Lets face it Mona ,you would feel much more comfortable with an arab than a Rabbi.Your opening disclaimer of non prejudice is ludicrous.Your derisive tone shows you can"t be taken seriously

How come a nobody dares to write such nonesenses about one of the most respectful rabbis in Israel. Who the Hell is Moni Mordechai to decide who is a man of great spirit and who isn't? A media advisor? LOL.

So I guess some of your best friends are religious, no? Your hatred and disdain for a man who has dedicated his life to living in accordance with principles you find offensive is palpable. It is to the good rabbi's credit that he has remained faithful to his understanding of Jewish law in the face of tremendous pressure to bend to popular demand. That decision may have made him unpopular to many who would rather view Jewish law as a popularity contest (popular laws okay, unpopular ones unceremoniously discarded), but it is a sign of Rabbi Lau's moral and intellectual integrity. In short, the fact you have criticised Rabbi Lau for maintaining his principles says more about you than it does about him. Here's one vote for Rabbi Lau for president.

You don't even live here; I chose to live in Israel, where a Jew can fully fulfill being a Jew. When you coem to live in Israel, then youcan talk about so called "jewish values"? In the meantime, leave the choice of who should represent Israel as President in the hands of Israelis!

It's very easy to jugde other people. The Rabbi is a Rabbi, and this is his profession. If he is one of the best today, and he is offered new jobs all the time, lucky him! And Rabbis receive TZEDAKA when they make weddings - maybe you forgot to give your Rabbi when you married? By the way, PARNASSA is also a very important item in the man's life! Did you know that? Go learn about religion, and let's discuss after it...

Lau would be a disaster as President. He has shown no capacity for toleration of any sort. This article is an accurate summary of the man. We need a President who is inclusive not one who is narrow minded and exclusive. A sense of the disaster for the Jewish people can be seen from the antics of Mr. Katsav and his refusal to address one of the leaders of American Jewry as Rabbi Yoffe. Laus antics will be many times worse and damaging to us all.

This is an Israeli site writen in english ,and so it is opened to all of us not living in Israel to participate. If you don't like abroad opinions about Israel,maybe you should stick in the Hebrew site.

I don't understand why my country hates Israel since to me after reading this article on Rabbi Lau it seems that Israelis hate jews just like we do!

I am here on business and you should be ashamed of your stupid comments. The President of the State of Israel matters to all Jews. If you have a problem with Jewish values check in to Aish, you need help.

We don't really hate each other, we have strong views and love to argue. I am not sure why you hate us , because all the Iranians I have met are great and don't think like your leaders.

Yeah cuz Katsav and Weitzman really did represent the whole of the country? Puhleeze.

anyone involved with a wedding can make money and earne a living even the rabbi officiating at the ceremony is entitled to be paid for his time - this most certianly does not make him a bad person. It makes you sick, would it sickent you if it was anyone else or is it just fodder for your poor argument? You seem to have it all backwards because rabbi lau is entirely about philosphy and not a politician with political ambition. The fact that rabbi lau is so widely accepted and lauded as a great leader accros the spectrum of both the rleigious and non religious makes him a perfect person for the position which is why the concept has received all thep ublicity which you seem to dislike. "If he'd ever tried to view reality through the eyes of a non-believer, or the eyes of a Diaspora Jew, or if he had at least tried to defend his former colleague, Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, who has been ostracized for publicizing several enlightened views." Do you realuize how backwards that is?

The article states: "I am concerned about the fact that this man's hunger cannot be satiated. He jumps from job to job, instead of viewing each job he does as 'the job of his life'." Sounds more like our preeminent megalomaniac -- Shimon Peres (a former candidate for president) --than Rabbi Lau.

so is it then, that our leaders hate israelis because they hate jews?

So far, from all the other candidates, Rivlin is the best personality. Hope he gets elected in-spite-of the political agenda. He proved to be putting the national interest above all.

I could understand a secular or even a religious person arguing that a former chief rabbi should not be president of israel. i could even understand a secular person thinking that sh'e'd rather not have a religious president. At least that would be honest. But to say I have no problem with a religious person as president but I oppose Rabbi Lau because he took money to perform wedding ceremonies or because he didn't stand up against "radical" positions , such as shabbat observance and religious marriage/divorce law, is simply ridiculous. Rabbis have been paid to perform wedding ceremonies for centuries. Shabbat has been what it is for millenia as has Jewish law on marriage and divorce. Using these things as a pretext to oppose someone shows that the writer is simply covering for what is plainly an anti-religious point of view that he or she is obviously ashamed to proclaim openly.

