IN ISRAEL : , NOT ONLY ARABS DO NOT SERVE IN THE IDFS, NEITHER DO THE HAREDIM. !!!, ABOUT TAXES, I AM NOT COMPLETELY SURE BUT I THINK THE ARAB CITIZENS PAY MORE TAXES THAN THE HAREDIM DO. !! HAREDIM AND ARABS HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME IDIOLOGY; I.E. THEY ARE BOTH ANTI-ZIONIST !!!. AS YOU CAN SEE THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR , !!!! BUT ONLY ARABS CAN NOT BUY LAND..,. HAREDIM CAN.... WHAT A JOKE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Paritsky you are incorrect when you write In a democratic country that has mandatory military service, all citizens must serve with no exception from those who are unable to for health reasons or similar grounds.) A person should not be getting an exemption from service based on one's religion or race. In the USA as in many other democratic countries exemptions for divininty students wee routinely given. They were given even at times of war when conscription was mandatory. Ask any religous American why he didn't fight in Vietnam or WW2. There was a vote in the knesset, the elected representatives of the people and hey decided to lengthen the Tal law, why is that undemocratic ? Rexford

It has nothing to do with facts, it has to do with Paritzsky having a political agenda to bash Israel. The facts come after and if those pesky facts don't happen to back his prejudice, why you just invent new "facts" that do. Why a mainstream newspaper like Ynet gives credence to this nonsense I don't understand. If I want to see Israel bashing-lies, I'll buy Ha'aretz.

It will be the call for a democracy like other nations that will fullfill the prophecy. The world under a united power will feel that they can walk into Israel. It is certain that it will be under the umbrella of "rights" that the world will seek to reshape Israel from a Jewish nation into nations like all others. It is this premise that the unupposed army will invade Israel as if it were a walk in the park. The prophecy speaks of a surprise. The hand of G-d will show how important Torah is. Israel is forbidden to be like other nations. This includes gays, pagans, pork, shabbat and a list of other goyim pleasures that are prohibitted. Watch and see.

I pray that there will be a law FORBIDDING JEWS to buy houses in USA, France, Germany, Russia, all over Europe. Further more, that there will be laws that will forbid Jews to participate in political life and economical life of this countries. And I pray that these laws will be justified as "Just as it is forbidden for a Russian or Palestinian to buy piece of land in Israel, it is forbidden for a Jew to have realestates in Russia or in France".

Being Jewish is not a nationality . Poor countries who will forbid Jewish participation in their scientific , economic or political life . They'll return to the dark middle ages without this Jewish participation

Israel is a Jewish state, and the only thing that makes a Jew a Jew is that Jew's acceptance of G-d and Torah (or that one's anscestor did so). The balance of democracy and Judaism is never easy since the Torah is not about a democratic way of life. If you want to live as a Jew in a pure democracy, feel free to go to another country that offers what you desire. But here, you will never be allowed to erase the Judaism that your ancestors cherished and which you shun in what is the greatest error of your life.

israel is the least apartheid place in the entire middle east BY FAR. just look at nations with an islamic majority and see their attitudes and LAWS regarding jews (not israelis, but JEWS). that is not the case here at all because arabs get privileges that average jews don't get, like exemption from military service. freedom here is miles above anywhere else, despite the constant state of war and daily terror. maybe things aren't as they should be, but apartheid it is not. go to gaza/west bank for your textbook definition of apartheid.

For a stronger and prosperous israel, all israelis: Jews & Arabs, Secular and Religious must come together and create a system where all feel at home and treated equally in Israel.

Rami, you are correct !!!

with solid arguments, A BIG THANKS!!! You are the best!

www.jewishyisrael.org

Can Yossi Paritzky be accused of being anti-semetic - a drum that Israelis beat every time someone says something that is uncomfortable for them to hear. Anti-semetic chant is now past its sell by date. Nobody buys this anymore. UN in 2001 condemned Israel for its racists polcies. Truth is that as President Carter stated that Israel is an oppresive state that denies Palestinians their basic human rights. It has built a racist wall to imprison the Arab population. It thinks it can always play the victim. However, now the world is waling up to lies that have been told for past 60 years. Internet enables people to know how Israel is brutally suppressing the Palestinians. Some analyists in west claim that Israel is treating the Arabs like Nazis used to treat the Jews. And this is so sad. How can victims of Hitler turn out so brutal. No wonder Israel is in decline

I disagree with the author on all three of his points. l. Obligations, military service. In USA (agreed that it is a democratic society?)men who belong to "historic peace churches" e.g. Mennonites, Quakers, ) need not serve. Women need not serve. If we had very large numbers claiming such exemption, that might be reviewed. I have always found it amazing that Arabs need not serve in the Israeli army. To me, that meant they were not citizens, for citizens serve. But the author does not raise objectin to this extraordinary exemption. 2. Marriage. The author claims marriage is for personal happiness and the state has no interest. He may believe what he likes abut marriage, but I think more people understand marriage to be the basic social unit and its preservation is essential to the survival of the state. Why else would we license and register marriages? Why would we have forbidden relationships? The Israeli government is trying to insure the survival of the Jewish people; that was the raison d'etre of the state. 3. Jewish National Fund Land. I am 79 years old, and all my life there have been little blue boxes in my home. Little old Jewish men used to come to our house to collect the coins which were understood to be entirely for the purchase of land in "Palestine" for the settlement of Jews on the land and the planting of forests to restore the land. I have never heard that this purpose has changed. I still have such a box with coins in it (although I have to mail the money now).If this land were to go to Arabs, I would cease giving immediately, and protest any such decision. This money was raised privately, and should be spent as the donors intended. If the author wants to make common cause with Jimmie Carter in calling the state of Israel "apartheid" while ignoring the monumental problems of survival the state has, I don't know what logic would persuade him. I address my remarks, not to him, but to the readers.

Paritzky you are a foul!!! How many jews leaves in arabs countrys with the same rigths as the islamics? The Islam nations are judenrein!