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{{Main|Israeli Druze}}
{{Main|Israeli Druze}}
Israel is home to about 102,000 Druze who follow their own gnostic religion. The Druze live mainly in the [[Haifa]] area, [[Acre]] and [[Peki'in]].<ref name="idr">''Identity Repertoires among Arabs in Israel'', Muhammad Amara and Izhak Schnell; ''Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies'', Vol. 30, 2004</ref> Since 1957, the Israeli government has also designated the Druze a distinct ethnic community, at the request of the community's leaders. Until his death in 1993, the Druze community in Israel was led by Shaykh [[Amin Tarif]], a charismatic figure regarded by many within the Druze community internationally as the preeminent religious leader of his time.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/05/obituaries/sheik-amin-tarif-arab-druse-leader-in-israel-dies-at-95.html | work=The New York Times | title=Sheik Amin Tarif, Arab Druse Leader In Israel, Dies at 95 | first=Eric | last=Pace | date=1993-10-05 | accessdate=2010-03-29}}</ref>
Israel is home to about 102,000 Druze who follow their own gnostic religion. The Druze live mainly in the [[Haifa]] area, [[Acre]] and [[Peki'in]].<ref name="idr">''Identity Repertoires among Arabs in Israel'', Muhammad Amara and Izhak Schnell; ''Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies'', Vol. 30, 2004</ref> Since 1957, the Israeli government has also designated the Druze a distinct ethnic community, at the request of the community's leaders. Until his death in 1993, the Druze community in Israel was led by Shaykh [[Amin Tarif]], a charismatic figure regarded by many within the Druze community internationally as the preeminent religious leader of his time.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/05/obituaries/sheik-amin-tarif-arab-druse-leader-in-israel-dies-at-95.html | work=The New York Times | title=Sheik Amin Tarif, Arab Druse Leader In Israel, Dies at 95 | first=Eric | last=Pace | date=1993-10-05 | accessdate=2010-03-29}}</ref>
===Karaites===
The [[Karaite]] community in Israel, with an estimated population of 12,000 {{fact|date=December 2010}} lives mainly in [[Ramla]], [[Ashdod]] and [[Beer-Sheva]].


===Bahá'í===
===Bahá'í===

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'[[File:Temple Mount Western Wall on Shabbat by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|300px|Western Wall and Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem]] '''Religion in Israel''' is a central feature of the country and plays a major role in shaping Israeli culture and lifestyle, and religion has played a central role in Israel's history. [[Israel]] is also the only country in the world where a majority of citizens are [[Jewish]]. According to the [[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]], the population in 2008 was 75.4% Jewish, 20.6% Arab, and 4% minority groups.<ref>Haaretz Service (16-09-2009). "Israel on eve of Rosh Hoshanah: Population hits 7.5m, 75.4% Jewish". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115060.html. Retrieved 2009-12-26.</ref> The religious affiliation of the Israeli population{{Vague|date=December 2010|Do these figures include the territories?}} as of 2005 was 76.2% Jewish, 16.1% [[Muslim]], 2.1% [[Christian]], and 1.6% [[Druze]], with the remaining 4.0% not classified by religion.<ref name="CBS 2.1">{{cite book|title=Statistical Abstract of Israel 2006 (No. 57)|publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]]|url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnatonenew_site.htm|year=2006|chapter=Table 2.1 — Population, by Religion and Population Group|chapterurl=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton57/st02_01.pdf}}</ref> Israel has no entrenched constitution, but [[freedom of religion]] is anchored in law. While the [[Basic Laws of Israel]] that serve in place of a constitution define the country as a "[[Jewish state]]," these Basic Laws, coupled with [[Knesset]] statutes, decisions of the [[Supreme Court of Israel]], and various elements of the [[common law]] current in Israel, also protect free practice of religion in the country.<ref name="state.gov">http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35499.htm</ref><ref>http://www.knesset.gov.il/laws/special/eng/basic3_eng.htm</ref> Legal accommodation of the non-Jewish communities follows the pattern and practice of the Ottoman and British administrations with some important modifications. Israeli law officially recognizes five religions, all belonging to the [[Abrahamic religions|Abrahamic family of religions]]: [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], [[Islam]], [[Druze]]ism and the [[Bahá'í Faith]]. Furthermore, the law formally recognizes ten separate [[sect]]s of Christianity: the [[Latin Rite|Roman]], [[Armenian Catholic Church|Armenian]], [[Maronite Church|Maronite]], [[Syriac Catholic Church|Syriac]], and [[Chaldean Catholic Church|Chaldean]] [[Catholic Church]]es; the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] [[Greek Orthodox Church]]; the [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental Orthodox]] [[Syriac Orthodox Church]]; the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]]; and the [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] Evangelical Episcopal Church.<ref name=sheetrit>{{Cite web| last = Sheetrit| first = Shimon| title = Freedom of Religion in Israel| work = Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs| accessdate = 2008-10-26| date = 2001-08-20| url = http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/8/Freedom%20of%20Religion%20in%20Israel}}</ref> The fact that the [[Muslim]] population was not defined as a religious community is a vestige of the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] era, when [[Islam]] was the dominant religion. The religious rights of the Muslim community are not affected by this, as even members of unrecognized religions are free to practice their religion.<ref name="state.gov"/> ==Religious self-definition== {{As of|2009}}, 8% of [[Israeli Jews]] defined themselves as [[Haredi Judaism|Haredim]]; an additional 12% as "religious"; 13% as "religious-traditionalists" ; 25% as "non-religious-traditionalists" (not strictly adhering to Jewish law or [[halakha]]); and 42% as "secular" ({{lang-he-n|חִלּוֹנִי}}, ''[[Hiloni]]'').<ref>[http://cbs.gov.il/reader/newhodaot/hodaa_template.html?hodaa=201019211] (in Hebrew)</ref> {{As of|1999}}, 65% of Israeli Jews believe in [[Names of God in Judaism|God]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.avi-chai.org/Static/Binaries/Publications/EnglishGuttman_0.pdf |format=PDF|archive-date=30 June 2007 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070630231145/http://www.avi-chai.org/Static/Binaries/Publications/EnglishGuttman_0.pdf |title=A Portrait of Israeli Jewry: Beliefs, Observances, and Values among Israeli Jews 2000 |publisher=The Israel Democracy Institute and The AVI CHAI Foundation |year=2002 |accessdate=2008-01-28 |page=8}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> and 85% participate in a [[Passover seder]].<ref>Ibid. p.11</ref> However, other sources indicate that between 15% and 37% of Israelis identify themselves as either [[agnosticism|agnostics]] or [[atheism|atheists]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_atheist.html |title=Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics |work=Adherents.com |date=27 March 2005}}</ref>{{Verify credibility|date=September 2009}} Israelis tend not to align themselves with a movement of [[Judaism]] (such as [[Reform Judaism]] or [[Conservative Judaism]]) but instead tend to define their religious affiliation by degree of their religious practice. Of the [[Israeli Arabs|Arab Israelis]], as of 2008, 82.7% were Muslims, 8.4% were Druze, and 8.3% were Christians.<ref name="CBS 2.1" /> Just over 80% of Christians are Arabs, and the majority of the remaining are immigrants from the former Soviet Union who immigrated with a Jewish relative. About 81% of Christian births are to Arab women.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/937993.html |title= Central Bureau of Statistics: 2.1% of state's population is Christian |author=Moti Bassok |date=25 december 2007 |publisher=HAARETZ.com |accessdate=2008-01-29| postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> ==Religion and citizenship== Israel was founded to provide a national home, safe from persecution, to the Jewish people. Although Israeli law explicitly grants equal civil rights to all citizens regardless of religion, ethnicity, or other heritage, it gives preferential treatment in certain aspects to individuals who fall within the criteria mandated by the [[Law of Return]]. Preferential treatment is given to Jews and their relatives who seek to immigrate to Israel. This serves to increase the Jewish population and provides asylum to people who face religious discrimination in the countries they emigrate from. The Law of Return does not strictly follow the traditional Jewish religious law ([[halakha]]) in relation to the definition of [[who is a Jew]]. For example, some individuals who would be considered Jewish under the halakha are excluded from the rights under the Law of Return - e.g. those who converted to another religion; while others are entitled to immigration though they are obviously non-Jewish - e.g. they are related by marriage to a Jew or a grandparent may have been a Jew. ==Judaism== Most citizens in the [[Israel|State of Israel]] are Jewish, and most Israeli Jews practice [[Judaism]] in some form. In the last two centuries the largest Jewish community in the world, in the United States, has divided into a number of [[Jewish denominations]]. The largest and most influential of these denominations are [[Orthodox Judaism]], [[Reform Judaism]], and [[Conservative Judaism]]. All of the above denominations exist, to varying degrees, in the State of Israel. Nevertheless, Israelis tend to classify Jewish identity in ways that are strikingly different from American Jewry. ===The secular-traditional spectrum=== {{main|Hiloni|Shomer Masoret}} [[File:Yom Kippur on Highway 20 Tel-Aviv.jpg|thumb|right|Cyclists ride down the deserted [[Highway 20 (Israel)|Ayalon Highway]] in Tel Aviv on Yom Kippur]] The Israeli term for [[Shomer Masoret]] (or [[Masorati]]) covers a wide range of ideologies and levels of observance, and is based on a self definition phenomenon rather than an organized movement. However, the ''Shomer Masoret'' generally perceive themselves as a partly observants. Many Jewish Israelis feel that being Israeli (living among Jews, speaking [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], in the Land of Israel), is in itself a sufficient expression of Judaism without any religious observances.{{Dubious|date=August 2010}} This conforms to some classical secular-[[Zionism|Zionist]] ideologies of Israeli-style civil religion.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} In 2007, a [[poll]] by the [[Israeli Democracy Institute]] found that 27% of Israeli Jews say that they keep the Sabbath, while 53% said they do not keep it at all. The poll also found that 50% of the respondents would give up shopping on the Sabbath as long as public transportation were kept running and leisure activities continued to be permitted; however only 38% believed that such a compromise would reduce the tensions between the secular and religious communities.<ref>"Sabbath Poll", ''Dateline World Jewry'', [[World Jewish Congress]], September, 2007</ref> Because the terms "secular" and "traditional" are not strictly defined, published estimates of the percentage of Israeli Jews who are considered "traditional" range from 32%<ref>[http://www.bicom.org.uk/about_israel/freedom_of_religion/]{{Citation broken|date=January 2008}}</ref> to 55%.<ref name=dje-howrelisr /> Estimates of the percentage of "secular" Jews vary even more widely: from 20%<ref name=dje-howrelisr>{{Cite document |url=http://www.jcpa.org/dje/articles2/howrelisr.htm |publisher=Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs |title=How Religious are Israeli Jews? |author=Daniel J. Elazar |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=January 2008}} to 80%<ref>{{Cite document |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40424-2004Jul10.html |title=The Other Israeli Conflict—The Jewish State Struggles Once Again Over How Jewish It Should Be |author=Anna R. Morgan |date=11 July 2009 |page=B03 |publisher=The Washington Post |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> of the Israeli population. ===The Orthodox spectrum=== {{main|Religious Zionism|Hardal|Haredi}} [[File:Tehillim neged Tilim.jpg|thumb|250px|left|<font face="Georgia">'''"Tehillim neged Tilim"'''</font> ("<font face="Georgia">Psalms [recting] to counter Missiles"</font>).