I cannot Judge as to whether your leaders hate Jews. Some may say that they hate all Infidels. In general I would say that those that hate Israel choose a time line to suit personal prejudice. For instance we are called Occupiers, why? These are our ancestral homelands, the lands of our Prophets and Kings and our claim predates the existence of Christianity and Islam. Actually it is we that were occupied, suppressed for over 2000 years and expelled. Nobody likes to mention that the Al Aksa Mosque and the Golden Dome are built on top of our Temple, our Holiest of all places. Then Israel is accused of being a suppressor, no mention of 5 wars and terror that we did not start. Sure the Palestinians have a tough time and it’s horrible to say, but it seems acting ruthlessly towards them is the only thing that works. Every time Israel has eased, we get suicide attacks. It’s a mess, we need to find a compromise but meanwhile in my view people for whatever reason judge Israel without looking at the whole picture.

I like this idea to have a president who is not ready to shake hands with women and looks at reformed Jews as if they are Christians or worse than they. His election would demonstrate to the world that Israel is on the way of consolation with all this Muslim theocracies. It will give Israel a taste of future times when it will have a muslim majority. Vote for Lau like any cow

I understand Israels historic claims to the land but again I don't understand Israels hate to its own jews? isn't it contradictory to their historic land claim?

We do not hate the Rabbi. We do not hate at all. We simply do not want our elected or appointed leaders to be religious people like your Ayatollahs and Mullahs. Religion is a private matter, between a man and himself, a democratic State can not be governed by religious people because democracy and theocracy are incompatible. We are a free people and wish to remain so, it has nothing to do with hatred.

yakov says "We simply do not want our elected or appointed leaders to be religious people like your Ayatollahs and Mullahs" Who are the "we" you're talking about?? speak for yourself john, dont include me and most talkbackers in your antireligios principles

So many people forget this... Israel was established as THE JEWISH STATE. It is a place where Jewish people can practice their religion. It is THE place where Hashem wants the Jewish people. Those who don't believe have a WHOLE WORLD to live in. Why don't they 'CONVERT' to some other religion, don't associate with Jews, and they can be happy. I would NEVER consider moving to Israel and expect that I could do whatever I wanted. I am a PROUD RELIGIOUS AMERICAN JEW who will move to Israel when I know that the religious are in control of the country. I pray for Rabbi Lau to win as president.

Yakov, You claim religion is a private matter between man and himself... Yet I am sure you support the horrible GAY PRIDE event which is supposed to happen in Jerusalem {G-D FORBID!} . The gays want to make their sex-life a public affair, something which in my opinion is a private matter between a man and a woman {or a man in your case}. To me, and everyone who is religious, Religion is not a private affair {especially Judaism} it is a communal affair which is why a minyan is required for many of the services {a minimum of 10 adult men]... If religion was supposed to be a private affair, why is it essential to have a minyan... Judaism takes the exact opposite position as Yakoov who thinks Religion is in his head... I think the Gays should think about this before they go out and flaunt their immoral and disgusting behaviour...

Whether or not all the authors comments are all correct is not as important as giving them some condideration. I am sure that Rabbi Lau is a good man and I wish not to cast aspersions on this charismatic figure. However, the fact remains that Israel has a real problem regarding Judaism. Who would think that the greatest Democracy in the middle east, the people who preserved Democracy in their hearts down through the ages, the people who while in the diaspora transmitted to America and other countries in the world Judaic values and traditions as well as the proper rules of governance and civility would be bickering endlessly over who is an acceptable jew and who should have proper representation as such. It seems that some jews forget that they were once strangers in Egypt. Yet in this day and age many jews are strangers even to themselves. Jews who would deny other self proclaiming Jews the right to practice their religion the way that they see fit, based on their experiences in the diaspora and elsewhere appear to have something other than Judaism in mind. In a real democracy all have equal representation, freedom and protection under the law. Judaism being as great and smart as it is deserves to flourish and blossom in all of it's manifestations for the benefit of humankind. Jews come from all over the world with varying tastes, temperments and levels of understanding religiosity. A one size fits all mentality reeks of intollerance and ignorance. Why would any knowledgable and observant jew want to be associated with these characteristics? Like it or not, Israel is a mosaic. It's like a fine garment with threads from the world over. The sooner it accepts this ,the sooner it will tap into its growing resourses. Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and Orthodox must all have expression because they are all expressions of Judaism.