Your right, besides the fact that he is a holocaust survivor who endured one of the most horrific events, the premise of which israel was created and vouched to prevent in the future. Besides the fact that Eli Wiesel is a wonderful man and an outstanding zionist... besides all that, I guess it's better to have some anti-israel left wing tel avivian who sympathises with terrorists light the torch right? Afterall with lefites journalists like yourself the torch for israel will be out sooner than we can dare think

As a diaspora-Jew I agree with the author. Independence-day is specifically Israeli. This is a day, when the Israelis and Jews all over the world celebrate Israel, not the Jewry, for the Jewry there are enough occasions. Jews, let this day be Israeli!

I suppose you wouldn't let Moses participate either?...I believe he lived in Egypt for alot of his life.

i like the language too much i think any language not hebrow only need people to make it alive and active .the state do not make the language /nor the language make the state but people do // so who did make the hebrew language alive and active that one must be honoured in such a day

Our hearts and souls are here in Israel. If we packed up and moved country everytime things got a little sticky here, there wouldn't be an Israel. Therefore it's only right that a resident Israeli should light a torch for the rest of the nation. Furthermore, Diaspora Jews and Israeli Jews are not the same. The armchair Diaspora Jews like to stick their two cents in and tell us how things should be done, they are so very opinionated with issues that don’t concern them. They flock over for Pessach and then run back to their comfortable lives. No-one like that should be lighting any torch for us, especially when our country would welcome them to live here with open arms. Sorry.

I certainly understand the point, but I just wonder. Is it wrong to honor someone who has dedicated his life to Jewish causes, done much for the State of Israel, and is a symbol of Jewish persistence to many, but right to award a prestigious State prize to a man who advocated the murder of settlers as a political strategy to the Palestinians? Why is Sternhell a valid candidate and Elis Wiesel not?

Dont be fooled : Kaniuk is a post-Zionist, not a Zionist. The hell with this arrogant idiot.