<br /> A slogan initially coined during the [[First Gulf War]], [[1991]], and turned into a popular slogan-sticker ever since, especially among the [[Israel]]i [[Religious Zionism]] ("National Religious") community and the [[Haredi Judaism]] sector ]] The spectrum covered by "Orthodox" in the diaspora exists in Israel, again with some important variations. The [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] spectrum in Israel includes a far greater percentage of the Jewish population than in the diaspora, though ''how much'' greater is hotly debated. Various ways of measuring this percentage, each with its pros and cons, include the proportion of religiously observant [[Knesset]] members (about 25 out of 120), the proportion of Jewish children enrolled in religious schools, and statistical studies on "identity". What would be called "Orthodox" in the diaspora includes what is commonly called ''dati'' ("religious") or ''[[Haredi Judaism|haredi]]'' ("ultra-Orthodox") in Israel. The former term includes what is called [[Religious Zionism]] or the "National Religious" community (and also [[Modern Orthodox Judaism|Modern Orthodox]] in US terms), as well as what has become known over the past decade or so as ''[[Hardal]]'' (''haredi-leumi'', i.e. "ultra-Orthodox nationalist"), which combines a largely ''haredi'' lifestyle with a nationalist (i.e. pro-Zionist) ideology. [[File:Haredi Judaism.jpg|thumb|200px|Haredi Jews‎]] Haredi applies to a populace that can be roughly divided into three separate groups along both ethnic and ideological lines: (1) "[[Lithuanian Jews|Lithuanian]]" (i.e. non-hasidic) ''haredim'' of [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazic]] (i.e. "Germanic" - European) origin; (2) [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic]] ''haredim'' of Ashkenazic (mostly of [[Eastern Europe]]an) origin; and (3) [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardic]] (including [[Mizrahi Jews|mizrahi]]) ''haredim''. The third group has the largest political representation in Israel's parliament (the [[Knesset]]), and has been the most politically active since the early 1990s, represented by the [[Shas]] party. There is also a growing [[baal teshuva]] (Jewish penitents) movement of secular Israelis rejecting their previously secular lifestyles and choosing to become religiously observant with many educational programs and [[yeshiva]]s for them. An example is [[Aish HaTorah]], which received open encouragement from some sectors within the Israeli establishment. The Israeli government gave Aish HaTorah the real estate rights to its massive new campus opposite the [[Western Wall]] because of its proven ability to attract all manner of secular Jews to learn more about Judaism. In many instances after visiting from foreign countries, students decide to make Israel their permanent home by making [[aliyah]]. Other notable organizations involved in these efforts are the [[Chabad Lubavitch|Chabad]] and [[Breslov (Hasidic dynasty)|Breslov]] [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic]] movements who manage to have an ever-growing appeal, the popularity of Rabbi [[Amnon Yitzhak]]'s organization and the [[Arachim]] organization that offer a variety of frequent free "introduction to Judaism" seminars to secular Jews, the Lev LeAchim organization that sends out senior yeshiva and [[kollel]] students to recruit Israeli children for religious elementary schools and [[Yad LeAchim]] which runs [[Counter-Missionary|counter missionary]] programs. [[Shalom Hartman Institute]] of [[Jerusalem]] runs the Be'eri program to bring Jewish thought, philosophy, culture and history to "secular" to more than 50,000 Israeli school students<ref>http://www.hartman.org.il/Center_Edu/Program_View.asp?Program_Id=4 2009-10-12</ref> and [[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]]<ref>http://www.hartman.org.il/Center_Leader/Program_View.asp?Program_Id=19 2009-10-12</ref> officers without teaching religious practice or demanding observance of religious norms. At the same time, there is also a significant movement in the opposite direction toward a secular lifestyle. There is some debate which trend is stronger at present. Recent polls show that ranks of secular Jewish minority in Israel continued to drop in 2009. Currently the secular make up only 42%. <ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/poll-shows-ranks-of-secular-jewish-minority-in-israel-continued-to-drop-in-2009-1.290749 Haaretz: Poll shows ranks of secular Jewish minority in Israel continued to drop in 2009] </ref> === Secular-religious status quo === {{main|Status quo (Israel)}} The religious [[status quo]], agreed upon by [[David Ben-Gurion]] with the religious parties at the time of the declaration of independence in 1948 is an agreement on the religious Jewish role in government and the judicial system of Israel. The agreement was based upon a letter that was sent by Ben-Gurion to [[Aguda|Agudat Israel]] dated 19 June 1947.<ref>''The Status Quo Letter'' ([http://w3.kfar-olami.org.il/asaf/pedagogical/ezrahut/status.doc DOC]) {{He icon}} [http://books.google.cz/books?id=iVJR9UZnTVAC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58#v=onepage&q&f=false English translation] in ''Israel in the Middle East: Documents and Readings on Society, Politics, and Foreign Relations, Pre-1948 to the Present'', editors Itamar Rabinovich and Jehuda Reinharz. ISBN 978-0874519624</ref> Under this agreement, which still operates in most respects today: * The Chief Rabbinate has authority over [[kashrut]], [[shabbat]], [[Jewish burial]] and personal status issues, such as [[Jewish view of marriage|marriage]], divorce, and conversions. * Streets in [[Haredi]] neighborhoods are closed to traffic on the Sabbath. * There is no [[public transport]] on that day, and most businesses are closed. However, there is public transport in [[Haifa]], since Haifa had a large Arab population at the time of the British Mandate. * Restaurants who wish to advertise themselves as [[kosher]] must be certified by the [[Chief Rabbinate of Israel|Chief Rabbinate]]. * Importation of non-kosher foods is prohibited. Despite prohibition, there are a few local pork farms in [[kibbutz]]im, catering for establishments selling [[white meat]], due to its relatively popular demand among specific population sectors, particularly the Russian immigrants of the 1990s. Despite the status quo, the [[Supreme Court of Israel|Supreme Court]] ruled in 2004 that local governments are not allowed to ban the sale of pork, although this had previously been a common by-law. Nevertheless, some breaches of the ''status quo'' have become prevalent, such as several suburban malls remaining open during the Sabbath. Though this is [[blue law|contrary to the law]], the Government largely turns a blind eye. There have been many problems brought forth by secular Israelis regarding the Chief Rabbinate's strict control over Jewish weddings, Jewish divorce proceedings, conversions, and the question of [[who is a Jew]] for the purposes of immigration. The state of Israel enables freedom of religion for all its citizens but does not enable civil marriage - The state of Israel forbids and does not approve of any civil marriages or non-religious divorces performed amongst the secular Israeli Jews within the country. Because of this some Israelis choose to marry outside of Israel. The [[Ministry of Education (Israel)|Ministry of Education]] manages the secular and religious streams of various faiths in parallel, with a limited degree independence and a common core Curriculum. In recent years, perceived frustration with the ''status quo'' among some members of the secular sector has strengthened parties such as [[Shinui]], which advocate separation of religion from the state, without much success so far. Today the secular Israeli-Jews claim that they aren't religious and don't follow the Jewish rules and that Israel as a democratic modern country should not force the old outdated religious rules upon its citizens against their will. The religious Israeli-Jews claim that the separation between state and religion will contribute to the end of Israel's Jewish identity. Signs of the first challenge to the status quo came in 1977, with the fall of the Labor government that had ruled Israel since independence and the formation of a rightwing coalition under [[Menachem Begin]]. Right-wing Revisionist Zionism had always been more acceptable to the religious parties, since it did not share the same history of antireligious rhetoric that marked socialist Zionism. Furthermore, Begin needed the Haredi members of the Knesset (Israel's unicameral parliament) to form his coalition and offered more power and benefits to their community than what they were accustomed to receiving, including a lifting of the numerical limit on military exemptions. On the other hand, secular Israelis began questioning whether a "status quo" based on the conditions of the 1940s and 1950s was still relevant in the 1980s and 1990s, and perceived that they had cultural and institutional support to enable them to change it regardless of its relevance. They challenged Orthodox control of personal affairs such as marriage and divorce, resented the lack of entertainment and transportation options on the Sabbath (then the country's only day of rest), and questioned whether the burden of military service was being shared equally, since the 400 scholars, who originally benefited from the exemption, had grown to 50,000 {{Citation needed|date=June 2007}}. Finally, the Progressive and Masorti communities, though still small, began to exert themselves as an alternative to the Haredi control of religious issues. No one was happy with the "status quo"; the Orthodox used their new-found political force to attempt to extend religious control, and the non-Orthodox sought to reduce or even eliminate it. In 2010 a report released by the [[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]] showed that 8% of Israel's Jewish population defines itself as Haredi, 12% as religious, 13% as traditional-religious, 25% as traditional and 42% as secular, on a descending scale of religiosity. Among the Arab population it showed that 8% define themselves as very religious, 47% as religious, 27% as not very religious and 18% as not religious.<ref>http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3890330,00.html</ref> ===Chief Rabbinate=== [[File:Jerusalem Great Synagogue.jpg|thumb|180px|[[Great Synagogue (Jerusalem)|Great Synagogue]] in Jerusalem, seat of the Chief Rabbinate]] {{Main|Chief Rabbinate of Israel}}It was during the [[British Mandate of Palestine]] that the British administration established an official dual Ashkenazi-Sephardi "Chief Rabbinate" (''rabbanut harashit'') that was exclusively Orthodox, as part of an effort to consolidate and organize Jewish life based on its own model in Britain, which encouraged strict loyalty to the British crown, and in order to attempt to influence the religious life of the Jews in Palestine in a similar fashion. In 1921, Rabbi [[Abraham Isaac Kook]] (1864–1935) was chosen as the first [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]] [[Chief Rabbi]] and Rabbi [[Jacob Meir]] as the first [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardi]] Chief Rabbi (''Rishon LeTzion''). Rabbi Kook was a leading light of the [[Religious Zionism|religious Zionist]] movement, and was acknowledged by all as a great rabbi of his generation. He believed that the work of secular Jews toward creating an eventual Jewish state in [[Eretz Yisrael]] was part of a divine plan for the settlement of the [[land of Israel]]. The return to Israel was in Kook's view not merely a political phenomenon to save Jews from persecution, but an event of extraordinary historical and theological significance. [[File:Western wall jerusalem night.