That France forbids religious garments in its public institutions isn't discrimination since it applies to all and Hindus don't wear turbans, you're thinking of Sikhs. That the child mentioned in this story was unable to play had nothing to do with any organizational policy but with the bigotry of the kids involved.

In America, in the judaeo-christian environment people have learnt to accept and appreciate each other. In Israel, if you're on the west coast and show ANY sign of having morals or reverence whatsoever, you will be ostracized and told to bugger off to Jerusalem.

He IS ALREADY IN ISRAEL! It is Jews who are discriminating against this boy. He left France and theis is what he gets from the secular Left...

Our being in the land of our forefathers is not the root cause of terrorism. We are just the excuse. The root cause is the ideology in the book supposedly written by The Prophet of our malefactors. I suggest that you try to understand the ramifications when a Nation of People for 13 centuries have given names to their children such as Seif a Din el Islam, Jihad and Salah a Din. Try to understand what Jihad el Naphs and Jihad el Kibir means. Try to understand why there are two worlds in Islam, one called Dar e Salam and the other called Dar el Harab. All these terms and names have a very profound meaning and therefor a very profound influence on Arab society, not only profound but very very radical part of the doctrine of Islamic society. This is the root cause of terrorism, we are the excuse. If we pack up and leave they will find another excuse and if you wish me to tell you I can do so. No problem is solved by hasty deeds prompted by shallow thoughts.

This all comes from the fatct that the religious do not consider non-religious as fellow jews. You see my point? The divide is there. Sad but true but this is nothing new. The bad upbringing is back-firing now. Thats my theory. Haredis are acting in an antisocial way and the reputation is spreading.

I am jewish and was born Germany. When I lived in Israel i was called "Nazi" by my fellow Israeli jewish citizens after they heard I was born in Germany. Truly amazing! The hatred has no boundries. If Herzl were to wake up and see what we have in Israel, he would surely croak.

It's bad enough to have Arabs spit on the Jews in Israel and abroad because they wear kippot and/or Jewish paraphernalia, now Jews do it too. And we sing about: "being a free people in our own land". Those kids and their parents should be arrested for anti-Semitic crimes.

They won't accept one because he/she is fat , or red haired , or secular , religious or whatever they can imagine or even without any reason . In this case it was a religious boy who suffered , but such cases happen every day , for other reasons as i have mentioned .

Need I remind you that Israel is not France and is indeed a JEWISH country? Note that France does not ban the beret from the public school system- this would be a more accurate analogy than the false one you presented. Another false analogy is your use of the Israeli-Arab conflict. If you yourself or any of your family members experienced any of the hardships Muslims inflicted upon Jews not for 60 years, but for 1400 years, you wouldn't tell an oppressed, occupied and displaced people (yes, our homeland is STILL occupied by Muslim colonists) about suffering discrimination. Living in the Jim Crow south is like living in Disneyland when comparing it to Sharia and it's Dhimmi laws. Learn some history before you open your mouth. The world did not begin in 1900 and I was not born yesterday...

You say you are an educator and you would try to deal with bullies yourself and protect the child. Do you realize that teachers who have done that are often attacked by the parents of the bullies who think nothing of perjury to destroy the teacher? My great niece was attacked on a school playground at age six because the boys were jealous she was smart in school and pretty and lighter skinned than they were. She came home bloodied and battered and was nearly raped, saying the teacher on the playground did not protect her. Her house was a couple of blocks from the school in Edinburg, Texas, so she ran home. My niece asked the teacher why she did not protect her daughter from the bullies and the teacher told her she was not a policeman and it was not her job to protect the children from bullies. So my niece took her daughter out of that school and homeschooled her for a few years, she was so disappointed in the public school. Many educators and coaches are not like you. So the parents have to take the child out of the school or sports program to keep the child from being emotionally scarred for life which can happen. I was ostracized for being raped by a Mexican, dear, and the policeman I ran to refused to take a police report. He said, "Tom Amparano is in my Boy Scout troop and he would never do that!" I asked God to avenge me and it took years, but Tom Amparano lost four family members in one year: God's judgment, not mine. I do not avenge myself. I ask God to since the Bible says vengeance belongs to God.

In France any exterior sign of religious appartenance is banned from public school . The "beret" you mention is more a regional used one , not a religious appartenance sign .

Since you were a girl, bullying in education has become a hot topic. If you go on the net you can see there are all kinds of bullying self help sites and also professional organizations that deal with the problem. The example you gave in your TB, was not what I would call ordinary kid aggression, it was a sexual offense and I can see you took the only recourse available. However in this case it was an ordinary kids conflict. No one was sexually abused or injured physically. I think the school and the community should have used this as an opportunity to teach tolerance.

