Israel Internal Splits

Israel as a divided Society  National gulf – Jews versus Arabs  Political gulf – Right-wing (“Settlers”) versus Left-wing (“Peace Now”)  Economic gulf – Rich and Poor  Religious gulf – Orthodox versus Secular  Ethnic gulf – Sephardi /Mizrahi Jews versus Ashkenzi Jews

Between Church and State  Zionism was a secular movement using religious identity to define a nation.  Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jews rejected Zionism, But most of them accepted the State of Israel.  Almost all governments had religious members  State institutions keep the main religious laws – serving Kosher food and observing the Shabbat  Laws of matrimony are under religious law  Who is a Jew? A debate related to the law of return

Ultra-Orthodox, Religious, traditional and secular in Israel (self delimitation 2004)

Immigration to Israel by Origin

World Jewry by 1948

Immigration to Israel

Immigrants to Israel as a percentage of Jewish Population

Does the question of Origin still matter? The gap between Second generation Israelis of different origins

Average years of schooling Sephardic Origin Ashkenazi Origin

Percentage of academic degree holders Ashkenazi Origin Sephardic Origin

Average Annual income Ashkenazi Origin Sephardic Origin

Main attitudes to the Ethnic problem The “solidarity” approach  Integrationist and egalitarian attitude  Disparities were the result of external conditions The “patronizing” approach  Aloof and condescending attitude  Inequality developed in Israel

Segregationist and Integrationist factors  Modernity  Ideology of integration  primordial kinship  Social mobility Social mobilitySocial mobility  Economic growth  common enemy  Cross-cutting differences Cross-cutting differences Cross-cutting differences  Colonial order  Actual differences  overlapping differences (origin, class, Political opinion, and religiosity) overlapping differences overlapping differences

Overlapping differences SephardicAshkenazi Traditional Secular Right-wing Left-wing

Crossing differences Sephardic Ashkenazi Traditional Secular Right-wing Left-wing