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Western Wall|Kotel]] is under the supervision of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel]] Prior to the 1917 British conquest of Palestine, the Ottomans had recognized the leading rabbis of the [[Old Yishuv]] as the official leaders of the small Jewish community that for many centuries consisted mostly of the devoutly Orthodox Jews from [[Eastern Europe]] as well as those from the [[Levant]] who had made [[aliyah]] to the Holy Land, primarily for religious reasons. The European immigrants had unified themselves in an organization initially known as the ''Vaad Ha'ir'', which later changed its name to ''[[Edah HaChareidis]]''. The Turks viewed the local rabbis of Palestine as extensions of their own Orthodox [[Hakham Bashi]]s ("[Turkish] Chief Rabbi/s") who were loyal to the Sultan. Thus the centrality of an Orthodox dominated Chief Rabbinate became part of the new state of Israel as well when it was [[Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel|established in 1948]]. Based in its central offices at ''Heichal Shlomo'' in [[Jerusalem]] the Israeli Chief rabbinate has continued to wield exclusive control over all the Jewish religious aspects of the secular state of Israel. Through a complex system of "advice and consent" from a variety of senior rabbis and influential politicians, each Israeli city and town also gets to elect its own local Orthodox Chief Rabbi who is looked up to by substantial regional and even national religious and even non-religious Israeli Jews. Through a national network of [[Beth din|Batei Din]] ("religious courts"), each headed only by approved Orthodox [[Av Beit Din]] judges, as well as a network of "Religious Councils" that are part of each municipality, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate retains exclusive control and has the final say in the state about virtually all matters pertaining to [[Ger tzedek|conversion to Judaism]], the [[Hechsher|Kosher certification of foods]], the status of [[Jewish view of marriage|Jewish marriages and divorces]], and monitoring and acting when called upon to supervise the observance of some laws relating to Shabbat observance, [[Passover]] (particularly when issues concerning the sale or ownership of [[Chametz]] come up), the [[Sabbatical year (Bible)#Modern observance in Israel|observance of the Sabbatical year]] and the [[Jubilee (Biblical)|Jubilee year]] in the agricultural sphere. The [[Israel Defense Forces]] also relies on the Chief Rabbinate's approval for its own Jewish chaplains who are exclusively Orthodox. The IDF has a number of units that cater to the unique religious requirements of the Religious Zionist [[yeshiva]] students through the [[Hesder]] program of combined alternating military service and yeshiva studies over several years. ==Islam== [[File:The rock of the Dome of the Rock Corrected.JPG.jpg|thumb|200px|Foundation Stone in the Dome of the Rock]] {{Main|Islam in Israel and the Palestinian territories}} Jerusalem is a city of major religious significance for Muslims worldwide. After capturing the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967, Israel found itself in control of Mount Moriah, which was the site of both Jewish temples and Islam's third holiest site, after those in [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]] in [[Saudi Arabia]]: The ''[[Haram al Sharif]]'' ([[Temple Mount]]) from which Muslims believe that [[Muhammad]] ascended to Heaven. This mountain, which has the [[Dome of the Rock]] and the adjacent [[Al-Aqsa Mosque]] on it, is the third-holiest site in Islam (and the holiest in Judaism). Since 1967, the Israeli government has granted authority to a [[Waqf]] to administer the area. Rumors that the Israeli government are seeking to demolish the Muslim sites have angered Muslims. These beliefs are possibly related to excavations that have been taking place close to the Temple Mount, with the intention of gathering archeological remnants of the first and second temple period,<ref>http://www.bibleplaces.com/southerntm.htm</ref><ref>http://www.jcpa.org/jl/vp483.htm</ref> as well as the stance of some rabbis and activists who call for its destruction to replace it with the Third Temple.<ref>http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=172008</ref> Most Muslims in Israel are [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] [[Arab]]s. From 1516 to 1917, the Sunni [[Ottoman Turks]] ruled the areas that now include Israel. Their rulership reinforced and ensured the centrality and importance of Islam as the dominant religion in the region. The [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign|conquest of Palestine by the British]] in 1917 and the subsequent [[Balfour Declaration, 1917|Balfour Declaration]] opened the gates for the arrival of large numbers of Jews in Palestine who began to tip the scales in favor of Judaism with the passing of each decade. However, the British transferred the symbolic Islamic governance of the land to the [[Hashemite]]s based in [[Jordan]], and not to the [[House of Saud]]. The Hashemites thus became the official guardians of the Islamic holy places of Jerusalem and the areas around it, particularly strong when Jordan controlled the [[West Bank]] (1948–1967). In 1922 the British had created the [[Supreme Muslim Council]] in the [[British Mandate of Palestine]] and appointed [[Amin al-Husayni]] (1895–1974) as the Grand [[Mufti]] of Jerusalem. The council was abolished in 1948, but the Grand Mufti continued as one of the most prominent Islamic and Arab leaders of modern times. Israeli Muslims are free to teach Islam to their children in their own schools, and there are a number of Islamic universities and colleges in Israel and the territories. Islamic law remains the law for concerns relating to, for example, marriage, divorce, inheritance and other family matters relating to Muslims, without the need for formal recognition arrangements of the kind extended to the main Christian churches. Similarly Ottoman law, in the form of the [[Mecelle]], for a long time remained the basis of large parts of Israeli law, for example concerning land ownership. ==Christianity== [[File:MtolivesviewC.jpg|300px|thumb|View of churches on the Mount of Olives]] [[File:Yardenit - Jordan River.JPG|thumb|250px|Yardenit, [[Jordan River]] baptismal site]] Christians are presently the smallest religious group and denomination of the [[Abrahamic religion]]s in Israel. Most Christians living permanently in Israel are Arabs or have come from other countries to live and work mainly in [[Church (building)|churches]] or [[Monastery|monasteries]], which have long histories in the land. According to both historical and traditional sources, [[Jesus]] lived in the [[Land of Israel]], and died and was buried on the site of the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] in Jerusalem, making the land a [[Holy Land]] in the view of Christianity. However, very few [[Christian]]s now live in the area, compared to Muslims and Jews. This is because Islam displaced Christianity in almost all of the Middle East, and the rise of modern [[Zionism]] and the establishment of the State of Israel has seen millions of Jews migrated to Israel. Nevertheless, Christianity in Israel reveals the vestiges of the land's past and present interaction with Christian powers. Most Christians in Israel belong primarily to branches of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es that oversee a variety of churches, monasteries, seminaries, and religious institutions all over the land, particularly in [[Jerusalem]]. In the nineteenth century the Russian Empire constituted itself the guardian of the interests of Christians living in the Holy Land, and even today large amounts of Jerusalem real estate (including the site of the [[Knesset]] building) are owned by the [[Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}<!-- Has been the object of revision between Russian<->Greek. Needs a supporting cite. --> In modern times, one of the most vocal and active sectors of Christianity in support of Israel has come from the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] churches that support [[Evangelicalism]]. Each year hundreds of thousands of Christian Evangelicals come as [[tourism|tourists]] on private and organized trips to see Israel for themselves, to be inspired by the land of the Bible, and in the process benefiting the local economy as well. Nine churches are officially recognised under Israel's [[Marriage in Israel|confessional system]], for the self-regulation of status issues, such as marriage and divorce. These are the [[Eastern Orthodox]], [[Roman Catholic (Latin rite)]], [[Gregorian-Armenian]], [[Armenian Catholic]], [[Syriac Catholic]], [[Chaldean (Uniate)]], [[Melkite (Greek Catholic)]], [[Ethiopian Orthodox]], [[Maronite]] and [[Syriac Orthodox]] churches. There are more informal arrangements with other churches such as the [[Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem|Anglican Church]] and [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. In recent years, the Christian population in Israel has increased significantly by the immigration of foreign workers from a number of countries, and the immigration of accompanying non-Jewish spouses in [[Interfaith marriage|mixed marriage]]s. Numerous churches have opened in [[Tel Aviv]], in particular.<ref>Adriana Kemp & Rebeca Raijman, "Christian Zionists in the Holy Land: Evangelical Churches, Labor Migrants, and the Jewish State", ''Identities: Global Studies in Power and Culture'', 10:3, 295-318</ref> ===Messianic Judaism=== [[File:MessianicSeal.gif|thumb|80px|Messianic Seal]] [[Messianic Judaism]], is a Christian religious movement that incorporates elements of Judaism with the [[Christianity#Beliefs|tenets of Christianity]]. In addition to worshipping God (the Father), as the Jews do, they also "worship Jesus, whom they call Yeshua".<ref name=steiner>{{cite book |title=Jews |first=Rudolf |last=Steiner |coauthors=George E. Berkley |year=1997 |publisher=Branden Books |isbn=0828320276 |quote=A more rapidly growing organization is the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, whose congregations assemble on Friday evening and Saturday morning, recite Hebrew prayers, and sometimes wear ''talliot'' (prayer shawls). They worship Jesus, whom they call Yeshua. |page=129}} </ref> They emphasise that Jesus himself was a Jew, as were his early followers. Most adherents in Israel reject traditional Christianity and its symbols, in favour of celebrating [[Jewish festivals]]. Although followers of Messianic Judaism are not considered Jews under Israel's Law of Return,<ref>{{Cite document |url=http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=21820&sec=59&con=35 |title="Aliyah with a cat, a dog and Jesus" |author=Daphna Berman |publisher=WorldWide Religious News citing & quoting "Haaretz," 10 June 2006 |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> there are an estimated 10,000 adherents in the State of Israel, both former Jews and other non-Arab Israelis, many of them recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rickross.com/reference/messianic/messianic25.html |title=Messianic Jews in Israel claim 10,000|publisher=rickcross.com, citing & quoting Jerusalem Post 29 April 2005 |author=Larry Derfner and Ksenia Svetlova |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> In Jerusalem, there are twelve Messianic congregations<ref>{{Cite document |url=http://www.lmf.org.uk |title=Messianic perspectives for Today |publisher=leeds Messianic fellowship |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=January 2008}}. On 23 February 2007, Israel Channel 2 News released a news documentary about the growing number of Messianic Jews in Israel.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6244392868781886952&q=messianic+jews |title=Israel Channel 2 News - 23 February 200... |date=8 April 2007 |publisher=video.google.com |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}} (9 minute video, Hebrew audio, English subtitles)</ref> ==Other religious minorities== ===Druze=== [[File:Druze Man.jpg|thumb|100px|Druze man in [[Peki'in]]]] {{Main|Israeli Druze}} Israel is home to about 102,000 Druze who follow their own gnostic religion. The Druze live mainly in the [[Haifa]] area, [[Acre]] and [[Peki'in]].<ref name="idr">''Identity Repertoires among Arabs in Israel'', Muhammad Amara and Izhak Schnell; ''Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies'', Vol. 30, 2004</ref> Since 1957, the Israeli government has also designated the Druze a distinct ethnic community, at the request of the community's leaders. Until his death in 1993, the Druze community in Israel was led by Shaykh [[Amin Tarif]], a charismatic figure regarded by many within the Druze community internationally as the preeminent religious leader of his time.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/05/obituaries/sheik-amin-tarif-arab-druse-leader-in-israel-dies-at-95.html | work=The New York Times | title=Sheik Amin Tarif, Arab Druse Leader In Israel, Dies at 95 | first=Eric | last=Pace | date=1993-10-05 | accessdate=2010-03-29}}</ref> ===Karaites=== The [[Karaite]] community in Israel, with an estimated population of 12,000 {{fact|date=December 2010}} lives mainly in [[Ramla]], [[Ashdod]] and [[Beer-Sheva]]. ===Bahá'í=== [[File:Baha'i arc from archives.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The [[The Arc (Bahá'í)|Bahá'í Arc]] from the International Archives building]] The [[Bahá'í Faith]] has its [[Bahá'í World Centre|administrative centre]] in Haifa on land it has owned since [[Bahá'u'lláh|Bahá'u'lláh's]] imprisonment in [[Acre, Israel|Acre]] in the early 1870s by the Ottoman Empire. [[Bahá'í pilgrimage|Pilgrims]] from all over the world visit for short periods of time. Apart from the circa six hundred volunteer staff, Bahá'ís do not live or preach in Israel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://info.bahai.org/article-1-6-0-5.html |title=The Bahá'í World Centre: Focal Point for a Global Community |publisher=The Bahá'í International Community |accessdate=2007-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Bahá'í Library Online |title=Teaching the Faith in Israel |date=1995-06-23 |url=http://bahai-library.com/uhj_teaching_in_israel |accessdate=2007-08-06}}</ref> Bahá'í individuals from other countries, wishing to visit Israel, have to seek written permission from [[Bahá'í World Centre]] in [[Haifa]] prior to their visit.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Bahá'í World Centre|accessdate=2010-03-24|url=https://bahai.bwc.org//pilgrimage/main/visit.asp|title=Other visits to the Holy Land}}</ref> ===Buddhists=== Israel has 32,000 Buddhists, most of whom practice Tibetan Buddhism.{{fact|date=December 2010}} ===Samaritans=== Israel is home to the only significant populations of [[Samaritan]]s and [[Karaites]] in the world. As of November 1, 2007, there were 712 Samaritans.