Zionist leader demands a democratic secular state

Thanks to Anthony Loewenstein for pointing me in the direction of this Ha'aretz report. Apparently Abe Foxman, the head of one of America's main zionist organisations, the Anti-Defamation League, has called for a strict adherence to the prinicples of democratic secularism. The head of an organisation that devotes most of its resources to defending Israel believes that the rise of the religious right:

poses a tangible danger to the principle of separation of church and state and threatens to undermine the religious tolerance that characterizes the country.

The country here is the USA. Heaven forbid Foxman from calling for such religious tolerance in Israel. I should point out that the ADL has never shied away from denouncing Christian missionary activity targeted at Jews but this seems to be a first with regard to Christian influence at the state level. So what do we make of this stand? Is it tactics? is it opportunism? hypocrisy perhaps? Perhaps we need two words: Beyond chutzpah.

Also posted to Lenin's Tomb