Israel is a Jewish state. Anyone who does not like it, is free to leave for places where they may cheerfully display a Christmas tree. It's a pagan custom, anyway. Any MK that would make such a request seems to be oblivious to the incredible suffering of Jews under two thousand years of Christianity. That pain hasn't gone away. It was a thoughtless request.

Israel is not only a Jewish State, it has citizens of many other religions, and the Knesset is supposed to represent all Israelis. If you can put up a Hanukiah in it you can put up a Christmas tree - It would be a symbol of goodwill. It would be a symbol that we are not a nasty little parochial people unwilling to make other people feel comfortable in our land. It is a decision by little people with small minds.

Israel is after all not a Christian nation like some, or an Islamic nation like others. There are christmas trees to be found in plenty of Christian facilities and shops in the Old City. The MK was allowed in his own space and his party conference room so that is fine enough. no big dilemma here

Your smeary campaign against me sums up to your intolerance and misconception of our sacred values. These christians are descendents of our brothers who converted during the dark times of our Galut. We should try to stand by them, without forgetting our values. Is a christmas tree so worrisome? I don't think so. If it were a cross or a christian blessing, i would be the first one to protest. But it's a christmas tree. G-d forgave our father David, so who are you for preaching and not forgiving to our lost brothers? And don't try to smear me. Insolence proves your arrogance and lack of arguments.

The Knesset would also decline to erect a giant Power Ranger in its lobby -- but it is not a ban on Power Rangers, either.

It isn't a question of jewish values. Is this a cross? No. it's a christmas tree. I feel more offensive the abstentions in the Knesset during Ramadan, a clear capitulation toward Tibi, Zahalka Zoabi, Baradekh ans Sarsour. Unlike the muslims, whose overwhelming majority is a fifth column, christian arabs are enjoying the state and enlisting in the army or in civil service. Do you want to extrain them, playing the hand of the arab parties??

Israel is a Jewish and democratic State that whilst being Jewish by ethos also respects the rights of its minority citizens to live according to their religious principles. Israel is not a Jewish theocracy, Jews do not have the right to bully minorities and reign supreme over them, they are the majority who are equal to any other race in the Holy Land who has the Citizenship of the State of Israel, like it or lump it. The fact that you are ranting over something as pathetically trivial as a Christmas Tree in the Knesset being some sort of goyish plot to undermine the state and being offensive to Jews says more about you and your ignorant bigotry and your constant contempt for humanity and hatred of any religion and race outside your own. I'm sure of course as well that you would be the first person screaming anti-Semite if Barack Obama dared to refuse to have a Hannukiah on the white house lawn during Hanukkah. You are as usual a Hypocrite of the highest order employing double standards, if you hate Humanity so much stop engaging with people on Ynet and spare us all your nauseating drivel and crawl back into the prehistoric cave you type from.

But the history of the Christmas tree is not of pagan inspiration originally. It was just ment as an inspiration during wait during cold winters for the coming spring and summer. Though, Martin Luther, in the 1440, started to use it as a counter against the catholics pope-cradle and praying to Maria. And,Iagree with #1

Setting up a very large Christmas Tree in the compound is a gesture of good will harmony, and respect. "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all those of the Christan faith.

Given that most of the Christians in Israel only celebrate Christmas on January 7th (as they are Orthodox Christians and use the Julian calendar) and not the December 25th of most European and American Christians (who use the Gregorian calendar) - which date did he want it put up for?

Another strange thing. Why would the Israel Communist party, which is all about abolishing religion, suddenly want Christmas trees? The journalist has not sought out the whole story here.

Shame on you Sarah, shame Chirstmas tree is a very peaceful symbol It has nothing in common with policy

But Hanukkah candelabra in the White House is OK?

We in the USA display the Manora in public places and we invite the US President to participate in its lighting.

What a pathetic response from the Speaker's spokesman. Does'nt he have the balls to say this is a Jewish State, and we don't celebrate Christmas? Instead he gives such a lame excuse which no one believes anyway.

Oh, Sarah, sometimes I think these news items are there just to wind you up. It's a piece of trvia! Much of Christmas is a 19th century invention designed for commercial reasons and to give enjoyment to people in the depths of winter. In any case, go to Nazareth - it's pretty good at Christmas time. Time to lighten up, everyone. But if you want to continue to nurse your pain that is your choice.

accept Yuli Edelstein's refusal of an xmas tree in the knesset? Isn't this something the secular who hate anything Jewish should fight for?

Eran Sidis, a spokesman for Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud), said Monday that the speaker rejected the request, but said the parliamentarian could display a Christmas tree in his office and his party's conference room. That's a fair enough compromise and after all Sarah B. is right that Israel is a Jewish state. Nobody should be forced to accept something they don't want even if it's good for them and I don't mean this tree either. The world (and Jews) have serious problems to consider without wasting time and aggravation over something trivial like this.