<ref name="SamNews20071101">"Developed Community", A.B. The Samaritan News Bi-Weekly Magazine, November 1, 2007</ref> The community lives almost exclusively in Kiryat Luza on [[Mount Gerizim]] and in [[Holon]]. Ancestrally, they claim descent from a group of [[Israelite]] inhabitants from the tribes of Joseph and Levi. <ref>David Noel Freedman, ''The Anchor Bible Dictionary'', 5:941 (New York: Doubleday, 1996, c1992)</ref> ===Hindus=== {{Main|Hinduism in Israel}} The small Hindu community in Israel is mostly made up of representatives of the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]]. In 2002, most of the devotees lived in [[Katzir-Harish]].<ref>[http://www.wavesofdevotion.com/journal/2002/05/Waves of Devotion]</ref> ==Sanctity of Jerusalem, Mount Gerizim, and Haifa/Acre== {{See also|Religious significance of Jerusalem}} Jerusalem plays an important role in three [[monotheistic religion]]s — [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], and [[Islam]] - and Haifa and Acre play a role in a fourth - [[Baha'i]]. Mount Gerizim is a holy site to what can be considered a fifth - [[Samaritanism]]. The 2000 Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem lists 1204 [[synagogue]]s, 158 [[Church (building)|churches]], and 73 [[mosque]]s within the city.<ref>{{cite book|title=Protecting Jerusalem's Holy Sites: A Strategy for Negotiating a Sacred Peace |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=2006-10-02 |edition=1st |accessdate=2007-03-11 |last=Guinn |first=David E. |isbn=0521866626 |page=142}}</ref> Despite efforts to maintain peaceful religious coexistence, some sites, such as the [[Temple Mount]], have been a continuous source of friction and controversy. Jerusalem has been sacred to the Jews since the 10th century BC.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}} The [[Western Wall]], a remnant of the Second Temple, is a holy site for Jews, second only to the [[Temple Mount]] itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.thekotel.org/content.asp?id=212 |publisher=The Kotel |title=What is the Western Wall? |accessdate=2007-03-06}}</ref> Christianity reveres Jerusalem not only for its role in the [[Old Testament]] but also for its significance in the life of Jesus. The land currently occupied by the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] is considered one of the top candidates for [[Golgotha]] and thus has been a Christian pilgrimage site for the past two thousand years.<ref>{{cite book|title=St. John's Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary for Individuals and Groups |last=Ray |first=Stephen K. |isbn=0898708214 |month=October |year=2002 |accessdate=2007-03-11 |page=340|publisher=Ignatius Press|location=San Francisco, CA}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Pilgrimage: Adventures of the Spirit |last=O'Reilly |first=Sean |coauthor=James O'Reilly |isbn=1885211562 |date=2000-11-30 |publisher=Travelers' Tales |edition=1st |accessdate=2007-03-11 |quote=The general consensus is that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre marks the hill called Golgotha, and that the site of the Crucifixion and the last five Stations of the Cross are located under its large black domes. |page=14}}</ref> In 1889, the [[Ottoman Empire]] allowed the Catholic Church to re-establish its hierarchy in Palestine. Other ancient churches, such as the [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek]], [[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian]], [[Syriac Orthodox Church|Syrian]], and [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic]] churches are also well represented in Jerusalem.<ref name=Aghourian>[http://66.102.1.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=cache:yLKDlns7B-0J:t.aghourian.googlepages.com/finaldraft.doc Preserving Identity in the Holy City]</ref> According to tradition, Jerusalem is the [[Holiest sites in Islam|third-holiest city]] in [[Sunni]] Islam.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}} The Temple Mount is topped by two Islamic landmarks intended to commemorate the event — [[al-Aqsa Mosque]], derived from the name mentioned in the Qur'an, and the [[Dome of the Rock]], which stands over the [[Foundation Stone]], from which Muslims believe Muhammad ascended to Heaven.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biu.ac.il/js/rennert/history_8.html |title=The Early Arab Period - 638-1099 |accessdate=2007-04-24 |publisher=Bar-Ilan University Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies |month=March |year=1997 |work=Jerusalem: Life Throughout the Ages in a Holy City}}</ref> As for the importance of Haifa and Acre in Baha'i Faith, it is related to [[Baha'u'llah]], who was imprisoned in Acre and spent his final years there. Mount Gerizim is the holiest site to Samaritans, who used it as the site of their temple. ==Religious tensions== ===Within the Jewish community=== {{OR|date=December 2010}} The State of Israel allows freedom of religion for all religious communities, both in law and in practice. [[Freedom House]] reports: "Freedom of religion is respected. Each community has jurisdiction over its own members in matters of marriage, burial, and divorce." Religious tensions exist between Jewish ''[[Haredi Judaism|haredi]]'' Israelis and Jewish non-''haredi'' Israelis. ''Haredi'' Israeli males devote their young adulthood to full time [[Talmud]]ic studies and therefore generally get exemptions from military service in the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF). Originally the exemption from uniform conscription was intended to apply to a small number of elite religious students. Many leaders of ''haredi'' [[yeshiva]]s encourage students to apply for exemptions from service, ostensibly to protect them from the secularizing environment of the IDF. Over the years, the number of exemptions has grown to about 10% of conscriptable manpower. Many secular Israelis consider the system of exemptions to be systematic shirking of duty to serve in the IDF by a large segment of society. ''Haredi'' couples tend to marry young and often rely on government assistance sooner and to a greater extent than do secular Israelis. ''Haredi'' Israelis are also represented by ''haredi'' political parties, which like all smaller parties in a system of [[proportional representation]] may tend to wield disproportionate political power at the point when government coalitions need to be negotiated and formed following national elections. [[File:Shas.JPG|thumb|300px|Political poster for Shas, featuring [[Eli Yishai]].]] As of June 2008, the two main Haredi parties in the [[Knesset]] are [[Shas]], representing [[Sephardi]] and [[Mizrahi]] interests, and [[United Torah Judaism]], an alliance of [[Degel HaTorah]] (Lithuanian Haredi) and [[Agudath Yisrael]]. Secular Israelis often view ''haredi'' Israelis with distrust or animosity. The [[Shinui]] party was created as a backlash to the perceived influence of the ''haredi'' parties, and to represent the interests of secular Jews that supposedly were not seen to by the other non-religious parties. Tension also exists between the [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] establishment and the [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] and [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] movements. Only Orthodox Judaism is officially recognized in Israel (though conversions conducted by Conservative and Reform clergy outside of Israel may be accepted for the purposes of the [[Law of Return]]). As a result, Conservative and Reform synagogues receive minimal government funding and support. Conservative and Reform rabbis cannot officiate at religious ceremonies and any marriages, divorces, and conversions they perform are not considered valid. Conservative and Reform Jews have been prohibited from holding services at the Western Wall on the grounds that they violate Orthodox norms regarding participation of women. ===Between Jews and Christians=== [[Messianic Jews]] who are members of [[messiah|Messianic]] congregations, and separately [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and [[evangelical Christians]], are among the most active missionary movements in Israel. Their proselytising has faced frequent demonstrations and intermittent protests, most prominently by the [[Haredi]] anti-missionary group ''[[Yad LeAchim]]'', which infiltrates those movements, as well as other proselytising groups including [[Hare Krishna]] and [[Scientology]], and maintain extensive records on their activities.Attempts by Messianic Jews to evangelize other Jews are seen by many religious Jews as incitement to "[[idolatry in Judaism|avodah zarah]]" (foreign worship or idolatry). Over the years there have been several arson attempts and firebombings of messianic congregations.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.beliefnet.com/story/30/story_3073_1.html |title=Orthodox Suspected in Jerusalem Conservative Synagogue |author=Elaine Ruth Fletcher |publisher=beliefnet.com |date=26 June 2000 |accessdate=2007-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>There have also been attacks on Messianic Jews and hundreds of [[New Testament]]s distributed in [[Or Yehuda]] were burned.<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/985362.html]</ref>While missionary activity is legal, it is illegal to offer money or other material inducements, and legislation banning missionary work outright has been attempted in the past.<ref>{{cite news|title=A matter of faith|author=Larry Derfner|publisher=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=29 April 2005}}<!--can be accessed at http://israeliopinionleader.wordpress.com/--></ref> Orthodox Jewish communities in Israel have come under scrutiny for the negative [[stereotyping]] and [[scapegoating]] of Christian minorities in the region, including violent acts against Christian missionaries and communities.<ref name="jpal">Persecution of Christians in Israel: The New Inquisition, ''Journal of Palestine Studies'', Vol. 8, No. 1 (Autumn, 1978), pp. 135–140</ref> A frequent complaint of Christian clergy in Israel is being spat at by Jews, often [[haredi]] yeshiva students. <ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=487412&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y&itemNo=487412 |title=Christians in Jerusalem want Jews to stop spitting on them |publisher=[[Haaretz]] |first=Amiram |last=Barkat |date=2009-06-27}}</ref> The [[Anti-Defamation League]] has called on the chief Rabbis to speak out against the interfaith assaults.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adl.org/PresRele/IslME_62/4576_62.htm |title=ADL Calls On Chief Rabbis to Speak Out Against Interfaith Assaults In Old City |date=2004-10-17}}</ref> In January 2010, Christian leaders, Israeli Foreign ministry staff, representatives of the Jerusalem municipality and the Haredi community met to discuss the problem. The Haredi Community Tribunal of Justice published a statement condemning the practice, stating that it was a "desecration of God's name." Several events were planned in 2010 by the liberal [[Modern Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Yedidya congregation to show solidarity with Christians and improve relations between the Haredi and Christian communities of Jerusalem. ==Marriage and divorce== {{Main|Marriage in Israel}} Currently, Israeli marriage licenses are recognized only if performed under an official religious authority (whether it be Orthodox Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Druze, etc.) only between a man and a woman of the same religion, while civil marriages are only officially sanctioned if performed abroad. This is a major issue among secular groups, as well as adherents to non-Orthodox streams of Judaism. There is fear that civil marriage will divide the Jewish people in Israel between those who can marry Jews and those who cannot, leading to concerns over retaining the character of the [[Jewish state]]. ==See also== * [[Culture of Israel]] * [[Hesder]] * [[Jewish denominations]] * [[Palestinian Christians]] * [[Sherut Leumi]] * [[Status quo (Israel)]] * [[Tal committee]] ==References== {{Ibid|date=October 2010}} {{Reflist}} ==Bibliography== * Leibman, Charles S. ''Religious and Secular: Conflict and Accommodation Between Jews in Israel.'' AVICHAI, 1990. * Leibman, Charles S. and [[Elihu Katz]], eds. ''The Jewishness of Israelis: Responses to the Guttman Report.'' SUNY Press, 1997. * Mazie, Steven V. ''Israel's Higher Law: Religion and Liberal Democracy in the Jewish State.'' Lexington Books, 2006. ==External links== * [http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=3918015&ct=5151693 The Israel Project: Religious Freedom in Israel: A Fundamental Guarantee] * [http://www.chabad.org/centers/default.asp?country=Israel Directory of Chabad-Lubavitch centers in Israel] * [http://www.masorti.org The Masorti Movement (Conservative Judaism in Israel)] * [http://www.reform.org.il/English/ Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism] * [http://www.jcpa.org/dje/index-rs.htm Israel: Religion and Society] * [http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5758/spring98/pluralismbleich.html Pluralism: Synagogue and the State of Israel] * [http://www.kehilot.org.il Kehilot |Secular & Religious Jewish Communities In Israel] * [http://www.hagshama.org.il/en/resources/view.asp?id=1219 Then and Now: Trends in Israeli Judaism] * [http://www.israpundit.com/2006/?p=677 "You Say You Want a Constitution"], ''[[New York Times]]'' * [http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editletcontent.php3?artid=5002 "Changing Israel's Marriage Law"] ''[[The Jewish Week]]'' Opinion piece by Professor Steven V. Mazie * [http://nifblog.kesem.net/index.cfm?catID=21 Religion and State in Israel: a Discussion] a three-way discussion between Anat Hoffman, Steven Mazie and Rabbi Avi Shafran {{Religion in Israel}} {{Asia in topic|Religion in}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Religion In Israel}} [[Category:Religion in Israel| ]] [[Category:Religion by country|Israel]] [[Category:Religion in the Middle East|Israel]] [[Category:Religion in Asia|Israel]] [[Category:Israeli culture]] [[Category:Israeli society]] [[cs:Náboženství v Izraeli]] [[da:Religion i Israel]] [[de:Religionen in Israel]] [[es:Religión en Israel]] [[fr:Religion en Israël et dans les territoires occupés]] [[hr:Religija u Izraelu]] [[id:Agama di Israel]] [[he:דת בישראל]] [[lad:Relijion en Yisrael]] [[no:Religion i Israel]] [[pt:Religião em Israel]] [[ru:Религия в Израиле]]'
