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religion in the country of Israel and Judaea

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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 … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Country Israel
Factsheet
Country Israel
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Religion_in_Israel
Religion in Israel - Wikipedia
3 weeks ago - 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.
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Study.com
study.com › courses › history courses › general religious studies
Religion in Israel | History, Groups & Facts | Study.com
The main religion in modern Israel is Judaism, with 73% of the population identifying as Jewish.
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Cultural Atlas
culturalatlas.sbs.com.au › israeli-culture › israeli-culture-religion
Israeli - Religion — Cultural Atlas
There is also a small presence of Protestantism, such as Evangelical and Lutheran churches. The vast majority of Israel’s Arab Christian population resides in northern parts of Israel, such as Nazareth. Many non-Arab Christians can be found throughout the country, but are mainly in Haifa and Jerusalem.
Discussions

Are Jews in Israel more or less religious than American Jews?
Tbh I'm not entirely sure that Israeli Jews are more religious than diaspora Jews. Do they possibly go to shul more often and be more likely to go to yeshiva and/or get smicha? Yes, but synagogues are everywhere so no worries about walking on shabbat (and they're free so no dues), and kosher is the national standard. Jewish education is part of general education, and there are subsided programs funded by the Knesset. No worries about choosing between going to work and observing Jewish holidays, because they're public holidays. So while Israelis may be more observant, it's important to keep in mind that the country they live in is designed to facilitate observance. When you have to travel and pay extra for kosher food, pay hundreds in shul dues, have to be extremely careful where you choose to live to even be able to go to shul, even more if you want to be SS and walk, when you have to give up your PTO to observe holidays, etc. You may not observe everything but I'd argue that it takes much more effort, and doesn't inherently make you less religious. That's just a guess on my part though. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Jewish
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December 19, 2024
Are Israelis very religious?
Israel has a very huge variance, There are completely secular communities like Kibbutzim, big cities, Olim from USSR and some Mizrahi and ashkenazis households tend to be more secular, along with Orthodox jews, Arabs (that have entire "spectrum of religiousness"), "kippah srugah" (knitted yarmulke) and more Correct me if I’m wrong as I’m going off a small understanding but do many Israelis actually believe in “the promised land” or is it just outdated? The main arguments are (briefly): We tried living in diaspora, was shitty Israel is the center of Jewish tradition and culture. Most of us don't have anywhere else to be Jews need self-sovereignty, it has to be somewhere on earth.. and more... For me, the "holidays" are a nice way to gather and be with family. Yom Kippur feast (a held feast before 25 hours fasting), is practiced in our family, even though no one is fasting. We celebrate the Seder night, but never read the entire Haggadah (Seder booklet). I think I speak here for many Israelis. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Israel
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February 11, 2025
Monotheism is what the officially recognized religions in Israel have in common. And if you're counting the Omer, here's the number you need. (Good from Tuesday night.)
Christianity being monotheistic is debatable. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Judaism
9
36
August 31, 2023
Is what’s happening in Israel and Gaza predominantly religion based?
It's primarily a land dispute. However the religious aspect gives either side their fanaticism. Dying for land is boring. Dying for Sky Daddy is so much more cool. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/atheism
360
317
July 5, 2023
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-dominant-religion-in-Israel-How-religious-are-the-majority-of-Israeli-citizens
What is the dominant religion in Israel? How religious are the majority of Israeli citizens? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): Israel predominantly a jewis county however other multi cultural and other faiths coexist in the country rooted from different religions and living peacefully almost in “perfect harmony”!!!. There are over 9 million people. 80% Are Jews who migrated to Israel mostly after WW2 T...
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Tamid NYC
tamidnyc.org › 142-ethnicity-religions-israel-today
#142 Ethnicity & Religions in Israel Today | tamid nyc
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 family of religions: Judaism,Christianity, Islam, Druzeism and the Bahá’í Faith.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › philosophy & religion › scriptures
Judaism | Definition, Origin, History, Beliefs, & Facts | Britannica
1 week ago - Judaism is a monotheistic religion developed among the ancient Hebrews. It is characterized by a belief in one transcendent God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures ...
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Pew Research Center
pewresearch.org › short reads › religion › religions › islam › muslims around the world › 7 key findings about religion and politics in israel
7 key findings about religion and politics in Israel
April 14, 2024 - Here are several of the key findings from that report, which is based on an extensive survey of more than 5,000 Israelis, conducted in late 2014 and early 2015: Israeli Jews are largely united on the need for their nation to be a homeland for Jews, regardless of their origins. Across the spectrum of religious observance, Israeli Jews almost unanimously (a combined 98%) support the right of Jews around the world to move to Israel and receive immediate citizenship (also known as making aliyah).
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United Nations
un.org › home
Israel and the OPT: International Religious Freedom Report 2003 - Non-UN document - Question of Palestine
March 12, 2019 - In 2002, the Basic Law was approved by the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and signed by PA President Yasir Arafat The March 2003 version of a draft constitution states that "Islam is the official religion of the State, and "Christianity ...
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Jewish Virtual Library
jewishvirtuallibrary.org › israel-studies-an-anthology-religion-in-israel
Israel Studies An Anthology: Religion in Israel
February 2, 2016 - The relationship between Israel and religion is far from simple. There are several fundamental issues that make this relationship different from most Western countries: Israel is home to many and diverse religious groups. While Judaism is the main religion, the Israeli legal system promises ...
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U.S. Department of State
state.gov › wp-content › uploads › 2023 › 05 › 441219-ISRAEL-2022-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf pdf
ISRAEL 2022 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ...
Police sealed off and established checkpoints at main entrances to the Old City, the Christian quarter, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which the Greek · Patriarchate denounced in a statement accusing police of practicing violence ... Arab/Palestinian students. A few independent, mixed Jewish-Arab/Palestinian · schools also offered religion classes.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/jewish › are jews in israel more or less religious than american jews?
r/Jewish on Reddit: Are Jews in Israel more or less religious than American Jews?
December 19, 2024 -

