On Thu, 2 Aug 2001, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
> Not so. Israel is unique in that states, however democratic or
> dictatorial, are generally considered states of their inhabitants, but
> Israel is officially *not* the state of its inhabitants but that of "the
> Jewish people world-wide" -- defined by blood (or, if you prefer,
> "nationality").
This is not only not unique, it's not even rare, CG. The ethnocultural definition of nationhood is more common in the world than the civic one. All such nations have a diaspora by definition, and dozens of them have a law of return, from Lithuania to Sri Lanka.
Michael __________________________________________________________________________ Michael Pollak................New York City..............mpollak at panix.com