The Israeli Cabinet has approved a law that requires new citizens to declare their loyalty to a "Jewish state." Furthermore, Prime Minister Netanyahu demands that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state as a prerequisite to halting settlement construction.

In defense of the new law, Netanyahu noted that "there is no other Jewish state in the world."

Actually, the fact that there is no other Jewish state is because it is un-Jewish to have a state. Throughout their 2000-year-long exile, Jews have had many opportunities to establish their own state, but they voluntarily refrained from doing so, knowing that G-d commanded them to wait for His redemption, via the messiah.

In about the year 132 CE, Bar Kochba led a Jewish revolt against Rome and established a Jewish kingdom. The Talmud relates that Bar Kochba claimed to be the messiah. The Sages tested him, and when they were satisfied that he was not the messiah, they killed him. We see clearly that subsequent to the destruction of the Temple, the Talmudic Sages were against the existence of any Jewish state before the coming of the messiah.

In 1536, the Portuguese Inquisition was launched, and Jews became subject to severe persecution and public burnings. The Jews of Portugal saw an opportunity to take over the kingdom, but one old Jewish sage asked G-d, using a Kabbalistic method, if this was the right thing to do. G-d replied with the words of the Song of Songs 2:7, "I adjure you not arouse or awaken..." - the very verse quoted by the Talmud as the source that Jews are not allowed to force the end of exile. As a result, the plan to revolt was scrapped.

In 1826, when Mordecai Noah proposed to found an all-Jewish state or colony on Grand Island near Buffalo, New York, and send letters to the rabbis of Europe asking them to be leaders in the new state, here is the answer he got from Abraham de Cologna, Chief Rabbi of Paris:

"The venerable Messrs. Herschell and Mendola, Chief Rabbis at London, and myself, thank him, but positively refuse the appointments he has been pleased to confer upon us. We declare that according to our dogmas, God alone knows the epoch of the Israelitish restoration, that he alone will make it known to the whole universe by signs entirely unequivocal, and that every attempt on our part to reassemble with any politico-national design is forbidden, as an act of high treason against the Divine Majesty."

Such was always the Jewish viewpoint, accepted as obvious by all Jews, everywhere, throughout 19 centuries. It was only Jews who knew nothing of Judaism, such as Herzl and his colleagues, who could conceive of a "Jewish state."

So we reiterate: Netanyahu, you have no right to ask anyone - Jew or non-Jew - to recognize your state as a Jewish state, since its entire existence violates the Jewish religion. We protest and condemn the use of OUR name for YOUR state.