This is something I have been genuinely curious about. I have often assumed that being a Jewish country, you would assume that people in Israel are automatically going to be much more religious observant than their American or their international diaspora counterparts.

This is something that has been highlighted a bit by Ben Shapiro. He talks about how American Jews are the least religious of many other religious groups in America. This is also a similar assumption to how Europeans are considered to be more religious than Americans and Latin Americans since those countries were actually founded on the principle of rebelling against religious supremacy and hegemony and Europe literally exported Christianity all over the world. Same with Muslim countries. It is generally understood that people in Muslim countries are more religious than Muslims living in the U.S. These are things that have been studied in various surveys and research polls. Israel being a Jewish state is also directly compared to how Iran and Afghanistan and the Gulf states are Islamic states where the society is expected to be religious and adhere to the religious norms usually through brute force and extreme enforcement.

With that said, is it accurate to state that Jews in Israel are generally more religious than Jews in America and elsewhere? Do you think this can be compared to how people who live in the diaspora are usually less religious than their counterparts in their native countries like immigrants from the rest of the Middle East and South Asia? What do you guys think? If anyone has spent time around American Jews and Jews from Israel, feel free to chime in!

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Tbh I'm not entirely sure that Israeli Jews are more religious than diaspora Jews. Do they possibly go to shul more often and be more likely to go to yeshiva and/or get smicha? Yes, but synagogues are everywhere so no worries about walking on shabbat (and they're free so no dues), and kosher is the national standard. Jewish education is part of general education, and there are subsided programs funded by the Knesset. No worries about choosing between going to work and observing Jewish holidays, because they're public holidays. So while Israelis may be more observant, it's important to keep in mind that the country they live in is designed to facilitate observance. When you have to travel and pay extra for kosher food, pay hundreds in shul dues, have to be extremely careful where you choose to live to even be able to go to shul, even more if you want to be SS and walk, when you have to give up your PTO to observe holidays, etc. You may not observe everything but I'd argue that it takes much more effort, and doesn't inherently make you less religious. That's just a guess on my part though.
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Israel being a Jewish state is also directly compared to how Iran and Afghanistan and the Gulf states are Islamic states where the society is expected to be religious and adhere to the religious norms usually through brute force and extreme enforcement. This is a totally mistaken premise. Israel in its modern form was not founded to be a religiously Jewish state, but (for lack of a better summary) to be an ethnically Jewish state. The founders of modern Israel were almost entirely non-religious Jews. With that said, is it accurate to state that Jews in Israel are generally more religious than Jews in America and elsewhere? No, that is not at all accurate as a general statement. There are many extremely religious Jews in Israel, who are perhaps more religious than the most religious Jews outside of Israel (but even that is debatable). There are also many extremely secular Jews in Israel who have no connection to Jewish religious practice and openly disdain it in a way very rarely seen among Diaspora Jews. These secular Jews historically dominated Israeli politics and society.
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Statista
statista.com › society › demographics
Population by religion in Israel 2023| Statista
November 28, 2025 - Jewish residents formed the largest religious group, with just over 7.15 million people. The Muslim population in the country, formed the largest religious minority at over 1.7 million individuals.
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U.S. Department of State
state.gov › reports › 2021-report-on-international-religious-freedom › israel-west-bank-and-gaza
Israel, West Bank and Gaza - United States Department of State
