To use the Knesset like some Arab lawmakers do to actively denounce and incite against Israel is one thing. This is a honest Israeli who supports his country.

The conclusion of this would be that an exclusively Jewish anthem should therefore not be the national anthem of Israel, but personally I like HaTikva... Uh oh...

this is not his anthem, because this is not his country! Stop criticizing him for something we knew long before this. When we become normal jews and explain these people this is a jewish country everithing well be fine.

"""When the Israeli Arab is told to rise for his national anthem, “Hatikvah” (the hope), and sing of “the Jewish soul yearning” and “the hope of 2,000 years,” can he be expected to feel empathy? Indeed, Israel’s resident self-hater, Uri Avnery, proposed in 1975 to change the anthem. His reason made eminently good sense if you were an anti-Zionist: the song’s motif of Jewish longing for Israel is not acceptable to Israel’s Arabs. When the Israeli Arabs looks upon the happy revelers on Israeli Independence Day, celebrating, in effect, the Arab defeat and the displacement of an Arab majority of Palestine by a Jewish majority of Israel, can he be seriously expected to join us? When, in the words of the Independence of Independence, the Law of Return opens the gates “for Jewish immigration,” and not Arab influx, for the cousins of the residents of Tel Aviv and not those of Nazareth, is it surprising that the Arab feels alienated from the state? The concept “Jewish” is dinned into the Arab’s angry head every day. Well, he is not Jewish, and what perverse madness prevents us from understanding his alienation and rage? Has it never occurred to anyone that the very existence of a Jewish state in the land where the Arab was once the majority makes him uncomfortable and that is unacceptable to him?"""

Most states have one, except the crazy british. In it, would be regulations in every aspect of state institutions. Included that an israeli judge MUST sing the Hatikva.

The difference between France, England, and Israel, is that France and England are not the JEWISH state! They are not religious states at all. What you're saying makes sense in a secular state, but that's not what Israel is. Israel's Declaration of Independence affirms Israel's status as a Jewish state, homeland to the Jewish people. According to your reasoning, we should remove the Star of David from the flag and get rid of the Menorah as the state symbol. We should probably change the name of the state too, while we're at it, because the name "Israel" reaks of Judaism. You clearly have no clue what Israel stands for. On a separate note, your assertion that "Any British or French citizen – regardless of whether he is Muslim, Buddhist, Christian or Jewish – can utter the words 'God Save the Queen' without a problem, because these words are suitable for everyone" is totally false as well. What about atheists?

Does not stop british people of indian origin singing Britania rules the waves.

The principles of Zionism and the Israels special relationship to Jews is best defined in it's inclusive and profound declaration of independence and not an anthem that had no legal standing till 2004. non Jews can accept it's premises and promises without compromising their own dignity or sense of history.

sing the Hatikva

This anthem is very sectarian and instead of the national anthem bringing the people together, it divides them, Many young jewish israelis never mind non-jews can not identify with this archaic anthem There is no such thing as a jewish soul in modern Israel, there is an israeli character which should transcend religion. I am jewish for example (culturally speaking only) but my wife and daughter are non-jews but israeli citizens and find this anthem too strange.

Why not let evangelical Christians immigrate since they would support the Jewish state without qualification and would sing Hatikva proudly (even though it has absolutely nothing to do with them)? What about the Messianics and evangelical Christians that are citizens here that sing it? No problem.

And the flag. And the emblem. And scrap the law of return. And retire the Hebrew language. After 20% of Israelis are not Jewish.

Some of our MK think that to respect the State everybody must sing Hatikva.. If we don't sing we are traitors. I 'am afraid that some MK are badly influenced by the ratings of "A Star is Born"

If he won't sing it, he shouldn't be a judge on the high court?

I agree. A national anthem must represent all of the citizens but as it is it only represents about 75%. There's no contradiction between this wish and the nature of Israel as a homeland for Jews. Asking a judge or any other non Jew to pretend to identify with the words of the anthem is just incredibly stupid. I mean, do you enjoy people act hypocritically ? I certainly don't.

I respect arabs and do not expect them to sing Hatikva. Because i know them I realize that they can only have loyalty to the arab nation. Therefore they need to find a place for themselves in the arab world, 22 arab states where they can fullfill their arab nationalistic aspirations. That place is not the Jewish state of israel. This growing arab minority is only going to result in violence toward, and death and destruction of the Jews. Its that simple.

Americans with British ancestory regulary sing the "Star Spangled Banner". Israeli-Arabs should love it or leave it.

people sing national anthems because they are polite.

who wrote in demanding his departure, resignation or dismissal from his position as judge, all those who demanded the rescinding of his passport and citizenship, should be : A) Throughouly ashamed of themselves. B) Apologize. This man is an upright citizen as are many others in his family who I personally know.

If someone who is not Jewish wants to sing the Hatikva , it is not our problem , it's his . We will not forbide someone to do it .

If we want to accommodate Israel's Arabs then we need to scrap not just our Jewish anthem, but our flag, state symbol, and our language. What Arab can identify with Hebrew? While we are at we need to face facts. How could a non-Jew accept that his country is called Israel. We are just being insensitive for no good reason.

rome is the center of the roman catholic but the roman catholic is not and never be called the original church it is far removed from ancient christianity as for mecca this is the city for the muslims,muhammed set about to replace the biblical record with a theology that has replaced zion to mecca but GOD has chosen zion :sing and joy and be glad o daughter of zion for behold i am coming and i will dwell in your midst declares the lord many nations will join themselves to the lord in that day and will become my people then i will dwell in your midst and you will know that the lord of hosts has sent me to you,the lord will possess judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose zion the city of the great king then i saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth passed away there is no longer any sea and i saw the holy city new zion coming down out of heaven from God made ready as a bride adorned for her husband

... to sing Israel's national anthem, then he certainly does not belong on Israel's highest court.

Of course there is a "Jewish soul." But since you married a non-Jew and are raising a non-Jewish daughter, I can understand why you may not realize that a "Jewish soul" has been part and parcel of the Jewish people for nearly six thousand years. If your wife and daughter find Israel's national anthem to be strange, you might want to consider moving elsewhere.

Can you imagine the hue and outcry of the international community were Israel to change its national anthem to "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav?" But at least it would eliminate the problem of Arabs refusing to sing the national anthem. I wonder what their excuse would be then ....

Oh, shut up. He is not a local restaurant owner or shop keeper. He is a justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Israel. He stood in stony and complete silence -- he could have at least mouthed the words. That may have been hypocritical, but it would have been preferable to his proving himself unfit to serve on Israel's highest court.

It is ludicrous to force someone, who doesn't love Israel, to pretend they do. Joubran shouldn't be forced to do anything. He should simply be fired and have his Israeli citizenship cancelled. Don't force people to lie. Let them make their own decisions and deal with them as they are.