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'[[File:Temple Mount Western Wall on Shabbat by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|300px|Western Wall and Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem]] '''Religion in Israel''' is a central feature of the country and plays a major role in shaping Israeli culture and lifestyle, and religion has played a central role in Israel's history. [[Israel]] is also the only country in the world where a majority of citizens are [[Jewish]]. According to the [[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]], the population in 2008 was 75.4% Jewish, 20.6% Arab, and 4% minority groups.<ref>Haaretz Service (16-09-2009). "Israel on eve of Rosh Hoshanah: Population hits 7.5m, 75.4% Jewish". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115060.html. Retrieved 2009-12-26.</ref> The religious affiliation of the Israeli population{{Vague|date=December 2010|Do these figures include the territories?}} as of 2005 was 76.2% Jewish, 16.1% [[Muslim]], 2.1% [[Christian]], and 1.6% [[Druze]], with the remaining 4.0% not classified by religion.<ref name="CBS 2.1">{{cite book|title=Statistical Abstract of Israel 2006 (No. 57)|publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]]|url=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnatonenew_site.htm|year=2006|chapter=Table 2.1 — Population, by Religion and Population Group|chapterurl=http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton57/st02_01.pdf}}</ref> Israel has no entrenched constitution, but [[freedom of religion]] is anchored in law. While the [[Basic Laws of Israel]] that serve in place of a constitution define the country as a "[[Jewish state]]," these Basic Laws, coupled with [[Knesset]] statutes, decisions of the [[Supreme Court of Israel]], and various elements of the [[common law]] current in Israel, also protect free practice of religion in the country.<ref name="state.gov">http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35499.htm</ref><ref>http://www.knesset.gov.il/laws/special/eng/basic3_eng.htm</ref> Legal accommodation of the non-Jewish communities follows the pattern and practice of the Ottoman and British administrations with some important modifications. Israeli law officially recognizes five religions, all belonging to the [[Abrahamic religions|Abrahamic family of religions]]: [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], [[Islam]], [[Druze]]ism and the [[Bahá'í Faith]]. Furthermore, the law formally recognizes ten separate [[sect]]s of Christianity: the [[Latin Rite|Roman]], [[Armenian Catholic Church|Armenian]], [[Maronite Church|Maronite]], [[Syriac Catholic Church|Syriac]], and [[Chaldean Catholic Church|Chaldean]] [[Catholic Church]]es; the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] [[Greek Orthodox Church]]; the [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental Orthodox]] [[Syriac Orthodox Church]]; the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]]; and the [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] Evangelical Episcopal Church.<ref name=sheetrit>{{Cite web| last = Sheetrit| first = Shimon| title = Freedom of Religion in Israel| work = Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs| accessdate = 2008-10-26| date = 2001-08-20| url = http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/8/Freedom%20of%20Religion%20in%20Israel}}</ref> The fact that the [[Muslim]] population was not defined as a religious community is a vestige of the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] era, when [[Islam]] was the dominant religion. The religious rights of the Muslim community are not affected by this, as even members of unrecognized religions are free to practice their religion.<ref name="state.gov"/> ==Religious self-definition== {{As of|2009}}, 8% of [[Israeli Jews]] defined themselves as [[Haredi Judaism|Haredim]]; an additional 12% as "religious"; 13% as "religious-traditionalists" ; 25% as "non-religious-traditionalists" (not strictly adhering to Jewish law or [[halakha]]); and 42% as "secular" ({{lang-he-n|חִלּוֹנִי}}, ''[[Hiloni]]'').<ref>[http://cbs.gov.il/reader/newhodaot/hodaa_template.html?hodaa=201019211] (in Hebrew)</ref> {{As of|1999}}, 65% of Israeli Jews believe in [[Names of God in Judaism|God]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.avi-chai.org/Static/Binaries/Publications/EnglishGuttman_0.pdf |format=PDF|archive-date=30 June 2007 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070630231145/http://www.avi-chai.org/Static/Binaries/Publications/EnglishGuttman_0.pdf |title=A Portrait of Israeli Jewry: Beliefs, Observances, and Values among Israeli Jews 2000 |publisher=The Israel Democracy Institute and The AVI CHAI Foundation |year=2002 |accessdate=2008-01-28 |page=8}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> and 85% participate in a [[Passover seder]].<ref>Ibid. p.11</ref> However, other sources indicate that between 15% and 37% of Israelis identify themselves as either [[agnosticism|agnostics]] or [[atheism|atheists]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_atheist.html |title=Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics |work=Adherents.com |date=27 March 2005}}</ref>{{Verify credibility|date=September 2009}} Israelis tend not to align themselves with a movement of [[Judaism]] (such as [[Reform Judaism]] or [[Conservative Judaism]]) but instead tend to define their religious affiliation by degree of their religious practice. Of the [[Israeli Arabs|Arab Israelis]], as of 2008, 82.7% were Muslims, 8.4% were Druze, and 8.3% were Christians.<ref name="CBS 2.1" /> Just over 80% of Christians are Arabs, and the majority of the remaining are immigrants from the former Soviet Union who immigrated with a Jewish relative. About 81% of Christian births are to Arab women.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/937993.html |title= Central Bureau of Statistics: 2.1% of state's population is Christian |author=Moti Bassok |date=25 december 2007 |publisher=HAARETZ.com |accessdate=2008-01-29| postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> ==Religion and citizenship== Israel was founded to provide a national home, safe from persecution, to the Jewish people. Although Israeli law explicitly grants equal civil rights to all citizens regardless of religion, ethnicity, or other heritage, it gives preferential treatment in certain aspects to individuals who fall within the criteria mandated by the [[Law of Return]]. Preferential treatment is given to Jews and their relatives who seek to immigrate to Israel. This serves to increase the Jewish population and provides asylum to people who face religious discrimination in the countries they emigrate from. The Law of Return does not strictly follow the traditional Jewish religious law ([[halakha]]) in relation to the definition of [[who is a Jew]]. For example, some individuals who would be considered Jewish under the halakha are excluded from the rights under the Law of Return - e.g. those who converted to another religion; while others are entitled to immigration though they are obviously non-Jewish - e.g. they are related by marriage to a Jew or a grandparent may have been a Jew. ==Judaism== Most citizens in the [[Israel|State of Israel]] are Jewish, and most Israeli Jews practice [[Judaism]] in some form. In the last two centuries the largest Jewish community in the world, in the United States, has divided into a number of [[Jewish denominations]]. The largest and most influential of these denominations are [[Orthodox Judaism]], [[Reform Judaism]], and [[Conservative Judaism]]. All of the above denominations exist, to varying degrees, in the State of Israel. Nevertheless, Israelis tend to classify Jewish identity in ways that are strikingly different from American Jewry. ===The secular-traditional spectrum=== {{main|Hiloni|Shomer Masoret}} [[File:Yom Kippur on Highway 20 Tel-Aviv.jpg|thumb|right|Cyclists ride down the deserted [[Highway 20 (Israel)|Ayalon Highway]] in Tel Aviv on Yom Kippur]] The Israeli term for [[Shomer Masoret]] (or [[Masorati]]) covers a wide range of ideologies and levels of observance, and is based on a self definition phenomenon rather than an organized movement. However, the ''Shomer Masoret'' generally perceive themselves as a partly observants. Many Jewish Israelis feel that being Israeli (living among Jews, speaking [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], in the Land of Israel), is in itself a sufficient expression of Judaism without any religious observances.{{Dubious|date=August 2010}} This conforms to some classical secular-[[Zionism|Zionist]] ideologies of Israeli-style civil religion.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} In 2007, a [[poll]] by the [[Israeli Democracy Institute]] found that 27% of Israeli Jews say that they keep the Sabbath, while 53% said they do not keep it at all. The poll also found that 50% of the respondents would give up shopping on the Sabbath as long as public transportation were kept running and leisure activities continued to be permitted; however only 38% believed that such a compromise would reduce the tensions between the secular and religious communities.<ref>"Sabbath Poll", ''Dateline World Jewry'', [[World Jewish Congress]], September, 2007</ref> Because the terms "secular" and "traditional" are not strictly defined, published estimates of the percentage of Israeli Jews who are considered "traditional" range from 32%<ref>[http://www.bicom.org.uk/about_israel/freedom_of_religion/]{{Citation broken|date=January 2008}}</ref> to 55%.<ref name=dje-howrelisr /> Estimates of the percentage of "secular" Jews vary even more widely: from 20%<ref name=dje-howrelisr>{{Cite document |url=http://www.jcpa.org/dje/articles2/howrelisr.htm |publisher=Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs |title=How Religious are Israeli Jews? |author=Daniel J. Elazar |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=January 2008}} to 80%<ref>{{Cite document |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40424-2004Jul10.html |title=The Other Israeli Conflict—The Jewish State Struggles Once Again Over How Jewish It Should Be |author=Anna R. Morgan |date=11 July 2009 |page=B03 |publisher=The Washington Post |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> of the Israeli population. ===The Orthodox spectrum=== {{main|Religious Zionism|Hardal|Haredi}} [[File:Tehillim neged Tilim.jpg|thumb|250px|left|<font face="Georgia">'''"Tehillim neged Tilim"'''</font> ("<font face="Georgia">Psalms [recting] to counter Missiles"</font>).