Israel dismally fails the requirements of a tolerant pluralistic society,
according to a new report from the U.S. State Department.

Despite boasting religious freedom and protection of all holy sites,
Israel falls short in tolerance toward minorities, equal treatment of
ethnic groups, openness toward various streams within society, and respect
for holy and other sites.

The comprehensive report, written by the State Department's Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, says Israel discriminates against
groups including Muslims, Jehova's Witnesses, Reform Jews, Christians,
women and Bedouin.

The report says that the 1967 law on the protection of holy places refers
to all religious groups in the country, including in Jerusalem, but "the
government implements regulations only for Jewish sites. Non-Jewish holy
sites do not enjoy legal protection under it because the government does
not recognize them as official holy sites."

At the end of 2008, for example, all of the 137 officially recognized holy
sites were Jewish. Moreover, Israel issued regulations for the
identification, preservation and guarding of Jewish sites only. Many
Christian and Muslim sites are said to be neglected, inaccessible or at
risk of exploitation by real estate entrepreneurs and local authorities.

The report makes it clear that practices that have become routine in
Israel are considered unacceptable in enlightened countries and should be
corrected.

Among other examples, the report notes that more than 300,000 immigrants
who are not considered Jewish under rabbinical law are not allowed to
marry and divorce in Israel or be buried in Jewish cemeteries.  
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1126286.html

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