he loves the land --loves the people and is pure of heart --show me somebody like him

And have the balls telling us what we should or should not do. Fortunately, the battle over the identity of our State, with rabbis at the helm, is not going to be of any consequence..The sad part, everything you have to offer is worthless, negatif, corrupt. It is hilarious to think that rabbis will have a positive impact on israelis. On the contrary, all you do is "demand - give " money, food, clothes, lodging ( and probably demand a pension for your non contribution to the land).The life you are living is the life of beggars, of unruly gangs (at the appropriate time), of disruptive normal society life To put it bluntly, you are a bunch of parasites, and like leeches, live on the blood of hard working citizens. Your contribution to society is below zero today, was same yesterday, will remain so tomorrow. The day you roll up your sleeves, go to work in the field, pick fruits and vegetables, work in construction, in factories, guard the country w/ riffle in hand, like everybody, you will have gained the right and priviledge to express your opinion. My " freedom of expression " dictates that you are a non entity, hidding behind a mirage of a god, and waiting for a non-existant messiah to do all the dirty work for you -- and it's been how long?, 2000, 3000,4000 years or more ??

Please keep your opinions to yourself, I'm not interested in your views. By all means teach religion to those who need it, but don't preach or presume your views are welcomed or relevant in the 21st Century.

Free speech is only for the "Liberals." Their idea of free speech is an entitlement for liberals only. Jail, persecute, slander, misrepresent (constructing straw men), vilify, besmirch and smear everyone who disagrees with misojudaic liberals! It's the same in the U.S and Europe. Arrogant hypocrites! R. Druckman is right, a courageous moderate persecuted by fringe Ultra fanatics and fringe Liberal fanatics alike--not to mention Arab propagandists, Christian missionaries, homosexuals and other assorted misojudaics. A unified, moderate dati majority is the only effective remedy to the present political chaos. Kol ha-kavod R. Druckman! Paqid Yirmeyahu Paqid 16, The Netzarim, Ra'anana, Israel Israeli Torah-reverer & Orthodox Jew: Teimani, Baladi, Dor Dai Advocate for Logic as Hermeneutic Halakhic Authority Welcoming all who choose to keep Torah (When questions to me go unanswered, ynet has refused to post it. Ck our Web Café at www.netzarim.co.il)

No, they are not. Yet judged against their regular incitement against Jews and Israel, the rabbis are novices. Eliyahu asks whether Grossman, Sarid and Aloni have been summoned (they have not), while missing the real counterparts.

Rabbis have the right to express their opinion just as everybody else. However there is a significant difference in expressing opinion and making a Halachic ruling. The rabbi in this case made his opinion a part of religious jurisprudence. This then is much more than just expressing an opinion, his act made incumbent on his followers to accept his opinion as religious law. This ruling may even be contrary to often repeated torah concept which expresses the need for proper treatment of “strangers” as we were “strangers” in Egypt. His actions & letter may also be in conflict with Israeli civil law.

Israel is democracy of man made laws and no one is above the law. If there is an anti-racism law on the books that applies to speech it should and must be applied fairly and universally as all laws should be applied. Halacha (and for that matter its islamic cousin sharia) have a voice in the national debate but with no veto and no exemptions granted. Zionism, btw, was a movement to liberate Jews not only from the oppression of others but from the chains of Rabbinic imposed strictures. That is what it means to be a "free people in our own land".

any regime that dictates what people are allowed to say and what they are not allowed to is an illigitamate regime. perhaps we should arrest YOU for expressing YOUR opinion because we dont like it??? what it 51% of the people say that the otehr 49% should go to jail? that's democratic

Good to know that even in the 21st Century, belief in the suppression of free speech is alive and well!

The strangers in the Tora followed jewish laws as did the jews.The jewish values were not in danger to be diluted.

The strangers folowed the 4 rules of Noah & the cival law at that time. They did not follow Jewish religious laws of course some of the cival law was in fact torah law. In any case it is not in our best interest to show the world we are a intolerant people. Our history should make us tolerant. The rabbis refusal to answer a police summans is a punishable act.

Opinions that are instituted as laws are not Torah. You can add a word to Torah. If it were ever true that their opinions were related to Torah then they should not be oppressed in the same way the institution the Rabbi created oppresses a Hebrew exercising the Shma obligation. Violations of Torah are the obligation of every Jew to silence according to Torah. Just better makes sure its real Torah violations and not some false trumped up interpretation of the law by greedy power hungry men before one begins exacting punishment for anything.. In fact Devarim 13 sums up how importance G-d sees the silencing of false opinions added to the law and represented as G-d's words.

