Secularism in Israel

Secularism in Israel shows how matters of religion and how matters of state are related within Israel. Secularism is defined as an indifference to, rejection or exclusion of religion and religious consideration. In Israel this applies to the entirely secular community that identifies with no religion and the secular community within the Jewish community which identifies with no particular division of the religion. When Israel was established as a new state in 1948, a new and different Jewish identity formed for the newly created Israeli population. This population was defined by the Israeli culture and Hebrew language, their experience with the Holocaust, and the need to band together against conflict with hostile neighbors in the Middle East. This is not an identity with which Jews outside of Israel can easily identify.

Since 1922 many official documents originating in the land of Israel gave rise to religious freedom and secularism. In 1922 the Palestinian Mandate prohibited discrimination based on religious affiliation. In 1948, at the establishment of the state of Israel, the Declaration of Independence again protects freedom of religion. The Declaration of Establishment of the State of Israel was approved by members of the Jewish community of Palestine and the Zionist movement. The documents first section sheds light on the relationship between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. It reads “the Land of Israel,[ Palestine] was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped.” The history of the Jews establishing the State of Israel is long. The right of the Jewish people to settle in the land was recognized in the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The United Nations General Assembly passed the resolution that called for a Jewish state to be established in Eretz-Israel on November 29, 1947.

When the idea of political Zionism was introduced by Theodor Herzl, his idea was that Israel would be a secular state which would not be influenced at all by religion. When David Ben-Gurion founded the state of Israel he put religious leaders at the head of the government next to secular Jews in the government. Many westernized Israelis feel constrained by the strict religious sanctions imposed on them. Many businesses close on Shabbat, including EL AL, Israel’s leading airline, many forms of public transportation, and restaurants.

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