Figure 1.-- |
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There are many different Jewish groups in Israel , often assoiciated with the counytry's religious and immigrant origins. This diversity is based on the varied origins of modern Isreali Jews. There were some Jewsish communities in Palestine before the Zionist movement was launched in the 19th century. Since then Jewish immigrants have come to Israel from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and East Area as well as smaller numbers from other areas. Some of the most important are: Ashkenazim, Mizahim, immigrants (especially Russian and Ethiopian), Haredim, religious-Zionsts, and secular Jews. There are are also wide religious differences, including Jews that are not religious. As a result there is a range of views both toward Judiasm and Isreali nationality.
Less well known is that a similar number of Jews were expelled from Muslim countries where their ancestors had lived for centuries, in some cases predating Islam. Jewish commiunities were founded in Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, and India. This process began with the Babalonian Captivity (6th century BC), but most significantly with the Roman supression of the Jewish revolt (1st century AD). Thus Jewish communities in Arab countries were founded 400- 1,000 years before Islam. There were even Jewish communities in Saudia Arabia before Islam. (They are mentioned in the Koran.) These Jewish communities had various experiences after the Islamic conquests. Arabs contend that Jews and Arabs coexisted in harmony before Israel was established. It is true that during the Medieval er that Islam was more tolerant of Jews than Christians. It is also true that there were incidence of extreme intolerance in the Islamic world. And these incidents continued into the modern era. Arabs massacred Jews in Morocco (1912), Algeria (1933), Iraq (1941), and Libya (1945), all these incidents of course pre-dated the establishment of Israel. The Mizrahim, now integrated into Israel, never left the Middle East, can hardly be called Western interlopers. They are as much a part of the Middle East as the Arabs. The Oriental Jews or Mizrahim were expelled from Arab and other countries such as Iran. Jews were expelled by countries like Iraq, Egypt and Algeria. Other Arab countries (such as Morocco and Tunisia) did not formally expel Jews, but persued policies of marginalisation and intimidation. Historians report that there were about 870,000 Mizrahi refugees. The majority or about 600,000 sought refuge in Israel, where they now constiture about half of the Isreali Jewish population. The Oriental Jews are important to be recognized. One of the Arab charges against Israel is that the Jews are western colonial interlopers--essentially a colonial phenomenon. The Arabs complain that these Western Jews stole the land from the native Pestinian Arabs. They conveniently forget the Oriental Jews that form such a large part of the Isreali population.
Ashkenazim Jews are a major part of the European immigrants.
The attachment to Judaic tradition is quite varied among Isreali Jews. About half of Isreali Jews are secular. A newspaper 2007 report based on a survey of adult Israeli Jews found that they define themselves as: secular (50 percent), traditional (30 percent), religious (12 percent), and Haredi/ultra-orthodox (8 percent). This is not to say that the half of the Isreali Jewish population that see themselves as secular are compleletly devoid of religious beliefs. More than hlf od Isreali secular Jews (55 percent) do believe that God exists. A number of others (16 percent ) believe a "supreme force" exists. Observance of religious practices does not entirely follow the secular/religious split in Isreali society. There are religious bevavior among the secular. More than half of secular Jews (61 percent) observe the dietary rules against consuming meat and dairy products at the same meal. Nearly half (47 percent) decline to eat leavened bread at Passover. About one-third (34 percent) restrict their diet to kosher food while at home. More than a third (39 percent) would advise their children to have a religious wedding. The survey also found secular behaviors and ideology among the religius Jews. Many traditional Jews (62 percent) drive cars on the sabbath. Only about half (48 percent) believe that Judiasm is what defines them as Jews. A majority of traditional Jews see their Jewish identity as nationality. [Plocker-survey] One notable aspect of Isreli reports is that there are no refereces to Reform and Conservative denominations, the primary denominations in the United States. These denominations are also active in Israel, but referenes are realtively rare. [Hochstein] A factor here is presumably that American Jewish emigration to Israel has been rather limited.
The 2007 survey found that in all amomg Isreali Jews that nationality may be just as important as religion, but this is complicated by the fact that many Isrealis do not entirely separate religion from nationality. The resndent explained that what defined them as Jews was:
Jewish religion (40 percent), Israeli nationality (33 percent), and Jewish nationality (26 percent). [Plocker--survey] About the survey, Isreali journalist writes, "Survey conclusions are optimistic," he wrote. "The religious-secular gap is being bridged, and the risk of it[s] creating a rift is becoming more remote. The walls are being torn down, the borders distinguishing between the holy and the profane are being divided both ways, and there is a symbiotic relationship and mutual benefit between religious-traditional Judaism and secular Judaism. .... Some will view this as the failure of Zionism, which sought to create a new type of Jew detached from his past and ghetto-like characteristics. This type of interpretation is erroneous: The more the nationalist elements of Judaism are strengthened the more Zionism will thrive, because it serves as the Jews' national freedom movement." [Plocker]
Hochstein, Joseph M. "What secular and religious Israelis say about being Jewish," (April 4, 2007).
Plocker, Sever. Yedioth Ahronoth (April 2, 2007), pp. 12-15.. (Yedioth is Israel's largest daily newspaper. Their assessment here is based on a survey conducted by Dr. Mina Zemach's Dahaf institute).
Plocker, Sever. "The new Israeli Jew: Common ground overcomes schisms despite varied definitions of Judaism," YNet News.Com (April 4, 2007).
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