I am definately not " a free person in my own land ". The reason for this is not the danger posed by our enemies. The reason for this is the impositions of the religious establishment which are implemented in various degrees of insidious legislation or alternately by outright blatant threats of violence or violence itself. Until these factors are removed democracy will be curbed and in fact almost non existent.

You know i'm ole Chadash and secular , but Jewish . Exept for buses that do not ride on Shabbat , i have'nt had any problem with religious coercision . Can you tell me how they are interfering in my life ? Don't come with marriage and so . No problem for me , i was married abroad , civil way , but also by a true Orthodox Rabbi . And this was not obligatory .

I also on a personal level have never "suffered " any problem with a religious person of any section of their community. The problem is one of principal. They are trying to dictate the character of our society, they tell others what to do and demand of them to do it. There can never be such a thing as a democracy with political parties whose ideology is religion. Never ever.Religion and democracy are two different birds and are not capable of mixing, just like oil and water. I, for one, wish this country to be a true democracy. I would like to see folks doing as they please within the bounds of the law, at present it is impossible because of religious legislation, marriage, divorce,trading laws,public transportation just to mention a few.An American can stand in the town square and preach against anyone or anything, including religious officials such as priests and bishops.Try doing this in Jerusalem against some notable Rabbi who has just succeeded in passing a Knesset law curbing the activities if 80% of the population.

the secular are often as much bigots as any 'religious' zealot--their religion is usually left or humanist or both--#1 has it right--baseless hatred desroyed the temple .

In principle i'm in favor of a separation between State and religion , exept for marriage . I'm not in favor of mixed marriages , Jew + non Jew , I prefer this a little bit regulated . If allowing civil marriage , we will have half , then quarter and then not Jewish at all anymore . And i prefer that our country would stay Jewish . I also think that state schools should have some hours religion , not brainwashing of course , but that our grand children will know something about our History , this History that justifies our presence here . Marriage , divorce , have maybe to be made more "client" friendly . But they have to stay Jewish . Trading laws ? influenced by religion ? this i don't know . Transportation , yes . Public transportation should be available every day of the week , inclusive Ben Gurion Airport . But everyone should have one or two rest days/ week . All businesses should have the free choice of their closing day . An American [ and a Briton too ] can stand and preach against something . if you have extremist opponents in front of you there , you will also leave . Or not ? And i think that is not a point in Democracy . Today we have talk backs , blogs to exprim our ideas . What law was passed that curbs activities of 80 % of the population ?

Israelis are very recist against fellow Jews. As an immigrant to Israel, our "ancesteral homeland", I thought I will be right at home and be able to be a Jew, not ashamed and not afraid. The opposite happened. I was cursed at, spat at, laughed at and discriminated against, both for wearing a kippa and for being an immigrant, despite reading and speaking better than Sabras my age. I cried for years. As soon as I turned 16, I left Israel and have never looked back. I idealize Israel now and hold it in my prayers and thoughts. I visit often, but will not move back or raise my children till we have a Jewish government in the state of Israel. Hopefully, salvation is near. Chag Sameach

Read the bloody article!

Honestly, there are *no* innocents in the religious/secular interaction in Israel. None whatsoever. You blame religious for this or that? Well, need I remind you of the secularist reality in Israel under MAPAI for over 20 years, starting from reeducation camps for immigrants and ending with downright anti-religious coercion? There's more. So what, does that justify anti-secular sentiment in religious groups? Is that the "root of the problem", with "causes that must be addressed" - which translates to "Hating someone is justified, because I don't like the group he comes from much" somehow... This sort of behavior is *wrong*, Sagi. Utterly wrong. It paints an entire population with the same brush, basing judgment of an individual entirely on preconceived stereotypes... and yes, it *does* trickle down, this sort of thing. Bigotry often does.

Anti religious coercision ? What with no public transport on Shabbat ? What with those people not serving in the IDF because "studying" ? What about those shouting "shaigets" at those driving on Shabbat ? or worse , throwing stones ? Is this anti religious coercision ? Don't forget that those 6000 braves who gave their blood for this country , were mostly seculars , even anti religious for many of them . The root of the problem is that many religious want to impose their way of life on everyone , and not the contrary .

The religious establishment is certainly going over the top sometimes and alienating many people. But this is a family that wanted to interact with non-orthodox Israelis, so why spurn them? They are not the establishment. In a true democracy everyone has a right to live the way they want. In a true democracy we may chose our leaders or dispose of them. It''s election time. Use the chance. But snubbing an orthodox child is wrong.

his parents should stop the brainwash and than he wont be an outcast. calling a fifth grade kid a religious Jew is like calling an infant a Marxist only because his parents are so. and in any case this might give this kid a good incentive to start thinking reasonably

"There is a (not so) quiet war being fought here against the religious". Good, good, good. and by the way you religious ignorant will lose (sooner or later).