<br /> A slogan initially coined during the [[First Gulf War]], [[1991]], and turned into a popular slogan-sticker ever since, especially among the [[Israel]]i [[Religious Zionism]] ("National Religious") community and the [[Haredi Judaism]] sector ]] The spectrum covered by "Orthodox" in the diaspora exists in Israel, again with some important variations. The [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] spectrum in Israel includes a far greater percentage of the Jewish population than in the diaspora, though ''how much'' greater is hotly debated. Various ways of measuring this percentage, each with its pros and cons, include the proportion of religiously observant [[Knesset]] members (about 25 out of 120), the proportion of Jewish children enrolled in religious schools, and statistical studies on "identity". What would be called "Orthodox" in the diaspora includes what is commonly called ''dati'' ("religious") or ''[[Haredi Judaism|haredi]]'' ("ultra-Orthodox") in Israel. The former term includes what is called [[Religious Zionism]] or the "National Religious" community (and also [[Modern Orthodox Judaism|Modern Orthodox]] in US terms), as well as what has become known over the past decade or so as ''[[Hardal]]'' (''haredi-leumi'', i.e. "ultra-Orthodox nationalist"), which combines a largely ''haredi'' lifestyle with a nationalist (i.e. pro-Zionist) ideology. [[File:Haredi Judaism.jpg|thumb|200px|Haredi Jews‎]] Haredi applies to a populace that can be roughly divided into three separate groups along both ethnic and ideological lines: (1) "[[Lithuanian Jews|Lithuanian]]" (i.e. non-hasidic) ''haredim'' of [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazic]] (i.e. "Germanic" - European) origin; (2) [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic]] ''haredim'' of Ashkenazic (mostly of [[Eastern Europe]]an) origin; and (3) [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardic]] (including [[Mizrahi Jews|mizrahi]]) ''haredim''. The third group has the largest political representation in Israel's parliament (the [[Knesset]]), and has been the most politically active since the early 1990s, represented by the [[Shas]] party. There is also a growing [[baal teshuva]] (Jewish penitents) movement of secular Israelis rejecting their previously secular lifestyles and choosing to become religiously observant with many educational programs and [[yeshiva]]s for them. An example is [[Aish HaTorah]], which received open encouragement from some sectors within the Israeli establishment. The Israeli government gave Aish HaTorah the real estate rights to its massive new campus opposite the [[Western Wall]] because of its proven ability to attract all manner of secular Jews to learn more about Judaism. In many instances after visiting from foreign countries, students decide to make Israel their permanent home by making [[aliyah]]. Other notable organizations involved in these efforts are the [[Chabad Lubavitch|Chabad]] and [[Breslov (Hasidic dynasty)|Breslov]] [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic]] movements who manage to have an ever-growing appeal, the popularity of Rabbi [[Amnon Yitzhak]]'s organization and the [[Arachim]] organization that offer a variety of frequent free "introduction to Judaism" seminars to secular Jews, the Lev LeAchim organization that sends out senior yeshiva and [[kollel]] students to recruit Israeli children for religious elementary schools and [[Yad LeAchim]] which runs [[Counter-Missionary|counter missionary]] programs. [[Shalom Hartman Institute]] of [[Jerusalem]] runs the Be'eri program to bring Jewish thought, philosophy, culture and history to "secular" to more than 50,000 Israeli school students<ref>http://www.hartman.org.il/Center_Edu/Program_View.asp?Program_Id=4 2009-10-12</ref> and [[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]]<ref>http://www.hartman.org.il/Center_Leader/Program_View.asp?Program_Id=19 2009-10-12</ref> officers without teaching religious practice or demanding observance of religious norms. At the same time, there is also a significant movement in the opposite direction toward a secular lifestyle. There is some debate which trend is stronger at present. Recent polls show that ranks of secular Jewish minority in Israel continued to drop in 2009. Currently the secular make up only 42%. <ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/poll-shows-ranks-of-secular-jewish-minority-in-israel-continued-to-drop-in-2009-1.290749 Haaretz: Poll shows ranks of secular Jewish minority in Israel continued to drop in 2009] </ref> === Secular-religious status quo === {{main|Status quo (Israel)}} The religious [[status quo]], agreed upon by [[David Ben-Gurion]] with the religious parties at the time of the declaration of independence in 1948 is an agreement on the religious Jewish role in government and the judicial system of Israel. The agreement was based upon a letter that was sent by Ben-Gurion to [[Aguda|Agudat Israel]] dated 19 June 1947.<ref>''The Status Quo Letter'' ([http://w3.kfar-olami.org.il/asaf/pedagogical/ezrahut/status.doc DOC]) {{He icon}} [http://books.google.cz/books?id=iVJR9UZnTVAC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58#v=onepage&q&f=false English translation] in ''Israel in the Middle East: Documents and Readings on Society, Politics, and Foreign Relations, Pre-1948 to the Present'', editors Itamar Rabinovich and Jehuda Reinharz. ISBN 978-0874519624</ref> Under this agreement, which still operates in most respects today: * The Chief Rabbinate has authority over [[kashrut]], [[shabbat]], [[Jewish burial]] and personal status issues, such as [[Jewish view of marriage|marriage]], divorce, and conversions. * Streets in [[Haredi]] neighborhoods are closed to traffic on the Sabbath. * There is no [[public transport]] on that day, and most businesses are closed. However, there is public transport in [[Haifa]], since Haifa had a large Arab population at the time of the British Mandate. * Restaurants who wish to advertise themselves as [[kosher]] must be certified by the [[Chief Rabbinate of Israel|Chief Rabbinate]]. * Importation of non-kosher foods is prohibited. Despite prohibition, there are a few local pork farms in [[kibbutz]]im, catering for establishments selling [[white meat]], due to its relatively popular demand among specific population sectors, particularly the Russian immigrants of the 1990s. Despite the status quo, the [[Supreme Court of Israel|Supreme Court]] ruled in 2004 that local governments are not allowed to ban the sale of pork, although this had previously been a common by-law. Nevertheless, some breaches of the ''status quo'' have become prevalent, such as several suburban malls remaining open during the Sabbath. Though this is [[blue law|contrary to the law]], the Government largely turns a blind eye. There have been many problems brought forth by secular Israelis regarding the Chief Rabbinate's strict control over Jewish weddings, Jewish divorce proceedings, conversions, and the question of [[who is a Jew]] for the purposes of immigration. The state of Israel enables freedom of religion for all its citizens but does not enable civil marriage - The state of Israel forbids and does not approve of any civil marriages or non-religious divorces performed amongst the secular Israeli Jews within the country. Because of this some Israelis choose to marry outside of Israel. The [[Ministry of Education (Israel)|Ministry of Education]] manages the secular and religious streams of various faiths in parallel, with a limited degree independence and a common core Curriculum. In recent years, perceived frustration with the ''status quo'' among some members of the secular sector has strengthened parties such as [[Shinui]], which advocate separation of religion from the state, without much success so far. Today the secular Israeli-Jews claim that they aren't religious and don't follow the Jewish rules and that Israel as a democratic modern country should not force the old outdated religious rules upon its citizens against their will. The religious Israeli-Jews claim that the separation between state and religion will contribute to the end of Israel's Jewish identity. Signs of the first challenge to the status quo came in 1977, with the fall of the Labor government that had ruled Israel since independence and the formation of a rightwing coalition under [[Menachem Begin]]. Right-wing Revisionist Zionism had always been more acceptable to the religious parties, since it did not share the same history of antireligious rhetoric that marked socialist Zionism. Furthermore, Begin needed the Haredi members of the Knesset (Israel's unicameral parliament) to form his coalition and offered more power and benefits to their community than what they were accustomed to receiving, including a lifting of the numerical limit on military exemptions. On the other hand, secular Israelis began questioning whether a "status quo" based on the conditions of the 1940s and 1950s was still relevant in the 1980s and 1990s, and perceived that they had cultural and institutional support to enable them to change it regardless of its relevance. They challenged Orthodox control of personal affairs such as marriage and divorce, resented the lack of entertainment and transportation options on the Sabbath (then the country's only day of rest), and questioned whether the burden of military service was being shared equally, since the 400 scholars, who originally benefited from the exemption, had grown to 50,000 {{Citation needed|date=June 2007}}. Finally, the Progressive and Masorti communities, though still small, began to exert themselves as an alternative to the Haredi control of religious issues. No one was happy with the "status quo"; the Orthodox used their new-found political force to attempt to extend religious control, and the non-Orthodox sought to reduce or even eliminate it. In 2010 a report released by the [[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]] showed that 8% of Israel's Jewish population defines itself as Haredi, 12% as religious, 13% as traditional-religious, 25% as traditional and 42% as secular, on a descending scale of religiosity. Among the Arab population it showed that 8% define themselves as very religious, 47% as religious, 27% as not very religious and 18% as not religious.<ref>http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3890330,00.html</ref> ===Chief Rabbinate=== [[File:Jerusalem Great Synagogue.jpg|thumb|180px|[[Great Synagogue (Jerusalem)|Great Synagogue]] in Jerusalem, seat of the Chief Rabbinate]] {{Main|Chief Rabbinate of Israel}}It was during the [[British Mandate of Palestine]] that the British administration established an official dual Ashkenazi-Sephardi "Chief Rabbinate" (''rabbanut harashit'') that was exclusively Orthodox, as part of an effort to consolidate and organize Jewish life based on its own model in Britain, which encouraged strict loyalty to the British crown, and in order to attempt to influence the religious life of the Jews in Palestine in a similar fashion. In 1921, Rabbi [[Abraham Isaac Kook]] (1864–1935) was chosen as the first [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]] [[Chief Rabbi]] and Rabbi [[Jacob Meir]] as the first [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardi]] Chief Rabbi (''Rishon LeTzion''). Rabbi Kook was a leading light of the [[Religious Zionism|religious Zionist]] movement, and was acknowledged by all as a great rabbi of his generation. He believed that the work of secular Jews toward creating an eventual Jewish state in [[Eretz Yisrael]] was part of a divine plan for the settlement of the [[land of Israel]]. The return to Israel was in Kook's view not merely a political phenomenon to save Jews from persecution, but an event of extraordinary historical and theological significance. [[File:Western wall jerusalem night.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Western Wall|Kotel]] is under the supervision of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel]] Prior to the 1917 British conquest of Palestine, the Ottomans had recognized the leading rabbis of the [[Old Yishuv]] as the official leaders of the small Jewish community that for many centuries consisted mostly of the devoutly Orthodox Jews from [[Eastern Europe]] as well as those from the [[Levant]] who had made [[aliyah]] to the Holy Land, primarily for religious reasons. The European immigrants had unified themselves in an organization initially known as the ''Vaad Ha'ir'', which later changed its name to ''[[Edah HaChareidis]]''. The Turks viewed the local rabbis of Palestine as extensions of their own Orthodox [[Hakham Bashi]]s ("[Turkish] Chief Rabbi/s") who were loyal to the Sultan. Thus the centrality of an Orthodox dominated Chief Rabbinate became part of the new state of Israel as well when it was [[Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel|established in 1948]]. Based in its central offices at ''Heichal Shlomo'' in [[Jerusalem]] the Israeli Chief rabbinate has continued to wield exclusive control over all the Jewish religious aspects of the secular state of Israel. Through a complex system of "advice and consent" from a variety of senior rabbis and influential politicians, each Israeli city and town also gets to elect its own local Orthodox Chief Rabbi who is looked up to by substantial regional and even national religious and even non-religious Israeli Jews. Through a national network of [[Beth din|Batei Din]] ("religious courts"), each headed only by approved Orthodox [[Av Beit Din]] judges, as well as a network of "Religious Councils" that are part of each municipality, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate retains exclusive control and has the final say in the state about virtually all matters pertaining to [[Ger tzedek|conversion to Judaism]], the [[Hechsher|Kosher certification of foods]], the status of [[Jewish view of marriage|Jewish marriages and divorces]], and monitoring and acting when called upon to supervise the observance of some laws relating to Shabbat observance, [[Passover]] (particularly when issues concerning the sale or ownership of [[Chametz]] come up), the [[Sabbatical year (Bible)#Modern observance in Israel|observance of the Sabbatical year]] and the [[Jubilee (Biblical)|Jubilee year]] in the agricultural sphere. The [[Israel Defense Forces]] also relies on the Chief Rabbinate's approval for its own Jewish chaplains who are exclusively Orthodox. The IDF has a number of units that cater to the unique religious requirements of the Religious Zionist [[yeshiva]] students through the [[Hesder]] program of combined alternating military service and yeshiva studies over several years. ==Islam== [[File:The rock of the Dome of the Rock Corrected.JPG.jpg|thumb|200px|Foundation Stone in the Dome of the Rock]] {{Main|Islam in Israel and the Palestinian territories}} Jerusalem is a city of major religious significance for Muslims worldwide. After capturing the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967, Israel found itself in control of Mount Moriah, which was the site of both Jewish temples and Islam's third holiest site, after those in [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]] in [[Saudi Arabia]]: The ''[[Haram al Sharif]]'' ([[Temple Mount]]) from which Muslims believe that [[Muhammad]] ascended to Heaven. This mountain, which has the [[Dome of the Rock]] and the adjacent [[Al-Aqsa Mosque]] on it, is the third-holiest site in Islam (and the holiest in Judaism). Since 1967, the Israeli government has granted authority to a [[Waqf]] to administer the area. Rumors that the Israeli government are seeking to demolish the Muslim sites have angered Muslims. These beliefs are possibly related to excavations that have been taking place close to the Temple Mount, with the intention of gathering archeological remnants of the first and second temple period,<ref>http://www.bibleplaces.com/southerntm.htm</ref><ref>http://www.jcpa.org/jl/vp483.htm</ref> as well as the stance of some rabbis and activists who call for its destruction to replace it with the Third Temple.