[JulianMorrison]

Israel's leaders won't get much sleep either. They are presently favored by the USA for two reasons: the large pro-Israel voting bloc, and the fact they are the only secular democracy in the region.

If they weren't the only democracy, people might start making comparisons.

[stevenbedrick]

Without commenting on your theory as to why Israel's favored by the USA, I'd like to point out a bigger reason that Israeli leaders won't be sleeping well: whoever ends up in charge of Egypt is quite likely to be a lot more hostile toward Israel than Mubarak's government has been.

Israel has been able to count on relatively peaceful relations with Egypt for the last few decades, meaning that since the treaty with Jordan they've only had to worry about one hostile immediate neighbor. Suddenly having to worry about Egypt as well as Lebanon would represent a big change.

[mahmud]

How is a "Jewish state" a secular democracy?

Turkey is the ONLY secular democracy in the region.

[InclinedPlane]

Israel is a secular state in practice, Turkey is a secular state by declaration. Christians, Muslims, and adherents to other religions can be and are full members of Israeli society. They can vote, they can do business, and they can, and do, serve in the government.

[mahmud]

It would take an inordinate amount of KoolAid for one to take that statement over reality.

Going by your own statement, if Israel is declared a Jewish state but a secular democracy in "practice", then all rights granted to others are only nominal and on case by case basis. There is absolutely no separation between Church and state.

[InclinedPlane]

The UK, Greece, Finland, Denmark, and Norway are officially Christian nations with state religions. Sweden disestablished its state religion in 2000. These are all nevertheless very much secular states in practice and by law. Note that Israel's religious establishment is far weaker than that of, for example, the UK.

[tomjen3]

As a Dane I have to disagree with that statement - Denmark doesn't hang non-christians, and they can speak and write and debate, but not only is a particular version of Christianity favoured by the government, the members of the Royal house must be believers in this faith, but we also teach the bible in the public schools (and we used to teach pupils to remember hymns the way they are thought mathematics, etc this practice didn't stop until about 20-30 years ago).

So no, even Denmark is far from a secular state, either by law or by practice.