Quotable Words

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...Europe traditionally refuses to confront Palestinians with the concessions they must make for an agreement: While repeatedly declaring Israel must withdraw to the 1967 lines and divide Jerusalem, it has never been willing to say that, for instance, Palestinian refugees can’t relocate to Israel.

But there’s also something deeper at work here. As a European diplomat once told me, Europeans are profoundly uncomfortable with the idea of a Jewish state, because to them it sounds like a “Christian state” – i.e., a religious state. And while most European countries were founded as Christian states (that’s why many still have a cross on their flags), modern-day Europeans generally have little use for religion: Just 21 percent say religion is “very important” to them, compared to 59 percent of Americans, and only 15 percent regularly attend religious services (44 percent for Americans).

True, Europe is fine with Arab and Muslim countries defining themselves as Islamic states, but this isn’t just hypocrisy. While Europeans won’t admit it, they do have a double standard: Non-Westerners can adhere to “primitive” beliefs and practices like religion, but Westerners are supposed to be secular like them. That’s precisely why Europeans are often uncomfortable with America’s overt religiosity. And if Israel wants to be considered a Western country (which it does), then in Europe’s view, it can’t be a “religious” state.

That was from Evelyn Gordon.

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