Most of the talk-backs fail to distinguish between public celebration and private. There is no general ban on Christmas trees; Christians can display them in there homes and communities. The Knesset, however, represents the JEWISH State of the Jewish People. The fact that the White House displays a Chanukia is not the same. The United States is a multi-cultural state, and does not have an official religion.

What would be your reaction if he not only refused to participate but declared that menorahs should not be in public places because the US is a Xtian nation & it would be offense to Xtians?

Exactly !!!

Oh, yes, REALLY peaceful. How many Jews were slaughtered in the name of the religions that the Christmas tree represents? You haven't a clue, have you, or you would never make such a nonsensical comment. Shame on your ignorance!

The United States does not have an official religion, dummy. And I would prefer that the U.S. dispense with religious symbols of all sorts, lest we offend one or more faiths by omission. We certainly offend atheists by inclusion, do we not? Why not just leave it alone and allow people to worship as they choose in private?

Speaking of Polish tolerance: There used to be 3 million Jews in Poland before WW2. How many Jews are there today in Poland? Speaking of tolerance, Poles have stolen and confiscated privately held or privately owned Jewish property during and after WW2 - especially during the Cold War. Remember the Polish massacres on Jews in Kielce and Jedwabne? Would Poland allow Jews to have a Menorah in the Polish parliament?

There will be NO Christmas trees, Christian, Moslem or any other non- Jewish symbols in Israel's official institutions. Keep your religion private in your private homes. We are not interested in non-Jews displaying their traditions in our faces in our country - that's extremely provocative. In every democratic nation state all citizens are equal before the law - i.e. they have equal civil rights as individuals. But, and this is a very big but - but in nation states, there is no such thing as "identity neutral institutions" of the ethnic nation state. Since every nation state represents a very particular ethnos, the minorities, the foreigners, need to respect that. I was born and raised in a Western liberal and secular European nation state and their parliament or official state institutions NEVER displayed any national or religious symbols representing the ethnos of the Jewish/Israeli people, and never have the authorities of that European nation state wished us Jews Happy Hannukah or Happy Jewish New Year or Happy Pesach. None of the kind. Israel is a Jewish state with everything it entails and implies and quite frankly I couldn't give a rat's ass what non Jews in Israel feel or think about it. We are equal as human beings - always, but I am the master in the land of Israel - non-Jews will never be the masters of Israel only guests and foreigners - on the exact same premises, that Jews and other minorities are guests and foreigners in European nation states. If non-Jews want to turn Israel into a non Jewish country, then Europeans and others need to turn their countries into Jewish states. Fair is fair. If non-Jews don't like living in a Jewish state you always have two choices: one is to massacre Jews as many non-Jews have done for centuries, or simply give up your Israeli citizenship and leave Israel permanently, and that way you can live your lives the way you wish in your respective non-Jewish homelands while we Jews will live at peace in our Jewish homeland. The moment non-Jews in Israel start crying about "multi-culturalism" or "representing" the minorities of Israel, is the very moment they should contemplate leaving Israel, for neither I nor the majority of the Israeli people will tolerate it - NONE of it. Speaking of the USA - the USA is NOT an ethnic nation state - it belongs to every ethnicity and espouses Judeo-Christian values. Israel, Turkey, Russia, Iran, the Arab states, China, Japan and most European states, are nation states, where the identity is absolutely based on a particular ethnos.

"Israel is a Jewish and democratic State that whilst being Jewish by ethos also respects the rights of its minority citizens to live according to their religious principles. " The rights of our minorities are respected but they need to celebrate their traditions in their private homes. In France, Jews and Moslems cannot even display openly their religious character on the streets of France. In Israel, every ethnos and religion can proudly display their identity, but they should proudly and loyally serve the Jewish state of Israel and renounce and denounce all national/nationalistic non-Jewish claims to Israel as being "their" land. Israel is a Jewish homeland in the same way as Greece belongs to the Greek ethnos - not just "Greek citizens". "Israel is not a Jewish theocracy" Correct. "Jews do not have the right to bully minorities and reign supreme over them" We are not bullying anyone and yes we do have the right to reign supreme otherwise you are imlying that Israel is no longer a Jewish state but a state that belongs to the entire world. Yes we Jews will REIGN SUPREME in Israel. It's OUR LAND. The rest of your talkback is nothing but an overly emotional self-righteous, arrogant, ignorant drivel which is symptomatic of the feminine British people who wish to assert themselves by "sophisticated language" and verbiage. Quite frankly, it's a bit tiresome to listen to British people when they try to assert themselves.