<ref>http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=172008</ref> Most Muslims in Israel are [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] [[Arab]]s. From 1516 to 1917, the Sunni [[Ottoman Turks]] ruled the areas that now include Israel. Their rulership reinforced and ensured the centrality and importance of Islam as the dominant religion in the region. The [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign|conquest of Palestine by the British]] in 1917 and the subsequent [[Balfour Declaration, 1917|Balfour Declaration]] opened the gates for the arrival of large numbers of Jews in Palestine who began to tip the scales in favor of Judaism with the passing of each decade. However, the British transferred the symbolic Islamic governance of the land to the [[Hashemite]]s based in [[Jordan]], and not to the [[House of Saud]]. The Hashemites thus became the official guardians of the Islamic holy places of Jerusalem and the areas around it, particularly strong when Jordan controlled the [[West Bank]] (1948–1967). In 1922 the British had created the [[Supreme Muslim Council]] in the [[British Mandate of Palestine]] and appointed [[Amin al-Husayni]] (1895–1974) as the Grand [[Mufti]] of Jerusalem. The council was abolished in 1948, but the Grand Mufti continued as one of the most prominent Islamic and Arab leaders of modern times. Israeli Muslims are free to teach Islam to their children in their own schools, and there are a number of Islamic universities and colleges in Israel and the territories. Islamic law remains the law for concerns relating to, for example, marriage, divorce, inheritance and other family matters relating to Muslims, without the need for formal recognition arrangements of the kind extended to the main Christian churches. Similarly Ottoman law, in the form of the [[Mecelle]], for a long time remained the basis of large parts of Israeli law, for example concerning land ownership. ==Christianity== [[File:MtolivesviewC.jpg|300px|thumb|View of churches on the Mount of Olives]] [[File:Yardenit - Jordan River.JPG|thumb|250px|Yardenit, [[Jordan River]] baptismal site]] Christians are presently the smallest religious group and denomination of the [[Abrahamic religion]]s in Israel. Most Christians living permanently in Israel are Arabs or have come from other countries to live and work mainly in [[Church (building)|churches]] or [[Monastery|monasteries]], which have long histories in the land. According to both historical and traditional sources, [[Jesus]] lived in the [[Land of Israel]], and died and was buried on the site of the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] in Jerusalem, making the land a [[Holy Land]] in the view of Christianity. However, very few [[Christian]]s now live in the area, compared to Muslims and Jews. This is because Islam displaced Christianity in almost all of the Middle East, and the rise of modern [[Zionism]] and the establishment of the State of Israel has seen millions of Jews migrated to Israel. Nevertheless, Christianity in Israel reveals the vestiges of the land's past and present interaction with Christian powers. Most Christians in Israel belong primarily to branches of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es that oversee a variety of churches, monasteries, seminaries, and religious institutions all over the land, particularly in [[Jerusalem]]. In the nineteenth century the Russian Empire constituted itself the guardian of the interests of Christians living in the Holy Land, and even today large amounts of Jerusalem real estate (including the site of the [[Knesset]] building) are owned by the [[Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}<!-- Has been the object of revision between Russian<->Greek. Needs a supporting cite. --> In modern times, one of the most vocal and active sectors of Christianity in support of Israel has come from the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] churches that support [[Evangelicalism]]. Each year hundreds of thousands of Christian Evangelicals come as [[tourism|tourists]] on private and organized trips to see Israel for themselves, to be inspired by the land of the Bible, and in the process benefiting the local economy as well. Nine churches are officially recognised under Israel's [[Marriage in Israel|confessional system]], for the self-regulation of status issues, such as marriage and divorce. These are the [[Eastern Orthodox]], [[Roman Catholic (Latin rite)]], [[Gregorian-Armenian]], [[Armenian Catholic]], [[Syriac Catholic]], [[Chaldean (Uniate)]], [[Melkite (Greek Catholic)]], [[Ethiopian Orthodox]], [[Maronite]] and [[Syriac Orthodox]] churches. There are more informal arrangements with other churches such as the [[Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem|Anglican Church]] and [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. In recent years, the Christian population in Israel has increased significantly by the immigration of foreign workers from a number of countries, and the immigration of accompanying non-Jewish spouses in [[Interfaith marriage|mixed marriage]]s. Numerous churches have opened in [[Tel Aviv]], in particular.<ref>Adriana Kemp & Rebeca Raijman, "Christian Zionists in the Holy Land: Evangelical Churches, Labor Migrants, and the Jewish State", ''Identities: Global Studies in Power and Culture'', 10:3, 295-318</ref> ===Messianic Judaism=== [[File:MessianicSeal.gif|thumb|80px|Messianic Seal]] [[Messianic Judaism]], is a Christian religious movement that incorporates elements of Judaism with the [[Christianity#Beliefs|tenets of Christianity]]. In addition to worshipping God (the Father), as the Jews do, they also "worship Jesus, whom they call Yeshua".<ref name=steiner>{{cite book |title=Jews |first=Rudolf |last=Steiner |coauthors=George E. Berkley |year=1997 |publisher=Branden Books |isbn=0828320276 |quote=A more rapidly growing organization is the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, whose congregations assemble on Friday evening and Saturday morning, recite Hebrew prayers, and sometimes wear ''talliot'' (prayer shawls). They worship Jesus, whom they call Yeshua. |page=129}} </ref> They emphasise that Jesus himself was a Jew, as were his early followers. Most adherents in Israel reject traditional Christianity and its symbols, in favour of celebrating [[Jewish festivals]]. Although followers of Messianic Judaism are not considered Jews under Israel's Law of Return,<ref>{{Cite document |url=http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=21820&sec=59&con=35 |title="Aliyah with a cat, a dog and Jesus" |author=Daphna Berman |publisher=WorldWide Religious News citing & quoting "Haaretz," 10 June 2006 |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> there are an estimated 10,000 adherents in the State of Israel, both former Jews and other non-Arab Israelis, many of them recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rickross.com/reference/messianic/messianic25.html |title=Messianic Jews in Israel claim 10,000|publisher=rickcross.com, citing & quoting Jerusalem Post 29 April 2005 |author=Larry Derfner and Ksenia Svetlova |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> In Jerusalem, there are twelve Messianic congregations<ref>{{Cite document |url=http://www.lmf.org.uk |title=Messianic perspectives for Today |publisher=leeds Messianic fellowship |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=January 2008}}. On 23 February 2007, Israel Channel 2 News released a news documentary about the growing number of Messianic Jews in Israel.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6244392868781886952&q=messianic+jews |title=Israel Channel 2 News - 23 February 200... |date=8 April 2007 |publisher=video.google.com |accessdate=2008-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}} (9 minute video, Hebrew audio, English subtitles)</ref> ==Other religious minorities== ===Druze=== [[File:Druze Man.jpg|thumb|100px|Druze man in [[Peki'in]]]] {{Main|Israeli Druze}} Israel is home to about 102,000 Druze who follow their own gnostic religion. The Druze live mainly in the [[Haifa]] area, [[Acre]] and [[Peki'in]].<ref name="idr">''Identity Repertoires among Arabs in Israel'', Muhammad Amara and Izhak Schnell; ''Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies'', Vol. 30, 2004</ref> Since 1957, the Israeli government has also designated the Druze a distinct ethnic community, at the request of the community's leaders. Until his death in 1993, the Druze community in Israel was led by Shaykh [[Amin Tarif]], a charismatic figure regarded by many within the Druze community internationally as the preeminent religious leader of his time.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/05/obituaries/sheik-amin-tarif-arab-druse-leader-in-israel-dies-at-95.html | work=The New York Times | title=Sheik Amin Tarif, Arab Druse Leader In Israel, Dies at 95 | first=Eric | last=Pace | date=1993-10-05 | accessdate=2010-03-29}}</ref> ===Bahá'í=== [[File:Baha'i arc from archives.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The [[The Arc (Bahá'í)|Bahá'í Arc]] from the International Archives building]] The [[Bahá'í Faith]] has its [[Bahá'í World Centre|administrative centre]] in Haifa on land it has owned since [[Bahá'u'lláh|Bahá'u'lláh's]] imprisonment in [[Acre, Israel|Acre]] in the early 1870s by the Ottoman Empire. [[Bahá'í pilgrimage|Pilgrims]] from all over the world visit for short periods of time. Apart from the circa six hundred volunteer staff, Bahá'ís do not live or preach in Israel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://info.bahai.org/article-1-6-0-5.html |title=The Bahá'í World Centre: Focal Point for a Global Community |publisher=The Bahá'í International Community |accessdate=2007-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Bahá'í Library Online |title=Teaching the Faith in Israel |date=1995-06-23 |url=http://bahai-library.com/uhj_teaching_in_israel |accessdate=2007-08-06}}</ref> Bahá'í individuals from other countries, wishing to visit Israel, have to seek written permission from [[Bahá'í World Centre]] in [[Haifa]] prior to their visit.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Bahá'í World Centre|accessdate=2010-03-24|url=https://bahai.bwc.org//pilgrimage/main/visit.asp|title=Other visits to the Holy Land}}</ref> ===Buddhists=== Israel has 32,000 Buddhists, most of whom practice Tibetan Buddhism.{{fact|date=December 2010}} ===Samaritans=== Israel is home to the only significant populations of [[Samaritan]]s and [[Karaites]] in the world. As of November 1, 2007, there were 712 Samaritans.<ref name="SamNews20071101">"Developed Community", A.B. The Samaritan News Bi-Weekly Magazine, November 1, 2007</ref> The community lives almost exclusively in Kiryat Luza on [[Mount Gerizim]] and in [[Holon]]. Ancestrally, they claim descent from a group of [[Israelite]] inhabitants from the tribes of Joseph and Levi. <ref>David Noel Freedman, ''The Anchor Bible Dictionary'', 5:941 (New York: Doubleday, 1996, c1992)</ref> ===Hindus=== {{Main|Hinduism in Israel}} The small Hindu community in Israel is mostly made up of representatives of the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]]. In 2002, most of the devotees lived in [[Katzir-Harish]].<ref>[http://www.wavesofdevotion.com/journal/2002/05/Waves of Devotion]</ref> ==Sanctity of Jerusalem, Mount Gerizim, and Haifa/Acre== {{See also|Religious significance of Jerusalem}} Jerusalem plays an important role in three [[monotheistic religion]]s — [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], and [[Islam]] - and Haifa and Acre play a role in a fourth - [[Baha'i]]. Mount Gerizim is a holy site to what can be considered a fifth - [[Samaritanism]]. The 2000 Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem lists 1204 [[synagogue]]s, 158 [[Church (building)|churches]], and 73 [[mosque]]s within the city.