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eumeliaPeople perceive Liberal Democracies as regimes and societies in which all citizens are equal.
In which we all enjoy and adhere to the same rights and duties.
However, when asked what makes a democracy, what generally comes to mind is the right to vote. If you can vote, then you're equal.
That's pretty much a crock, the right to vote is simply that.
The right to vote. It says little about the societal position of the citizen.
We don't like to admit it, but Israel (I'm not talking about the Occupied Territories in which the different systems of law are far more distinct and entrenched in the reality of that geography) we live in a caste system.
A few bills that are on the table: #1 Making Jewish converts ineligible for Citizenship in Israel - now citizenship and immigration are already a mess here, but this... this is just anathema to a whole lot of principles a so-called secular democratic state is supposed to be based on. This is isn't democracy, it's theocracy - when the Rabbinical Court has the power to decide who can be a citizen - when previously the Law of Return acted as a "Jewish Litmus Test" - we're heading down a very slippery and scary path.
Along side this travesty, there is the "civil union bill" which, you'd think I'd be for, seeing as if you're a regular reader of mine, you're aware of how I feel regarding the religious establishment(s) and the power they have over the marriage institution(s) in Israel - if you're new just press the tage "jewish-ish" and/or "that religion thing" at the tag section of this post, that should bring you up to date.
Tangential, but related: when I read about the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Washington DC this week I was very happy for my Queer Siblings in the States.
This brings me to #2 The "Civil Union" law, which applies to people without religion. That are registered as being Non-Jewish, they could have Jewish ancestry, but they themselves are no Jewish, or Christian, or Muslim, or Druze, or any other religion that has an established court that oversees marriage.
If you read the News articles on this law, you'll see that this law is pretty vacuous, as it still requires a different institution to decide wether a couple is eligbale for marriage, even if they have no religion.
This is mind boggling and enhances the control the Rabbinical court has over Jewish couples. It's a caste and class entrenching law that will just disable truly secular civil laws from even being considered.
I suppose it's unnecessary to mention that "civil union" only applies to opposite-sex couples and that same-sex couples get to keep the common-law public knowledge "partnership".
Yeah. Secular, Democratic and Pluralistic my peachy white ass!
In which we all enjoy and adhere to the same rights and duties.
However, when asked what makes a democracy, what generally comes to mind is the right to vote. If you can vote, then you're equal.
That's pretty much a crock, the right to vote is simply that.
The right to vote. It says little about the societal position of the citizen.
We don't like to admit it, but Israel (I'm not talking about the Occupied Territories in which the different systems of law are far more distinct and entrenched in the reality of that geography) we live in a caste system.
A few bills that are on the table: #1 Making Jewish converts ineligible for Citizenship in Israel - now citizenship and immigration are already a mess here, but this... this is just anathema to a whole lot of principles a so-called secular democratic state is supposed to be based on. This is isn't democracy, it's theocracy - when the Rabbinical Court has the power to decide who can be a citizen - when previously the Law of Return acted as a "Jewish Litmus Test" - we're heading down a very slippery and scary path.
Along side this travesty, there is the "civil union bill" which, you'd think I'd be for, seeing as if you're a regular reader of mine, you're aware of how I feel regarding the religious establishment(s) and the power they have over the marriage institution(s) in Israel - if you're new just press the tage "jewish-ish" and/or "that religion thing" at the tag section of this post, that should bring you up to date.
Tangential, but related: when I read about the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Washington DC this week I was very happy for my Queer Siblings in the States.
This brings me to #2 The "Civil Union" law, which applies to people without religion. That are registered as being Non-Jewish, they could have Jewish ancestry, but they themselves are no Jewish, or Christian, or Muslim, or Druze, or any other religion that has an established court that oversees marriage.
If you read the News articles on this law, you'll see that this law is pretty vacuous, as it still requires a different institution to decide wether a couple is eligbale for marriage, even if they have no religion.
This is mind boggling and enhances the control the Rabbinical court has over Jewish couples. It's a caste and class entrenching law that will just disable truly secular civil laws from even being considered.
I suppose it's unnecessary to mention that "civil union" only applies to opposite-sex couples and that same-sex couples get to keep the common-law public knowledge "partnership".
Yeah. Secular, Democratic and Pluralistic my peachy white ass!
no subject
Date: 2010-03-09 11:53 pm (UTC)Haredi fuckers.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-10 07:42 am (UTC)*Grrrrrr*