Overview of the presence, role and impact of religion in Israel
Religion in Israel (2016)[1]
Judaism–Hiloni (33.1%)
Judaism–Masorti (24.3%)
Judaism–Dati (8.8%)
Judaism–Haredi (7.3%)
Islam (18.1%)
Christianity (1.9%)
Druze (1.6%)
Others and unclassified (4.8%)
Religion in Israel is manifested primarily in Judaism, the ethnic religion of the Jewish people. The State of Israel declares itself as a "Jewish and democratic state" and is the only country in the world with a Jewish-majority population (see Jewish state).[2] Other faiths in the country include Islam (predominantly Sunni), Christianity (mostly Melkite and Orthodox) and the religion of the Druze people. Religion plays a central role in national and civil life, and almost all Israeli citizens are automatically registered as members of the state's 14 official religious communities, which exercise control over several matters of personal status, especially marriage. These recognized communities are Orthodox Judaism (administered by the Chief Rabbinate), Islam, the Druze faith, the Catholic Church (including the Latin Church, Armenian Catholic Church, Maronite Church, Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Syriac Catholic Church, and Chaldean Catholic Church), Greek Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic Church, Anglicanism, and the Baháʼí Faith.[3]
The religious affiliation of the Israeli population as of 2022 was 73.6% Jewish, 18.1% Muslim, 1.9% Christian, and 1.6% Druze. The remaining 4.8% included faiths such as Samaritanism and Baháʼí, as well as "religiously unclassified".[4] While Jewish Israelis are all technically under the jurisdiction of the state Orthodox rabbinate,[5] personal attitudes vary immensely, from extreme Orthodoxy to irreligion and atheism.
Jews in Israel mainly classify themselves along a fourfold axis, from least to most observant, hiloni (lit.'secular'); masorti (lit.'traditional'); dati (lit.'religious' or 'orthodox', including religious zionist); and haredi (lit.'ultra-religious' or 'ultra-orthodox').[6][7]
Israeli law guarantees considerable privileges and freedom to practice for the recognized communities,[8][9] but, in tandem, does not necessarily do so for other faiths. The Pew Research Center has identified Israel as one of the countries that place "high restrictions" on the free exercise of religion[10] and there have been limits placed on non-Orthodox Jewish religious movements, which are unrecognized.[11][12] Pew ranked Israel as fifth globally in terms of "inter-religious tension and violence".[13]
^"Israel's Religiously Divided Society". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
^Beit-Hallahmi 2011, p. 385.
^Sheetrit, Shimon (20 August 2001). "Freedom of Religion in Israel". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 6 February 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
^"Table 2.1 — Population, by Religion and Population. As of may 2011 estimate the population was 76.0 Jewish. Group". Statistical Abstract of Israel 2006 (No. 57). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2012.
^Karesh & Hurvitz 2005, p. 237.
^Beit-Hallahmi 2011, p. 386.
^Kedem, Peri (2017) [1995]. "Demensions of Jewish Religiosity". In Deshen, Shlomo; Liebman, Charles S.; Shokeid, Moshe (eds.). Israeli Judaism: The Sociology of Religion in Israel. Studies of Israeli Society, 7 (Reprint ed.). London; New York: Routledge. pp. 33–62. ISBN 978-1-56000-178-2.
^"People: Religious Freedom". mfa.gov.il. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
^"Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty".
^"Global Restrictions on Religion (Full report)" (PDF). The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. December 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
^""U.S. Department of State: 2012 Report on International Religious Freedom: Israel and The Occupied Territories (May 20, 2013)"".
^"ISRAEL 2017 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT". U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
^"Israel Has Almost as Many Religious Restrictions as Iran, Pew Report Finds". Haaretz, JTA and Ben Sales. July 17, 2019
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