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Jewish state
In global politics, "Jewish state" is widely used as a synonym for Israel. The country's significance to Jews is fundamentally enshrined in the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Additionally, several Basic Laws of Israel collectively define it as a "Jewish and democratic state" in an official capacity. Israel is home to roughly half of the world's Jews, making it the only country in which Jews comprise more than 2.5% of the total population, and Israeli legislation is accordingly posited as addressing the 71.9% Jewish majority's values and aspirations.
The "Jewish" definition of Israel's role and character as a state has generated internal and external debate on the secular–religious status quo (though Israel is not a Halakhic state), the status of Israelis who belong to the non-Jewish minority, and the legal and practical implications of integrating such a definition on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
In the pre-modern era, Jewish religious law defined a number of prerogatives for a Halakhic state. When Theodor Herzl published Der Judenstaat in 1896, he envisioned a secular state based on European models, which included religious institutions under the aegis of the state. In order to avoid alienating the Ottoman sultan, there was no explicit reference to Jewish statehood by the World Zionist Organization (WZO) that he founded in 1897. Instead, the phrase "national home" was used intentionally. Although Herzl's school of thought—that of political Zionism—grew to be the most widespread and successful in the Zionist movement, there were several types of Jewish nationalism that advocated other methods by which the Jewish national home could be realized.
The 1917 Balfour Declaration referred to "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people" and the 1922 Churchill White Paper clarified that "Phrases have been used such as that Palestine is to become 'as Jewish as England is English.' His Majesty's Government regard any such expectation as impracticable and have no such aim in view. They would draw attention to the fact that the terms of the Declaration referred to do not contemplate that Palestine as a whole should be converted into a Jewish National Home, but that such a Home should be founded 'in Palestine.'"
The 1942 Biltmore Program of the WZO proposed "that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth." In 1946, however, the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry (also known as the Grady–Morrison Committee) noted that the demand for a Jewish state went beyond the obligations of either the Balfour Declaration or the British Mandate for Palestine, and that it had been expressly disowned by the Jewish Agency for Palestine as recently as 1932.
The concept of a Jewish state was juxtaposed with an Arab state in the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, which also marked Jerusalem as an international zone under the sovereignty of neither state. While the Partition Plan was adopted by a majority vote, it was never implemented due to the 1948 Palestine war.
Modern Israel was founded on 14 May 1948, when it was explicitly declared as an independent Jewish state assuming full responsibility for all Palestinian Jews. This principle was given further legal effect in the Law of Return, which was passed by the Knesset on 5 July 1950, stating that "Every Jew has the right to come to this country as an oleh." In 1970, it was modified to include non-Jewish people with at least one Jewish grandparent. Thus, the Law of Return enables qualified Jewish and non-Jewish immigrants of Jewish descent (as well as their spouses and children) to gain Israeli citizenship.
The phrase "Jewish state" is often used in global media (especially Western media) and politics to describe Israel. American presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama are among notable politicians who have referred to Israel as a Jewish state at an international level during their tenures. One of the conditions set by Israel for the Israeli–Palestinian peace process entails the Palestinians' recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. However, this condition has been regarded by Palestinian politicians as a diplomatic trap that would jeopardize the Palestinian right of return, citing the fact that it was never discussed in early Israeli–Palestinian negotiations and also not demanded in Israel's peace treaties with Egypt and with Jordan. In 1993, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization exchanged the Letters of Mutual Recognition, whereby the latter recognized the former as a sovereign state to proceed with the Oslo Accords. Since the 1990s, successive Israeli governments have maintained an official stance asserting that the Palestinians must explicitly recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
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Jewish state
In global politics, "Jewish state" is widely used as a synonym for Israel. The country's significance to Jews is fundamentally enshrined in the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Additionally, several Basic Laws of Israel collectively define it as a "Jewish and democratic state" in an official capacity. Israel is home to roughly half of the world's Jews, making it the only country in which Jews comprise more than 2.5% of the total population, and Israeli legislation is accordingly posited as addressing the 71.9% Jewish majority's values and aspirations.
The "Jewish" definition of Israel's role and character as a state has generated internal and external debate on the secular–religious status quo (though Israel is not a Halakhic state), the status of Israelis who belong to the non-Jewish minority, and the legal and practical implications of integrating such a definition on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
In the pre-modern era, Jewish religious law defined a number of prerogatives for a Halakhic state. When Theodor Herzl published Der Judenstaat in 1896, he envisioned a secular state based on European models, which included religious institutions under the aegis of the state. In order to avoid alienating the Ottoman sultan, there was no explicit reference to Jewish statehood by the World Zionist Organization (WZO) that he founded in 1897. Instead, the phrase "national home" was used intentionally. Although Herzl's school of thought—that of political Zionism—grew to be the most widespread and successful in the Zionist movement, there were several types of Jewish nationalism that advocated other methods by which the Jewish national home could be realized.
The 1917 Balfour Declaration referred to "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people" and the 1922 Churchill White Paper clarified that "Phrases have been used such as that Palestine is to become 'as Jewish as England is English.' His Majesty's Government regard any such expectation as impracticable and have no such aim in view. They would draw attention to the fact that the terms of the Declaration referred to do not contemplate that Palestine as a whole should be converted into a Jewish National Home, but that such a Home should be founded 'in Palestine.'"
The 1942 Biltmore Program of the WZO proposed "that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth." In 1946, however, the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry (also known as the Grady–Morrison Committee) noted that the demand for a Jewish state went beyond the obligations of either the Balfour Declaration or the British Mandate for Palestine, and that it had been expressly disowned by the Jewish Agency for Palestine as recently as 1932.
The concept of a Jewish state was juxtaposed with an Arab state in the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, which also marked Jerusalem as an international zone under the sovereignty of neither state. While the Partition Plan was adopted by a majority vote, it was never implemented due to the 1948 Palestine war.
Modern Israel was founded on 14 May 1948, when it was explicitly declared as an independent Jewish state assuming full responsibility for all Palestinian Jews. This principle was given further legal effect in the Law of Return, which was passed by the Knesset on 5 July 1950, stating that "Every Jew has the right to come to this country as an oleh." In 1970, it was modified to include non-Jewish people with at least one Jewish grandparent. Thus, the Law of Return enables qualified Jewish and non-Jewish immigrants of Jewish descent (as well as their spouses and children) to gain Israeli citizenship.
The phrase "Jewish state" is often used in global media (especially Western media) and politics to describe Israel. American presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama are among notable politicians who have referred to Israel as a Jewish state at an international level during their tenures. One of the conditions set by Israel for the Israeli–Palestinian peace process entails the Palestinians' recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. However, this condition has been regarded by Palestinian politicians as a diplomatic trap that would jeopardize the Palestinian right of return, citing the fact that it was never discussed in early Israeli–Palestinian negotiations and also not demanded in Israel's peace treaties with Egypt and with Jordan. In 1993, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization exchanged the Letters of Mutual Recognition, whereby the latter recognized the former as a sovereign state to proceed with the Oslo Accords. Since the 1990s, successive Israeli governments have maintained an official stance asserting that the Palestinians must explicitly recognize Israel as a Jewish state.