12/24/2013
Spirit of Christmas in Israel (H/T Honest Reporting )
The remarkable blog Mondoweiss, with characteristic intrepidity, has posted a valuable essay Israel’s war on Christmas rageson by Adam Horowitz December 23, 2013
In what has become a yearly holiday tradition, Israeli politicians are attempting to quash official attempts to recognize Christmas. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports:
Israeli Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said it would be inappropriate to place a Christmas tree on prominent display in the Knesset following a request from a Christian lawmaker.
Edelstein suggested in a statement released Sunday that Hanna Swaid of the Israeli-Arab Hadash party, who is Christian, place a Christmas tree in his office or in the party’s faction room …
Swaid on Sunday told Israeli media that he was disappointed in Edelstein’s response.
“The public space does not only belong to the Jewish majority. It should show other groups,” he told The Jerusalem Post.
Last year I noted another example of this Israeli intolerance of Christmas symbols: War On Christmas Gets Reported — From Israel
Mondoweiss continuesThis isn’t a new issue in Israel. See this post for a similar story from 2009 about the fight over Christmas displays in Jerusalem, and this 2010 story about how Nazareth Illit mayor Shimon Gapso banned Christmas trees in town centers calling them a “provocation.” Last year Jonathan Cook reported on how the rabbinate was threatening to withhold kashrut certification to hotels with Christmas decorations, in essence putting them out of business. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, You fill my heart with existential dread.
Now VDARE.com greatly admires Israel’s forthright defense of its citizens from the threat of excessive immigration. We have to acknowledge that it is the same spirit which is causing this tormenting of Christians. We are not obligated to approve.
And in fact we wonder if there is really any difference between what is being done in the Jewish State and what is happening in America: the use of political power to repress religion.Our Christmas wish: for equally dedicated defenders for the Historic American nation.
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