Our Way is the Way of HaShem: Competing Religious Narratives in Israel
Abstract
Appealing to the religious immigrants from Europe and the Middle East, Zionists established Israel as a Jewish state, though only Orthodox Judaism was formally recognized as Judaism. Because of this limited recognition, Jewish religion in Israel has been based upon strict adherence to Orthodox practices, creating the false perception that a significant majority of Israel is currently secular, or non-practicing. To the contrary, recent surveys indicate less than 40 percent of the Jewish population is secular and only half of those are actually atheists. Some analysts have determined that modern changes to the historical status quo indicate the growing secularization of Israel; however, based upon these recent surveys, the secular community has continued to decline. The competing and incompatible religious narratives within these religious communities in Israel have served to create further complexity in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with regards to settlement. Without a history of religious compromise within itself, negotiations with Palestine remain elusive.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 25, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1176210
Entities
People
- Amber L Nichols
Organizations
- Marine Corps University