Who is a Hebrew?

There is some controversy as to who is a Jew. The word Jew of course refers to someone who observes the Jewish religion, but it also refers to a person who is born Jewish and does not observe another religion but also does not necessarily observe the Jewish religion. Most likely his or her ancestors at some time did observe the Jewish religion. It is not a matter of race. If you look at Jews, you will see a racial variation from blonde blue eyed northern European appearing Jews to brown eyed Mediterranean appearing Jews to African Jews from Ethiopia and Indian Jews who look like all the other people in India. What we have in common is a history and some connection to the Jewish religion, whether in the present or in a previous time or generation. Strictly speaking, the Jewish religion says that having a Jewish mother makes one a Jew. Certainly Orthodox Judaism follows that rule and probably Conservative Judaism. I don't know that we all follow that rule so strictly.
At one time it was not as much of an issue as it is today. It was mainly a matter of religion and was rightly in the realm of the rabbis. However, a change occurred with the rise of nationalism in Europe when Jews were now regarded as different not just because of religion. In this atmosphere, came modern Zionism in the late 19th Century. Most of the founders of the Zionist movement like Theodore Herzl were not necessarily religious, but were reacting to a nationalistic European anti-semitism. In fact many Orthodox Jews opposed Zionism in its early days, saying that the rebirth of a Jewish Israel would only come in the time of the Messiah.
Now with the existence of the State of Israel, who is a Jew has become a political issue, because the original purpose of Zionism was to create a haven for Jews who needed to excape persecution elsewhere. Therefore a Jew who arrives in Israel can become an instant citizen. Now in the negotiations over a future division between Israel and a future Palestinian state, the Palestinians insist on immigration  of descendants of Arabs who left Israel in 1948 into the State of Israel, but that would shift the demography of Israel so that it might eventually become an Arab state rather than a Jewish state. So now Israel's Prime minister insists that Israel be recognized by the Arabs as a Jewish state. This is one of the sticking points in reaching a settlement. There is also a problem with this in that 20% of the population in Israel is Arab, mostly Moslem. Forcing them to call their country a Jewish state puts them in a dilemma between loyalty to their country, their language, and their religion.
Let me propose a way out of this dilemma for everyone concerned. The heart of the problem is in the fuzziness between the definition of Jewish as a religion and as a people. Let us leave the word Jewish as the Jewish religion and use the word Hebrew to refer to us as a people both in Israel and here in the Diaspora. Let Hebrew refer to people who are Jewish by religion or have a Hebrew history or Hebrew descent or speak Hebrew as their language or are citizens of the State of Israel whatever their religion or lack of religion. Jewish is the religion and Hebrew is secular. It might be semantics here in the Diaspora, but in Israel it would take the matter of Hebrew nationalism away from the rabbis and give it to the secular Israeli government where it belongs.
Defining the secular side of Jewishness as Hebrew would strengthen Israel in many ways. There would be no reason to deport the children of migrant workers who grow up as Gentile Hebrews as well as migrant workers themselves who want to take on the Hebrew language and culture as their own. This would help to turn the demographic clock in favor of Hebrews, making the Arab demography less threatening. Immigration is the life blood of a nation, and massive Jewish immigration just isn't happening anymore. It would strengthen Israel in its negotiations with the Palestinian Arabs by throwing the ball into their court and by putting Israel in a position where Israel will survive as a Hebrew nation whether Palestine becomes a separate state, a part of the Hebrew state, or something in between. Anything will work as long as each person has an opportunity to be a first class participating citizen of his or her country.
As for those who say that this idea would diminish or endanger the Jewish religion, my answer is to have faith in our religion. I am sure it would stand up to any competitor in a free exchange of ideas. It has withstood 2 millenia of persecution, not to mention the Holocaust, and we are still here.