The Israeli government (including the current one) has always said no. On most issues I agree with this. If you don't live in the country and share the risks and sacrifices then you don't have a say.
However, Jerusalem is different. Jerusalem is something that all Jews have prayed for for generations. It is the spiritual capital of Judaism. Therefore, I think that all Jews should have a say as to the fate of Jerusalem. We can learn from Yasser Arafat, who at Camp David, said that he could not give the Western Wall to Israel, because Jerusalem belongs to the entire Muslim nation, so he first must go to Cairo and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and ask them for permission. Jerusalem certainly belongs to the entire Jewish nation and therefore Olmert has no right to give it away.
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This ties in to the dichotomy between Israelis and Jews (as per the question periodically asked by surveys whether residents consider themselves one or the other). Interestingly, I recall some high-level politician a few years back (Sharon?) getting in trouble for stating that all French Jews should make aliyah.
Additionally, do you believe that a poll of all Jews would have in a different (or superior) result than one of all Israelis? I'm not convinced that you would get agreement from a majority of the WZO, and this doesn't even include various non-Zionists and anti-Zionists. (The point, of course, could be that the Israeli government doesn't represent all Israelis either...)
I believe Ben Gurion said as much (diaspora Jews do have a say).
I believe Ben Gurion said as much (diaspora Jews do have a say).
For a good portion of DBG's career, he was dependent on the assistance of diaspora Jews to help him wage war against the forces of anti-Zionism mustered by Buber, Ruppin, and others, so it wouldn't be surprising that he would say this, but I wouldn't expect any post-1967 PM to express these views.
although i am guitly of pontificating on these matters on my own blog, i really don't think american jews have a say in jerusalem's status as far as the israeli government is concerned.
however, as americans, we have every right to lobby our own administration in a particular direction.
B"H
Chazal teach that every Jew has his own "arba amot" in Eretz Yisrael.
There are various commandments regarding Eretz Yisrael that are relevant to us here.
And on the very practical level since
the rulers of the Zionist regime in the Land of Israel come here begging for money and political support for many of their projects including just few years ago Ariel Sharon coming to gain our support for so called "disengagement" it is clear that we have a say and should
use it to promote peace, security prosperity and Torah observance in Eretz Yisrael.
PS. See also http://moshiachtv.blogspot.com/2007/05/moshiach-and-zionism.html
For this discussion let's say that I am agree with you. We should ask approval from all the Jews.
Technically how can we do it?
To put a polling booth in all the synagogues?
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