The fact of the matter is that when Torah was delivered, everyone present converted. For you were Gerim in Mitzraim. Why do you think it mentions :This covenant is sealed with you who are hear today and not with the fathers? In Mitzraim they said whatever G-d says they will do. That converted them to servants of Torah. As far as the treatment of strangers, the destruction of the seven nations in Israel was not because they were strangers, but because G-d saw them as very evil for sacrafcing their children and such. In fact Moses goes into a basic tirade about how much G-d is displeased with the Hebrews. It is a real ego busting speach Moses gives because what Moses most certainly wanted to make clear to the Hebrews as that they were far from deserving. Moses makes it clear G-d really wanted to kill the Hebrews and Moses saved them. Regarding strangers, if you read the stories, G-d gave land to other nations and he warned us not to war or provoke some nations because G-d would not give us there land. The concept of strangers being inferior or a danger is purely a cult manipulation. Check the world expert Steven Hassan on this fact. Its in his list of 26 characteristics of cult. We are suppose to have strangers tugging at our sleeves so we can tell them about G-d. The fear mongering has to stop because it is not really against the strangers, but rather an attempt to imprison us. We are being stolen from by those who use our fears a s a wedge. If you really look at it closely, you can see these fear of stranger claims are all about censuring the people here from speaking against what should have been spoke against a long time ago. Torah is not a tool for promoting lies. It has got to end. All these fences to protect us from thinking?

How many people when asked to bind tephilin are asked to recall Torah? How many houses that pay for Mezuzahs are asked to recite the laws? If the difference between our blessing and our curses, life and death, are from knowing the law, and doing the law. this will either make us prosper or kill us. So why don't they care that we do it, yet they care if we hang around people that are strangers? Because the strangers are brainwashed or because we are? If they cared about you, they would make the tephilin ceremony for remembering Torah about remembering Torah. The would make the mezuzah about remembering the laws. To put them on our heart, these laws. They don't care about you or they would help you care about your blessings via knowing and doing the law as G-d not opinions wrote it. To help you recite the laws and put them on your heart. They want what exactly? Jewishness through doing the law or just giving them unquestionable power?

I recognize the right to freedom of speech but I respectably agree that Rabbis should do what they do best ; handle religious matters only.Likewise, politicians should not mix into religious affairs. Even though there are a lot of politics in religion and some of these politicians and rabbis claim to have our best interest in their hearts.Nonetheless, religion and politics are generally insoluble. For the record, I also think celebrities should stick to entertainment and not voice their political opinion unless its rational.

"As the Torah says, it is the right and duty of any rabbi to express his opinion," wrote Druckman. This statement needs corroboration. Only the laws of the state allow freedom of expression to all its citizens. The rabbis expressed their opinions as to what the Halacha says. Since then, other rabbis have rendered their opinions as to what the Halacha says. Since both opinions may be legitimate, even if contrary, the public with a clear conscience, and with complete fidelity to Halacha, may pick and choose. Of course, the wisdom of the rabbis in making a public declaration with the full fanfare, is another matter.

But I do agree with Rabbi Druckman. It is the fundamental duty of a Rabbi to express his opinion on Jewish law and for a Rabbi employed by a government it his duty to make Halacha rulings. Anybody attempting to prevent them from doing their duty should be arrested for violating their rights.

Celebrities are NOT paid by the State , they may express themselve . You are right , Rabbis should ONLY handle religious matters and stay in their Beth Knesseth . Politicians don't say what prayers should be said , they rule on civil matters , that's not interfering with religion . Rabbanim , as any other citizen , should obey the law , and when summoned to the police , they should go . It's the same for ex-Presidents or ministers , they too are going , rabbanim are'nt better

I havew loved Judaism all of my life. Because of Customs in my family I always suspected that we were once Sephardic Jews. I have recently discovered that they are in fact Anusims. I am circumscised, I follow Torah, Keep Sabbath, eat Kosher. I am harassed for being a "black Jew," and have been dismissed from jobs because of my faith. I desparately want to move to Israel; if it doesn't happen soon I fear I will be murderd by anti-semites who have problems with me for embracing Judaism. My brothers, why must I die in the Disapora? Why am I not welcomed home? I am far more observant than many of you, but because I am not Orthodox I will continue on here until anti-semites take my life. I am a black man and friendless. What ever happened to Jews having mercy on other Jews? Does the color of my skin make me any less a Jew than you?