There are those who are LOYAL to Israel as Democratic Zionist State, and there are those who are DISLOYAL. All other peculiarities are irrelevant.

Its good that the fights in the kibbutzim about Stalin are described .But there is no mention of how strong Israel is with all the innate conflicts compared to the Horrific Fate of European Jewry of the Shoah.

According to Yaron London, all Brits live in Notting Hill and Chelsea, all Frenchmen in the first 6 arrondissements of Paris, and all Americans in the Upper East and West Side.

Has Yaron London ever eaten a well-broiled lamb chop? Lamb chops have a lot of fat, a bones and a some delicious meat. Some of the crisp, browned tastes great...but most people don't like the fatty fat...perhaps some like to nibble the bone...but even they leave over the bones. Ahh! Crisp Lamb chop meat is great !! and expensive . Think of Israel as a ... lamb chop...some like (anti-Zionist??) London scorn uncooked fat and dry tasteless bones...scorn so vehemently... N-E-V-E-R savoring, smelling or enjoying the tasty meat! moshe

trouble is that Israel is not a democratic state and the fault lines in our society are becoming increasingly obvious.

You can be different in many ways but the same in others. In general the people of Israel know how to get along and that we have very different groups is a challenge but also brings many wonderful things, culture etc long live our differences and unity!

Ehud, yes, the problems are very serious, but not unsolvable. "House united stands, house divided falls" (c) There are Jews who are loyal to the country, who serve in the army, who pay taxes, who contribute to the society; but also there are Jews who pretend to have an ultimate authority over religious matters, at the same time NOT contributing to the society. Equally: there are the Druse and Circassian people who are devoted and loyal; but there are also Arabs (not all of them) who are disloyal, crying out about "Nakba", etc. In other words, the division lines are clearly drawn; the state must not ignore them, and the problems can be eventually solved.

The divisions you mention are all quite real, but you're forgetting one thing. Israel is a small country and there will be clashes along the fault lines where different communities intersect. This has happened already. In a larger country factions could spread out and leave each other alone, but there's little room for that in Israel.

and the general picture is totally different. Of course there are some black spots but when you travel through Israël I see a country that is growing fast and looking forward

Why do we have to express ourselves in a manner which gives succor to our enemies? Why do we need to read the needless nonsense of this article and what did the writer suppose was going to happen? Secular Jews do their thing and so do the Religious it is the same in every faith and from time to time each group have minor conflict . Did the writer open our eyes to something new or show us something we did not know,if a fringe group such as the NK chose to live isolated from humanity who are we to care and if we did care could we change them - no to both questions. Instead of telling people our woes why not tell people our successes and our bright future. Why do Jews take such intense pleasure in writing dirges which only serve our enemies not us Moishe

I live in a mixed neighborhood in Jerusalem -- mostly Jews, some religious, many secular, haredim too, some wealthy, others not, many families with children, many pensioners, immigrants from Western countries and native Israelis of different backgrounds. I am sure that there are many neighborhoods like this all over Israel. There is more unity in this country than many in the media would like to admit. London should travel around Israel and take a closer look.

Yaron you lack prophetic vision. Kol kach atzuv li. Open the Tanach and start to see the bigger picture.

these problems can only be solved by applying a western democratic system, equal status to all citizens, separation of state from religion and of course equally shared responsibility. Patch work solutions are cumbersome and dont work, so unless these basic rules are put into effect then the future will not be good for" all the people" and the state will crumble downwards.

Self deprecating humor also makes us stronger. But a country in which everybody agrees with leaders (there could be several leaders, fighting it out among themselves) is fascist and weak. Which of the two you mention, Secular and Religious, is weak and pulling toward fascism?

The author and his elitist, old ashkenazi milieu is the reason for these fault lines, Their far left policies have left Israel ideologically and morally bankrupt. They turned their backs on settleing JEWISH land, they let in tens of thousands of foreigners and so called asylum seekers, they refuse to make the Arab minority join the CIvil service and prove their loyalty (whilst improving their lot) and they were the ones who originally brokered the deal with the Haredim to allow them to not work and not serve ! So, who's to blame for these apparent divisions in our society? Mr. London should ask himself who he voted for and who are his neighbours for an answer!

London`s "Boulevard Rotchild" can not represent Israel. Jerusalem does.

the only people who leave in rotshild are upper class secular ashkenasim and their children. Several haredim communities near by are just enemy islands

"Liberal seculars can accept, though not without effort, those who differ from them in beliefs and lifestyle". I haven't seen any of that.