January 4, 2025 - Some Jewish individuals and groups performed religious acts such as prayers and prostration on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount despite the longstanding historical norms against overt non-Islamic prayer there. On July 8, the Supreme Court, by a vote of 10-to-one, rejected 15 petitions challenging the Basic Law of Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People (Nation State law). The government maintained its policy of not accepting new applications for official recognition from religious groups but stated that members of unrecognized religious groups remained free to practice their religion.
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Dialogos
dialogos.co.za › blog › christianity-in-israel-5-facts-that-will-surprise-you
CHRISTIANITY IN ISRAEL: 5 facts that will surprise you | dia-LOGOS
October 13, 2024 - According to an article in Haaretz, ... which is well below the norm in western Europe. Christianity is the third largest religion in Israel, after Judaism and Islam....
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The Israel Democracy Institute
en.idi.org.il › home › articles › statistical report on religion and state in israel – new chapters
Statistical Report on Religion and State in Israel – New Chapters - The Israel Democracy Institute
April 16, 2023 - 8% of the working public in Israel over the age of 18 worked on the Sabbath in the last year: 18.8% of the Jews and 24.9% of the Arabs. Of the Jewish employees who worked from home on Shabbat, 6% stated that this was a workplace requirement ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/israel › are israelis very religious?
r/Israel on Reddit: Are Israelis very religious?
February 11, 2025 -

Are Israelis very religious? I understand like most nations they’re built upon religious values but a lot of people dont really believe in it,

so for example what is the views of the gay community in Israel like, do people really care for religious reosons

Correct me if I’m wrong as I’m going off a small understanding but do many Israelis actually believe in “the promised land” or is it just outdated?

Edit: forgot to ask, religious events, for those reading this post, are they more religious events to you or cultural? as I assume a lot of you may identify as Jewish not based on religion but identity?

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Jewish Virtual Library
jewishvirtuallibrary.org › latest-population-statistics-for-israel
Latest Population Statistics for Israel
The Tel Aviv metropolitan area is experiencing an annual growth rate of 1.8%. In 2023, the population by religion was roughly 74% Jewish (7,400,000), 21% Muslim (2,100,000), 5% (500,000) Christian Arab and foreign citizens. Just under 2% of the population (180,300) are non-Arab Christians and ...
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Statista
statista.com › topics › 13237 › religion-in-israel
Religion in Israel - statistics & facts | Statista
2 weeks ago - Numbering seven million, Jewish Israelis formed the largest religious population, of which some 40 percent placed themselves on a spectrum between traditional to highly observant.
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Theos Think Tank
theosthinktank.co.uk › comment › 2023 › 11 › 14 › a-religious-war-misconceptions-about-the-role-of-religion-in-the-israelipalestinian-conflict
A religious war? Misconceptions about the role of religion in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict - Theos Think Tank - Understanding faith. Enriching society.
There are Muslim groups that are openly anti–Semitic, such as Hamas or Hezbollah; they are anti–Semitic not because they oppose the State of Israel, but because they harbour hatred towards, and call for violence against Jews. Such organisations are often also Islamist – i.e., they might advocate for the establishment of an Islamic state, the implementation of Sharia law, or the revival of Islamic culture and identity – and do not represent mainstream branches of Islam.
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HISTORY
history.com › home › articles › why jews and muslims both have religious claims on jerusalem | history
Why Jews and Muslims Both Have Religious Claims on Jerusalem | HISTORY
And between 1517 and 1917, the Ottoman Empire—whose official religion was Islam—ruled the city. Jerusalem features prominently in the Hebrew Bible. In the Jewish tradition, it is the place where Abraham, the first Patriarch of Judaism, nearly sacrificed his son Isaac to God thousands of years ago. Later, Abraham’s grandson Jacob (who took the name “Israel”) learned that Jerusalem is “the site that the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes, as a place established in His name,” according to the Book of Deuteronomy.
Published   May 28, 2025