Tom Bethell

In the following viewpoint, Tom Bethell maintains that Israel is embroiled in a cultural war between religious and secular forces. While many claim that the tenets of the Orthodox religious establishment are creating discord, it is really the actions of the secular constituency that have incited conflict, Bethell argues. Orthodox Jews are facing discrimination and scorn from increasingly extremist and fanatical secular forces, he contends. Bethell is a correspondent for the American Spectator,a monthly conservative journal.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Bethell, what group of people founded the state of Israel?
2. According to the author, how has the Israeli controversy over Jewish identity been misinterpreted in the United States?
3. What is fanatical about Yossi Beilin’s opinions on Oslo, in Bethell’s opinion"

Ispent a week...