Religious Debates in Israel

Abstract

The Zionist movement that laid the foundations of a modern Jewish state was predominantly secular, but many Orthodox Jews were also active. Similarly, the majority of the Israeli population has always been secular, but Orthodox Jewry has continuously been an important part of it. There are several conflicting definitions of Israel’s Jewish character among different segments of its society. One of the issues related to this dilemma is the religious content of the state’s Jewish character. This chapter covers Israel’s religious diversity and how it manifests in the public debate. Religiously diverse society established modes of internal cooperation that are commonly termed as “status quo.” But they were a framework for a contained rivalry between different visions of religion’s public role rather than a stable and determined compromise. This rivalry manifested in debates on the issues of family law, legal definition of Jewishness and conversion, Sabbath restrictions in the public sphere, Orthodox monopoly in the public bodies and religious freedom, among others.