[KevinTheOmnivore]

I guess I'm curious about Sharon also. I've studied Israeli politics a tad, but not nearly enough to fully grasp what's going on there.

As an outsider, it seems to me like Sharon is at least earnest about what he would like to accomplish. I don't know if he's just legacy building or what, but it seems to me like he has put his ass on the line here (any subsequent fat jokes would be cruel and far too easy).

Again, coming from the novice perspective, does Israel really need to maintain a religious identity in order to be a Jewish state? Doesn't the fact that a majority of Israelis are comfortable enough to ease up on the religious aspect to Judaism indicate that there is still a Jewish identity there? I may be unclear here, but I guess I'm asking does Jewish identity have to entail an overtly religious Israel? After all, weren't a lot of very secular, socialist worker-type Jews involved in the original development and creation of the country?