Israel Wants to make Catholic Schools State Schools

This is an interesting collision of two profoundly sacred cows in American conservative thought (which deeply colors American conservative *Catholic* thought).

On the one hand, the State getting its mitts on Catholic schools is regarded with horror by American conservatives (for good reason).

On the other hand, the Immaculate Conception of the State of Israel and its preservation from all sin both original and actual is also a deeply sacred belief among American conservatives. Suggest the teensy-weeniest fault with anything Israel might do or say (even something like criticizing a blasphemous Israeli tourism ad) and you are immediately suspected of wanting to push Israel into the sea.

So it will be curious to see how this particular conflict is resolved.

Me: I think Catholic schools should remain independent of the state. On the other hand, it may be that as the Holy Land is totally denuded of a Christian population, there simply is not going to be a private economic base sufficient to support a Catholic education system independent of state support.

Once again demonstrating that the one absolutely consistent effect of our foreign policy has been the destruction of the Church. I used to think that was an accidental bug. Now I think it is a deliberate feature.