RAMALLAH, Jan 23 (JMCC) - From prohibitions against renting homes to non-Jews to crackdowns on left-wing activists, some Israeli officials are worried about the increasingly intolerant image it is portraying to the world.
Across the political spectrum, some see the struggle as a threat to Israel's democratic ideals. Opposition leader Tzipi Livni, of the centrist Kadima party, warned that an evil spirit has been sweeping over the country. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said a wave of racism is threatening to pull Israeli society into dark and dangerous places.
To some, the timing of the rising intolerance is surprising because it comes during a period of relative security and prosperity. The number of terrorist attacks in Israel dropped last year to its lowest level in more than a decade, and Israel's economy is growing faster than those of most other countries.
Read the full story at the Los Angeles Times...