A law school graduate, David Lange transitioned from work in the oil and hi-tech industries into fulltime Israel advocacy. He is a respected commentator and Middle East analyst who has often been cited by the mainstream media
Some of the hatred and bigotry infused in these comments is shocking. The whole *point* of this piece is that Israel is a multi-racial and multi-faith society where freedom of religion is taken seriously, unlike in many parts of the Arab and Muslim world. And then a handful of people come on and express their great disgust that this is the case. If Israel were to become nothing but an “Orthodox-Jewish-flavoured” version of a fundamentalist Muslim state, what in G-d’s name would be the POINT of it? It would basically become Iran with yarmulkes instead of hijabs. Instead of a bulwark of liberty and human respect in an ocean of fundamentalist coercion. If that is your ideal vision, then I wonder why you would expend any energy fighting with the crazy dominionist Islamists in the first place – your disagreements with them are merely a matter of petty details. For some of us, Israel is a beacon of light precisely BECAUSE it ISN’T a crazy conformist theocracy where personal conscience and religious practice is dictated by the State.
Seriously, shame on the bigots, of all stripes and nationalities. I wish everyone, no matter where they are from, or what their personal spiritual path may be, a very Merry Christmas, Happy Channukah, light-filled Diwali and inspirational Kwanzaa and a new year filled with every blessing.
I get your point, but it just seems like such an anti-Israel thing to do, and kind of a dumb idea. I have been in Jerusalem over Christmas, and I have to say, it was quite nice not to have all the Christmas commercialism. I always imagined that that’s the one place (I guess with Bethlehem and Nazareth) where Christmas is celebrated as a religious holiday, not necessarily with trees etc. The gesture would probably not be appreciated by anyone anyway. Plus, where else in the world do they hand out free xmas trees? But the main problem is that JNF is cutting down trees – it flies against everything they stand for.
There are thriving Christian, Israel born communities in Yafo, Haifa, Druze and Arab towns as well as those you mention and you may rest assured that JNF is culling trees for the good of our forestry. We are a multicultural society and blessed with the strength to enjoy our cultural freedom. So may God bless us all – every one of us.
As I said, it’s a political gesture with an eye toward millions of Christian Zionists. And if Christians choose to appropriate a Roman ritual and cleanse it of its pagan significance, that’s their choice.
Stupid idea
Agree
if one picks up a tree, one is a pagan and is not allowed to live within the borders of israel
has nothing to do with apartheid…has to do with halacha
thank you
jnf is not stupid…they are criminal
please go back to planting forests over the fakestinians fake cities…thank you
Superb – nail the jewhate bastrd canards to the withering Arabist tree from whence they came
I hope it’s part of some reforestation program.
You are all lowering the level of discussion. Shame on you.
Hear, hear!
Some of the hatred and bigotry infused in these comments is shocking. The whole *point* of this piece is that Israel is a multi-racial and multi-faith society where freedom of religion is taken seriously, unlike in many parts of the Arab and Muslim world. And then a handful of people come on and express their great disgust that this is the case. If Israel were to become nothing but an “Orthodox-Jewish-flavoured” version of a fundamentalist Muslim state, what in G-d’s name would be the POINT of it? It would basically become Iran with yarmulkes instead of hijabs. Instead of a bulwark of liberty and human respect in an ocean of fundamentalist coercion. If that is your ideal vision, then I wonder why you would expend any energy fighting with the crazy dominionist Islamists in the first place – your disagreements with them are merely a matter of petty details. For some of us, Israel is a beacon of light precisely BECAUSE it ISN’T a crazy conformist theocracy where personal conscience and religious practice is dictated by the State.
Seriously, shame on the bigots, of all stripes and nationalities. I wish everyone, no matter where they are from, or what their personal spiritual path may be, a very Merry Christmas, Happy Channukah, light-filled Diwali and inspirational Kwanzaa and a new year filled with every blessing.
I get your point, but it just seems like such an anti-Israel thing to do, and kind of a dumb idea. I have been in Jerusalem over Christmas, and I have to say, it was quite nice not to have all the Christmas commercialism. I always imagined that that’s the one place (I guess with Bethlehem and Nazareth) where Christmas is celebrated as a religious holiday, not necessarily with trees etc. The gesture would probably not be appreciated by anyone anyway. Plus, where else in the world do they hand out free xmas trees? But the main problem is that JNF is cutting down trees – it flies against everything they stand for.
There are thriving Christian, Israel born communities in Yafo, Haifa, Druze and Arab towns as well as those you mention and you may rest assured that JNF is culling trees for the good of our forestry. We are a multicultural society and blessed with the strength to enjoy our cultural freedom. So may God bless us all – every one of us.
I like you, Judokajudaica.
It’s a political gesture more than anything else and in no way reduces the Jewish character of Israel.
do copts have trees?
nope
case closed
its a roman pagan ritual
i have no hate towards christians…i think it is disgusting that a roman ritual is being observed in yerushalaim
hey…next chanuka…LETS HAVE A TOGA PARTY
As I said, it’s a political gesture with an eye toward millions of Christian Zionists. And if Christians choose to appropriate a Roman ritual and cleanse it of its pagan significance, that’s their choice.
typical. Israel does something nice and people still find something to complain about.
This can\’t be done privately?