More about the Pope's Israel trip

I'm just curious, never having been to Israel as a tourist or anything. Do any of the Israeli rabbis actually quote scripture? Every speech I hear (criticizing the Pope, who preaches not speeches) could have been spoken by any politician. The rabbis seem to be politicians rather than religious leaders.

I've heard rabbis speak in the United States, of course, and there's no confusion that they are religious leaders who know and speak their scripture, and who look to God for guidance in all. Is that something that just doesn't happen in Israel? Just curious.

Maybe people are so disappointed with the Pope in Israel because they just don't have role models of religious leaders anymore... everyone over there seems to be a politician and a warrior.

King David would certainly be disappointed, he whose focus never left God.

This, my friends, is one reason that people are so hesitant to use the word "Israel." If you are going to be a "religious state," why do the religious leaders never cite scripture in their speeches, nor look to God for their secular and political guidance? The ancient Israelites, for all their sins and faults, constantly looked toward God. I doubt that any priest or politician during the time of King David or Solomon would "give a speech" without citing scripture and keeping the focus on God. They'd be shocked, believe you me, to read the secular speeches of the rabbis today.