Is a religiously/ethnic based democracy really a democracy?

Israel presents a conundrum. It is a democracy and yet one religious/ethnic group is given preeminence within the state and in society. It is by self-definition a Jewish state, which has a significant Muslim, Druse, and Christian minority population. Religious freedom is accorded to all, and yet . . .
In the LA Times today you will find an interesting juxtaposition. There is a significant news story about an Arab-Israeli, former member of the Knesset, who is wanted for treason. He is accused of passing information/collaborating with Hezbollah.
Further inside, as you come to the op-ed page you will find a column by this very person, Azmi Bisharai, who writes from Amman, Jordan: "Why is Israel after me?" Bishari claims that Israel's charges against him are trumped up and part of a pattern of attempts to silence him for criticizing what he considers second-class citizenship. Now it is true that a Muslim living in Israel has more freedoms than a Jew living in Jordan. Sometimes critics of Israeli policy are accused of holding Israel to a higher standard than their neighbors. There maybe truth to the criticism, but one of the reasons Israel is held to a higher standard is its claim to be a democracy. If it is a true democracy then it should live to a higher standard than a dictatorship, monarchy, or autocracy. It is not because Israel is Jewish that we hold it to a higher standard, it is because of its claims to be a democracy. One of the reasons why Iran's democracy is suspect is that it doesn't allow true religious freedom.
And thus the question raised at the top: Can a religiously/ethnically rooted state offer true democratic freedom to persons outside that group? It may be possible, but as Bishwari's claims make clear, such an entity is not easily sustained. What makes the US special is that it allows religion to flourish, places few restraints on it, and yet is ultimately a secular state. This is why I get nervous when people call the US a Christian Nation -- if true, then what of those who are religious minorities?

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