place for the Jews
anywhere in the Middle East.
They refuse to accept that even if they were given all of the land
from the river to the sea that any Jews could be in that area.
Their President Abbas accepts that if he agreed to any sharing
arrangement it would be signing his death warrant.

That is all there is to it. Any solution has to meet that criteria.
I don't know how many times they have to say that before its meaning sinks in.

Dear David,

«In a civilized democratic society people with different identities learn to get along with other people who have different values and get along in one state.»

Have you seen this beach-game, where they tie up people's legs in pairs, then make them clumsily race on the sand? This requires coordination but is certainly possible and is OK as a fun competition (though not during a pandemic), but is this a way to live constantly?

A very practical example, is the choice of calendar: when is the work-week, when is the weekend and when are public holidays. For an observant Christian, it is important to be able to attend mass on Sundays, for a Muslim it is important to attend mosque on Fridays and for an orthodox Jew, to be assured that they are never required to work on the Sabbath (Friday evening to Saturday night), nor to attend court (say as a witness) and the like.

You could of course have a 3-day weekend, but most countries cannot afford it.

I understand that you consider this "crap", but are you and the democratic tradition willing to accommodate people with other sets of values than yourself, for whom these things are what they live and die for?

My view is indeed profoundly different than yours: I say, let everybody live freely in the state, however small, where they are comfortable and agree with that state's outlines.

«One problem in Israel is that it puts up obstacles between people. Why should two individuals who wish to get married have to get the approval of clergy?»

A problem indeed and I definitely disapprove of that disgraceful requirement.

But to place this in proportion, are you aware of how many stupid Australian laws I also disapprove of, which also place so many obstacles in our lives?

«Why shouldn't children of different backgrounds go to school together?»

They certainly should be able to go to school together if that is what they wish.
They should also be able to go to separate schools if that is what they wish, whatever be their reasons.

Dear Yuyutsu,

I see no point in continuing this discussion. Neither of us is going to form a nation state, and neither of us is going to convince the other of the rightness of our view. Disagree in good health.