The Idea of Israel as a Jewish State

Abstract

Israel is often described as a Jewish state and as the locus of Jewish
self-determination. How should these phrases be understood? How
can they be squared with a commitment to equal citizenship for
non-Jewish Israelis? This Article distinguishes between descriptive
and normative answers to these questions. The descriptive answer
interprets the phrases as referring to the fact that a majority of Israelis
are Jewish. The normative answer reads into the phrases a special
obligation to promote the common good of the Jewish people. The
Article argues that the phrases are unobjectionable when taken in the
descriptive sense, but problematic when understood in the normative
sense. A state that is guided by the normative answer would offer
inadequate protection to key interests of minorities. The critique of
the normative answer also points to the more positive conclusion that
Israel should foster an Israeli civic identity amongst all its citizens.