Israel picks between 'secular democracy or theocracy' in election, chess master Garry Kasparov says
"Just as Abraham Lincoln observed that the government could not persist 'half slave and half free,' Israel cannot go on half theocratic and half secular," Kasparov, whose father was Jewish, said.
Israeli voters will decide on October 27 if they want a secular democracy or a theocracy, according to former chess champion Garry Kasparov. He argues that Israel cannot be a mix of both systems, just as the United States couldn't be half slave and half free. Kasparov believes the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft to the IDF is the main issue dividing the country.
Since 1948, over 50,000 people have avoided military service to study Torah, leading to a growing disconnect between secular Israelis and the religious ultra-Orthodox. This divide has led to corruption of Israel's social compact and unfair treatment of non-observant Israelis. Kasparov calls for a return to equality before the law and an Israel that lives up to its founders' aspirations as a "light unto the nations."
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
