I have obtained a c opy of "The Impossible Dilemma: Who is a Jew in the State of Israel," by Oscar Kraines, 1976. Already on the second page Kraines calls it how it is. The question is not, "Who is a Jew," but rather, "Who is to determine who is a Jew."

This is very much in the news these days as we read about thousands demonstrating against the Haradim (the ultra-orthodox), attempting to fasten thei idea of The Law on Israeli society, with their attacks on women...even 7-years old! 

 Haaretz: petition-to-protest-ultra-orthodox-discrimination-against-7-year-old-beit-shemesh-girl

Unlike the western democracies that Israel claims to be one of, Israel has no fundamental founding document, no consitution.  Until it does, nobody is safe from the would-be theocrats. There are those who say everything that the state needs to know is in Torah (Numbers, Deuteronomy)--or is it Talmud? In any case, the result would be Sharia in Hebrew.

Perhaps the "take-back ..."  movement has reached Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Thousands have taken to the streets to protest the overreach of the Haradim.

When the United States annexed the vast regions of  northern Mexico by the treaty that ended the Mexican war US citizenship was granted to all people living in that vast territory. When Israel annnexed  East Jerusalem in 1967 the people living there were declared non grata and ever since, in the face of international condemnation,  strenous effots have been made to "transfer" them elsewhere.

I have just opened Kraine's book, so I don't know if he is going to discuss  the problem how israel can be both Jewish and Democratic. So far the trick has been to distinguish between nationality and citizenship. Voices have been raised about the impoverished European languages, that treat as synonyms these two obviously distinct concepts. Every citizen of  Israel is equal to every other before the law, but members of the Jewish nation have privileges not extended to others.

Israel needs a constitution  that will grant truly equal rights to all citizens, regardless of nationality.