What scares me more than Amad is ...Khamenei, religious belief in the entire ME are still in the Middle Ages, including Israel.
Of course Pbel had to throw in Israel, when most of the people are really not that religious there. Does Israel want to take over the entire world so that they follow Judaism or is it many of the Muslims who want the entire world to follow Islam? As one Iranian Muslim poster used to say -- Islam is not just for the Iranians or the Arabs, it is for the entire world.
Can you provide a link that says Israel is not that religious or is Polly Parroting for a craker?
Secularism in Israel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system, proportional representation and universal suffrage.[21][22] The Prime Minister serves as head of government and the Knesset serves as Israel's unicameral legislative body. Israel has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.[23] It is a developed country, an OECD member,[24] and its economy, based on the nominal gross domestic product, was the 40th-largest in the world in 2011.[25] Israel has the highest standard of living in the Middle East.[26]
Differences in the Jewish population
The Jewish population of Israel, can be divided, albeit imperfectly, into three groups: Orthodox, Traditional, and Secular. The largest group is the Secular Jews making up 41.4% of the population, followed by the Traditional Jews accounting for 38.5% of the population, with the remaining 20% populated by the orthodox and ultra-orthodox. In Israel there are rarely distinctions made such as Reform and Conservative Judaism, although this is a popular practice in much of the diaspora.
[edit] Secular
Secular Jews in Israel identify as being Jewish because they serve in the Israel Defense Forces (army), they celebrate Jewish holidays (usually not in strict conformity with Jewish Law), and speak Hebrew.[10] This part of the population makes up 41.4% of the Jewish population.[11] Secular Jews are largely supporters of the Israeli Labor Party and a Secular Zionist state.[12] Many secular Israelis identify with being Jewish however the religion is only one aspect of their identity. However, even many secular Jews practice certain aspects of the religion, such as having a Passover Seder or fasting during Yom Kippur. It would not be uncommon to see a secular family to light Shabbat candles, say the blessings over food and wine, have a Shabbat dinner together and then for the parents to get into their car and drive their children to the movies.[2]
[edit] Traditional
Masorti/Traditional Jews make up 38.5% of the Jewish population in Israel.[11] This is the second largest group. Many of these "traditional Jews" differ from the Orthodox only because they will drive their cars on the Sabbath, use electricity, watch television, or go to a soccer game or the beach, frequently after attending religious services in the morning and the evening before. Many of the men wrap tefillin every morning, others cover the spectrum of observance. What is critical is that all are committed to a major religious component in the definition of their Jewishness and the Jewishness of the Jewish state.[13] Traditional Jews make up most of the Likud political party.[14]
[edit] Orthodox
19.9% of the Jewish population identifies as Orthodox ("dati") or ultra-Orthodox.[11] Most of the Orthodox and some ultra-Orthodox, believe that secular Zionist nationalism and Judaism can successfully work and live together in Israel. Politically they align with National Religious Party, the Morasha Party and by the two state-appointed Chief Rabbis. Orthodox Jews are often seen wearing knitted yarmulkes.[14] The ultra-Orthodox (Charedi) are the smallest part of the population, representing only 8.2% of Jews living in Israel.[11] The Charedim tend to live in their own communities and live according to Jewish law by following moral and dress codes passed down from ancestors. This part of the population is often seen wearing black hats or yarmulkes and some Hasidic sects are related to Hasidic sects in the United States.
