Will Israel’s upcoming elections make it more secular?
In many ways, the State of Israel is an enigma that’s complicated to explain. On the one hand, the nation, intended to be the Jewish homeland, has every reason and justification to preserve an atmosphere, culture and many traditions which most authentically exemplify its people.
On the other hand, the passage of 78 years and influences of having lived in the dispersion, has resulted in the country being a diverse tapestry of identities, all of whom carved out their own little corner that best expressed Jewish life as they saw it.
To some, it meant full-on observance of Orthodox Judaism, the official religion of Israel, while, to others, speaking the native language and celebrating the traditional holidays was sufficient Jewish identification. For them, that includes biblical feasts, Shabbat and national holidays, such as Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israeli Independence Day and a few others.
Of course, there were many other variants between those options – everything from a kind of pick and choose, part secular, part traditional lifestyle to no connection to the religion, at all.
What became clear to everyone, was that there was no such thing as a one size fits all for Jews, who are known to have a host of varying opinions on any given subject.
Among the population of around 10 million, composed of Arabs, Christians and other minorities, the majority of Israel’s 7 million Jewish citizens tend to identify as somewhat observant and a bit right-leaning. Nonetheless, more and more Israelis would like to see a wider range of options, if for no other reason, to provide a greater choice.
That would include public transportation on Shabbat, civil marriage and, most of all, a greater degree of tolerance for the non-Orthodox segment of society, which makes up around 70% of its citizenry.
Knowing that they had limited time to make the societal changes they wanted, this present, highly religious government coalition has sought to enact more heavy-handed laws, almost to the point of forcing their preferences on a public that was not willing to take on a way of life that didn’t appeal to them.
Consequently, a significant amount of the population began to protest, expressing opposition to proposed laws they viewed as coercive. Demonstrations began to take place not long after the coalition began to flex their muscles, hoping to dramatically change the character of the country through legislative means.
Some say it was this protracted unrest that gave way to the events of October 7, as the enemy saw the perfect opportunity to attack an ununified and distracted public who had trouble agreeing on anything. Sadly, even that tragedy didn’t do much to bring us together.
Now, as elections are only a month and a half away, the ruling party is doing their best to frighten the electorate by warning that voting for a more centrist party will guarantee a left-wing government, as well as the establishment of a Palestinian state. Nothing could be further from the truth.
That is because allowing Jews to marry in their own country, through another option, besides the Orthodox rabbinate, or providing bus service on Shabbat, is a far cry from making the decision that this is the best time for a Palestinian state, especially given the latest threats that another large-scale attack is being planned for the near future.
Add to that, the continued refusal of the ultra-Orthodox who refuse to support the law that obligates every young man and woman to serve in the military, leaving our soldiers depleted and war-weary, serving above and beyond what was expected of them, because 60,000 young men remain adamant in not defending the homeland.
The truth is that the less observant Israeli population would probably define “secularism” as simply the opportunity for more options. While they don’t have any problem with those who choose to follow stringent laws, in accordance with rabbinical Judaism, most Israelis just want the freedom to make up their own mind as to how they live out their Jewishness.
As someone who came here more than three decades ago, I can safely say that most Israelis value the Jewish culture, holidays, events and traditions, all of which make us a unique people and unite us in our ethnicity. But the question of faith, and how one interprets it, for personal application, is a very sensitive matter, best left to the individual.
Consequently, choosing not to follow Orthodox Judaism cannot be interpreted as turning one’s back on their faith, their people or being characterized as someone who wants to usher in a type of secularism that will destroy the special nature of the Jewish homeland.
After 2,000 years of being exiled from the place where we belong, and ending up under the control of other countries, shouldn’t a Jewish nation offer a full range of freedom, especially when it comes to matters of faith, without viewing such liberty as an affront to Judaism?
In fact, it was the same intolerance and refusal to allow Jews to make their own choices, that ended up so badly for us throughout millennia. When we look back and remember the forced conversions and coerced measures which were inflicted upon our people, each one of us should pledge to never employ the same kind of intimidation and pressure that was used against us.
The notion of a secular society, as it relates to Israel, is more on the level of “live and let live,” fostering a healthy respect for the individual who is able to come to their own conclusions of how they choose to live and to what extent they embrace faith.
In his article entitled “The religious right,” writer Dan Perry asks the question, “How long is one population willing to be governed by the other?” Because this is how it’s been for nearly four years, ever since an ultra-religious government has been in power.
Perry points out that “much of the wealth and productive capacity of modern Israel is concentrated in the secular and religious moderate coastal belt, running from the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, north to Haifa, resulting in a mismatch with the very religious.”
It is why a new government needs to loosen the grip, allowing freedom of choice, which, to the Orthodox may sound like secularism, but, in reality, is the inalienable right everyone deserves!
