yes, yes. As longs as I can stay in office, I will do anything Bush and Rice want from me, even giving away half of Israel or more." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7IZmRnAo6s

We are the luckiest nation in the universe, we have our Torah and you imbeciles wasting your time and our holiness on these nonsense? It's time this country woke up and act Jewish! You want a "national bird"? Then go to live in any of the goy countries that have one. The Jewish People don't have "national birds"! We have our Torah, our Land and our People.

This bird would get more votes than Peres. How odd that we get to elect a bird but can't elect a president.

irony?

What a lovely idea and a very good choice. Who cares it isn't kosher - no-one wants you to eat them! They are beautiful birds both in flight, their hoop hoop hoop mating call in spring and there butterfly style plumage. So, don't be so miserable about this! It happens to be my favourite bird in Spain - I have watched the chicks growing up in holes in olive trees. They are so cute!

because of its long beak - can forage for insects easily. Like the Jewish people will always survive.

"Peres...would have liked to see the vulture take first place". Of course he would: this Polish-born foreign implant was born Shimon Perski, and later Hebraized his name to Peres, which means "Vulture". This is, of course, a perfect description of the man: the vulture is a carrion bird which never kills its own prey; rather, it hovers around, waiting for others to do the dirty work for it, then swoops down to collect the prize that others fought and died for. So although the vulture is the perfect symbol for our current president, it is wholly inappropriate for the State of Israel.

Hmmm. Strange. You've chosen a bird, which is one of the most dumbest bird on the planet, and which is also the scarab, the bum between the bird species, that is usually living in it's own dirt. Well. Many of the Hungarians are already laughing at this. You should look after what you're choosing, guys.

talking to Prophet Sulieman (King Solomon) about the pagans of Sheba... Of course similar tale is found in the Old Testament too.

20 years ago, every class could pick a bird that should "represent" the class, and we had the hoopoe, a huge picture of this bird on our class door :-) im kinda happy they picked this one... funny!

even in office yet, so while it seems to be fashionable to blame Bush right now, you Jews only have yourselves to blame. And let's not forget how Sharon formed Kadima because Likud would NOT agree with him in the disengagement.! You put these people in power and have kept them there. While I am STRONGLY against giving away ANY land to terrorists, I also cannot sit by and let others get the blame for something that the Israeli people themselves just sat by and watch, and let happen. If you want to make a change than get out in the public, stir up the people, have mass demonstrations continually, and keep the pressure on until your government is cleared of all of its corrupt charlatons. Being a wicked pen writer really accomplishes nothing except for a way for you to vent your frustrations. Do you for one moment think that any of this gets to your leaders where it will startle them into making an effective change in how they conduct business?? Your words need to be heard OUT in the market place, synagogues, schools, places of business, in front of government institutions, and places like that where perhaps your words will fall on folk who are just as fed up as you are, and are willing to take up your cause. Until you Israelis take responsibility for what has happened and is happening in your country, Joe-q politician will feel they will always have a say so in telling you what can and cannot take place in your country.

So what? Are you planning to eat it?

without which the Jewish people would have died out along time ago! We owe a great debt to this delicious creature.

Do you really need a rant about this?? The Torah does not prohibit all forms of fun. No need to call anybody an imbecile - I think sinat chinam is prohibited. Go take a nature walk and appreciate all of the wonderful birds you see. Go pick out your favourite flower and sniff it for a while. That would be acting very Jewish of you. Shabbat shalom, achi.

Good choice!

bird! The stripes are for the diaspora and punishments for the ancient Israelites and Jews not obeying the Commandments of God and forgetting the Sabbath of God (Israelites were Sunday sabbath people even in ancient times) and not letting the land rest. The head of the bird shows the blood of their Messiah that washed away their sins and the sins of Gentiles, too, who were grafted onto the Jewish religion by the Messiah being nailed to a tree or post. The black of the bird is sin, the red the blood of the Messiah and the persecution of the Jews and Israelites in diaspora; and the white is the garment of the Messiah that covers the blackness of sin. Well done, Israel. Such a beautiful bird.

mighty, not many noble, not many wise men after the flesh are called. The Bible also says the things of God are foolishness to men. This may seem foolish to the Hungarians, but to the Lord this bird is a precious symbol of the stripes and punishments of the diaspora for the Jews who kept the Sabbath of the Lord (seventh day) represented in white, while suffering the sins and oppression symbolized in black stripes. The red is for the blood of Jews spilled for thousands of years by enemies of the Lord. This is an appropriate symbol for Israel. God calls his people sheep. And anyone who has been around sheep knows they are dumb critters. They are not cunning and smart like wolves. Sheep need a shepherd: the word of God.

tribes of Israel. The flags of the tribes had the animal that represented the tribe sewn into it as a picture on the cloth. If I remember right, the eagle was the symbol of Manasseh. The lion was the symbol of Judah. There was an ox symbol and a snake symbol and other symbols. Each tribe had an animal symbol, not to worship, but to be an instantly recognized sign for that tribe as they encamped around the Tabernacle of Moses. One tb'r said the bird chosen to symbolize Israel is a dumb bird. Well, God likes his people to be dumb like sheep who need a shepherd and a Torah and Bible. This bird is striped like the Jews in the Nazi prison camps wore stripes, a symbol of diaspora and persecutions. The head of the bird has red, like the blood of Jews that was spilled and must never be forgotten. So I disagree with your post.

What the hell is the connection? we can't be religious if we have a national bird?

Well. Symbol birds are usually representing the nation itself. The Americans have chosen the bald eagle, which is representing freedom with it's majesty. The Hungarians have the mighty saker, which is representing endurance and grace. And now you've chosen the bird, which is the scarab, the bum of the birds. As always, many will associate for the country itself from the bird. That's what I wanted to highlight and that's why I don't believe it's a lucky choice. It's a birds of a feather... but now it will be a country of a feather.

When the nations of the earth gather against Israel at Armageddon, the flesh of captains and kings and others of the attackers will be eaten by scavenger birds. The eagle symbol for America was chosen by people who knew the Bible and had some understanding that America was to become Manasseh. The symbol of Manasseh is an eagle. Hyiam (sp?)Solomon financed the American Revolution. He was a Jew, so even the star on American dollars is in the shape of the Star of David. Remembering the death camps and the striped suits the Jewish prisoners wore and their blood that was spilled is reflected back to me in the colors and patterns on this bird. That makes it precious to me, but offensive to you. The choice has been made and nothing can prevent the Lord from His plans for Israel which will become the chief among the nations after the Messiah comes.

just a thought.

It does not mean that the animal cannot be admired for its traits.

Israelis (the Jews) want a national symbol of a pig when they are forbidden to eat pig. No flag of the twelve tribes of Israel in the wilderness with Moses had a pig on it, so why should a pig represent Israel? Isarelis sweat when they labor, but pigs do not sweat which is what makes pork toxic to eat. The toxins are not sweated out through the skin or the saliva. Why do Russians who come to Israel eat pork? They have forgotten the ways of their ancestors. The rebel against the Torah.

So you're telling me that this bird is the sign, that Armageddon is coming to Israel? Or what? Because what you written down is whispering this to me. Don't tell me that you're that 2012 guy. :) Plus, this bird is not flesh eater, so in this case, this scavenger bird is not equal with that one you describes. Just watch the details.

Perhaps we should all adopt inspiring Biblical Hebrew names, like Andras Bereny.

what's the difference?

If you do a word search on them you will find that angels had each of those names long before the creation of man on earth. Sadly, Andras and Bereny rebelled against the Lord along with Saba-el (Satan) and a third of the Lord's host (army) of angels.