<ref>{{cite book|title=Protecting Jerusalem's Holy Sites: A Strategy for Negotiating a Sacred Peace |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=2006-10-02 |edition=1st |accessdate=2007-03-11 |last=Guinn |first=David E. |isbn=0521866626 |page=142}}</ref> Despite efforts to maintain peaceful religious coexistence, some sites, such as the [[Temple Mount]], have been a continuous source of friction and controversy. Jerusalem has been sacred to the Jews since the 10th century BC.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}} The [[Western Wall]], a remnant of the Second Temple, is a holy site for Jews, second only to the [[Temple Mount]] itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.thekotel.org/content.asp?id=212 |publisher=The Kotel |title=What is the Western Wall? |accessdate=2007-03-06}}</ref> Christianity reveres Jerusalem not only for its role in the [[Old Testament]] but also for its significance in the life of Jesus. The land currently occupied by the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] is considered one of the top candidates for [[Golgotha]] and thus has been a Christian pilgrimage site for the past two thousand years.<ref>{{cite book|title=St. John's Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary for Individuals and Groups |last=Ray |first=Stephen K. |isbn=0898708214 |month=October |year=2002 |accessdate=2007-03-11 |page=340|publisher=Ignatius Press|location=San Francisco, CA}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Pilgrimage: Adventures of the Spirit |last=O'Reilly |first=Sean |coauthor=James O'Reilly |isbn=1885211562 |date=2000-11-30 |publisher=Travelers' Tales |edition=1st |accessdate=2007-03-11 |quote=The general consensus is that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre marks the hill called Golgotha, and that the site of the Crucifixion and the last five Stations of the Cross are located under its large black domes. |page=14}}</ref> In 1889, the [[Ottoman Empire]] allowed the Catholic Church to re-establish its hierarchy in Palestine. Other ancient churches, such as the [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek]], [[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian]], [[Syriac Orthodox Church|Syrian]], and [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic]] churches are also well represented in Jerusalem.<ref name=Aghourian>[http://66.102.1.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=cache:yLKDlns7B-0J:t.aghourian.googlepages.com/finaldraft.doc Preserving Identity in the Holy City]</ref> According to tradition, Jerusalem is the [[Holiest sites in Islam|third-holiest city]] in [[Sunni]] Islam.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}} The Temple Mount is topped by two Islamic landmarks intended to commemorate the event — [[al-Aqsa Mosque]], derived from the name mentioned in the Qur'an, and the [[Dome of the Rock]], which stands over the [[Foundation Stone]], from which Muslims believe Muhammad ascended to Heaven.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biu.ac.il/js/rennert/history_8.html |title=The Early Arab Period - 638-1099 |accessdate=2007-04-24 |publisher=Bar-Ilan University Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies |month=March |year=1997 |work=Jerusalem: Life Throughout the Ages in a Holy City}}</ref> As for the importance of Haifa and Acre in Baha'i Faith, it is related to [[Baha'u'llah]], who was imprisoned in Acre and spent his final years there. Mount Gerizim is the holiest site to Samaritans, who used it as the site of their temple. ==Religious tensions== ===Within the Jewish community=== {{OR|date=December 2010}} The State of Israel allows freedom of religion for all religious communities, both in law and in practice. [[Freedom House]] reports: "Freedom of religion is respected. Each community has jurisdiction over its own members in matters of marriage, burial, and divorce." Religious tensions exist between Jewish ''[[Haredi Judaism|haredi]]'' Israelis and Jewish non-''haredi'' Israelis. ''Haredi'' Israeli males devote their young adulthood to full time [[Talmud]]ic studies and therefore generally get exemptions from military service in the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF). Originally the exemption from uniform conscription was intended to apply to a small number of elite religious students. Many leaders of ''haredi'' [[yeshiva]]s encourage students to apply for exemptions from service, ostensibly to protect them from the secularizing environment of the IDF. Over the years, the number of exemptions has grown to about 10% of conscriptable manpower. Many secular Israelis consider the system of exemptions to be systematic shirking of duty to serve in the IDF by a large segment of society. ''Haredi'' couples tend to marry young and often rely on government assistance sooner and to a greater extent than do secular Israelis. ''Haredi'' Israelis are also represented by ''haredi'' political parties, which like all smaller parties in a system of [[proportional representation]] may tend to wield disproportionate political power at the point when government coalitions need to be negotiated and formed following national elections. [[File:Shas.JPG|thumb|300px|Political poster for Shas, featuring [[Eli Yishai]].]] As of June 2008, the two main Haredi parties in the [[Knesset]] are [[Shas]], representing [[Sephardi]] and [[Mizrahi]] interests, and [[United Torah Judaism]], an alliance of [[Degel HaTorah]] (Lithuanian Haredi) and [[Agudath Yisrael]]. Secular Israelis often view ''haredi'' Israelis with distrust or animosity. The [[Shinui]] party was created as a backlash to the perceived influence of the ''haredi'' parties, and to represent the interests of secular Jews that supposedly were not seen to by the other non-religious parties. Tension also exists between the [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] establishment and the [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] and [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] movements. Only Orthodox Judaism is officially recognized in Israel (though conversions conducted by Conservative and Reform clergy outside of Israel may be accepted for the purposes of the [[Law of Return]]). As a result, Conservative and Reform synagogues receive minimal government funding and support. Conservative and Reform rabbis cannot officiate at religious ceremonies and any marriages, divorces, and conversions they perform are not considered valid. Conservative and Reform Jews have been prohibited from holding services at the Western Wall on the grounds that they violate Orthodox norms regarding participation of women. ===Between Jews and Christians=== [[Messianic Jews]] who are members of [[messiah|Messianic]] congregations, and separately [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and [[evangelical Christians]], are among the most active missionary movements in Israel. Their proselytising has faced frequent demonstrations and intermittent protests, most prominently by the [[Haredi]] anti-missionary group ''[[Yad LeAchim]]'', which infiltrates those movements, as well as other proselytising groups including [[Hare Krishna]] and [[Scientology]], and maintain extensive records on their activities.Attempts by Messianic Jews to evangelize other Jews are seen by many religious Jews as incitement to "[[idolatry in Judaism|avodah zarah]]" (foreign worship or idolatry). Over the years there have been several arson attempts and firebombings of messianic congregations.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.beliefnet.com/story/30/story_3073_1.html |title=Orthodox Suspected in Jerusalem Conservative Synagogue |author=Elaine Ruth Fletcher |publisher=beliefnet.com |date=26 June 2000 |accessdate=2007-01-28 |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>There have also been attacks on Messianic Jews and hundreds of [[New Testament]]s distributed in [[Or Yehuda]] were burned.<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/985362.html]</ref>While missionary activity is legal, it is illegal to offer money or other material inducements, and legislation banning missionary work outright has been attempted in the past.<ref>{{cite news|title=A matter of faith|author=Larry Derfner|publisher=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=29 April 2005}}<!--can be accessed at http://israeliopinionleader.wordpress.com/--></ref> Orthodox Jewish communities in Israel have come under scrutiny for the negative [[stereotyping]] and [[scapegoating]] of Christian minorities in the region, including violent acts against Christian missionaries and communities.<ref name="jpal">Persecution of Christians in Israel: The New Inquisition, ''Journal of Palestine Studies'', Vol. 8, No. 1 (Autumn, 1978), pp. 135–140</ref> A frequent complaint of Christian clergy in Israel is being spat at by Jews, often [[haredi]] yeshiva students. <ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=487412&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y&itemNo=487412 |title=Christians in Jerusalem want Jews to stop spitting on them |publisher=[[Haaretz]] |first=Amiram |last=Barkat |date=2009-06-27}}</ref> The [[Anti-Defamation League]] has called on the chief Rabbis to speak out against the interfaith assaults.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adl.org/PresRele/IslME_62/4576_62.htm |title=ADL Calls On Chief Rabbis to Speak Out Against Interfaith Assaults In Old City |date=2004-10-17}}</ref> In January 2010, Christian leaders, Israeli Foreign ministry staff, representatives of the Jerusalem municipality and the Haredi community met to discuss the problem. The Haredi Community Tribunal of Justice published a statement condemning the practice, stating that it was a "desecration of God's name." Several events were planned in 2010 by the liberal [[Modern Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Yedidya congregation to show solidarity with Christians and improve relations between the Haredi and Christian communities of Jerusalem. ==Marriage and divorce== {{Main|Marriage in Israel}} Currently, Israeli marriage licenses are recognized only if performed under an official religious authority (whether it be Orthodox Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Druze, etc.) only between a man and a woman of the same religion, while civil marriages are only officially sanctioned if performed abroad. This is a major issue among secular groups, as well as adherents to non-Orthodox streams of Judaism. There is fear that civil marriage will divide the Jewish people in Israel between those who can marry Jews and those who cannot, leading to concerns over retaining the character of the [[Jewish state]]. ==See also== * [[Culture of Israel]] * [[Hesder]] * [[Jewish denominations]] * [[Palestinian Christians]] * [[Sherut Leumi]] * [[Status quo (Israel)]] * [[Tal committee]] ==References== {{Ibid|date=October 2010}} {{Reflist}} ==Bibliography== * Leibman, Charles S. ''Religious and Secular: Conflict and Accommodation Between Jews in Israel.'' AVICHAI, 1990. * Leibman, Charles S. and [[Elihu Katz]], eds. ''The Jewishness of Israelis: Responses to the Guttman Report.'' SUNY Press, 1997. * Mazie, Steven V. ''Israel's Higher Law: Religion and Liberal Democracy in the Jewish State.'' Lexington Books, 2006. ==External links== * [http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=3918015&ct=5151693 The Israel Project: Religious Freedom in Israel: A Fundamental Guarantee] * [http://www.chabad.org/centers/default.asp?country=Israel Directory of Chabad-Lubavitch centers in Israel] * [http://www.masorti.org The Masorti Movement (Conservative Judaism in Israel)] * [http://www.reform.org.il/English/ Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism] * [http://www.jcpa.org/dje/index-rs.htm Israel: Religion and Society] * [http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5758/spring98/pluralismbleich.html Pluralism: Synagogue and the State of Israel] * [http://www.kehilot.org.il Kehilot |Secular & Religious Jewish Communities In Israel] * [http://www.hagshama.org.il/en/resources/view.asp?id=1219 Then and Now: Trends in Israeli Judaism] * [http://www.israpundit.com/2006/?p=677 "You Say You Want a Constitution"], ''[[New York Times]]'' * [http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editletcontent.php3?artid=5002 "Changing Israel's Marriage Law"] ''[[The Jewish Week]]'' Opinion piece by Professor Steven V. Mazie * [http://nifblog.kesem.net/index.cfm?catID=21 Religion and State in Israel: a Discussion] a three-way discussion between Anat Hoffman, Steven Mazie and Rabbi Avi Shafran {{Religion in Israel}} {{Asia in topic|Religion in}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Religion In Israel}} [[Category:Religion in Israel| ]] [[Category:Religion by country|Israel]] [[Category:Religion in the Middle East|Israel]] [[Category:Religion in Asia|Israel]] [[Category:Israeli culture]] [[Category:Israeli society]] [[cs:Náboženství v Izraeli]] [[da:Religion i Israel]] [[de:Religionen in Israel]] [[es:Religión en Israel]] [[fr:Religion en Israël et dans les territoires occupés]] [[hr:Religija u Izraelu]] [[id:Agama di Israel]] [[he:דת בישראל]] [[lad:Relijion en Yisrael]] [[no:Religion i Israel]] [[pt:Religião em Israel]] [[ru:Религия в Израиле]]'
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