Israel Demographics 2009

Paqid Yirmeyahu (Paqid 16, the Netzarim)

2012.01.29, 0800 Israelis "self-defined" labels used by the Guttman Institute study — "anti-religious seculars," "seculars," "traditional," "religious" and "haredi" — are demonstrably inaccurate. "Although 46% of respondents defined themselves as secular, it turns out that this self-definition is not directly linked to a belief in extraordinary forces and in the veracity of the Jewish religion. Apart from the fact that four of five Israeli Jews believe in "G-d", the study's findings revealed that 77% are convinced that the world is guided by an "extraordinary force", 72% believe that praying can improve a person's situation, 67% are convinced that the Jews are the chosen people, and 65% think תּוֹרָה and mi•tzᵊw•otꞋ are a divine order."

"Even more than the general faith in Judaism, the survey reveals that a very high percentage of Jews view traditional Jewish ceremonies to mark milestones in a person's life as extremely important: Ninety-four percent said so about circumcision, 92% about the seven days of mourning after a relative's death, 91% about the Bar-Mi•tzᵊwâhꞋ ceremony, 90% about saying the Qa•dishꞋ prayer over deceased parents, 86% about Jewish burial, and 83% about the Bat Mi•tzᵊwâhꞋ ceremony. "

"Eighty percent viewed marriage blessed by a rabbi as important, but at the same time – about half of the respondents (51%) believe Israel must allow civil marriage without Rabbinate involvement."

The "relatively high percentage of those who view mi•tzᵊw•otꞋ as a divine command" contrasted with "only one-third of respondents said they observe Sha•bâtꞋ 'to a great extent' or 'observe every single detail' " demonstrates the disconnect between keeping Sha•bâtꞋ and embracing the Ultra-Orthodox / khareid•imꞋ fanatics' perverted (anti-science and contravening Tor•âhꞋ , D^әvâr•imꞋ 13.1) standard of it.

While the Guttman Institute study used the labels "anti-religious seculars," "seculars," "traditional," "religious" and "haredi," these categories are defined by Tor•âhꞋ as Εd•om•imꞋ (= "anti-religious seculars"), the Tzon (Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ ) = {"seculars" + "traditional" + "religious"} and the Ultra-Orthodox = "khareid•iꞋ " radicals.

Viewed in this way, the current demography breaks down as follows:

Ë•domꞋ 3% (previously 6%)
the Tzon (Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ ) = {"seculars" + "traditional" + "religious"}: 90% (previously 90%). A far greater segment of Israeli Jews than generally acknowledged recognizes Orthodox Judaism as authoritative – even as they simultaneously recognize that it's riddled by corruption, fanaticism and hypocrisy; which needs to be fixed before it's worth their support. "The synagogue I don't attend is Orthodox" is a well-known idiom in Israel. Breakdown of this category is as follows: Orthodox-Lite (= "seculars") 43% (previously 46%); Orthodox-traditional (= "traditional") 32% (previously 33%) and Orthodox-moderate (= dât•imꞋ = "religious") 15% (previously 11%).
Ultra-Orthodox / khareid•imꞋ : 7% (previously 5%)

It's not clear how, if given the option of an intelligent and logical (i.e., reasonable) Orthodox Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ – which would necessarily be more welcoming and tolerant within Biblical limits, most of today's "non-Orthodox" groups (viz., Conservatives = "Masortim" ["traditional"]) would integrate or refuse to integrate. In my discussions, over many years, with a number of individual Masortim, objections to "the Orthodox" are almost always aimed against medieval, superstitious, corrupt, intolerant, hypocritical, fanatic breaches of Tor•âhꞋ by the "Orthodox" – which, more accurately, is the sin of the Ultra-Orthodox / khareid•imꞋ , not the Tzon Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ = moderate elements of Orthodox.

Yet, the Israeli government continues to empower the radical 7% to impose their medieval, anti-scientific, superstitious, corrupt and hypocritical pseudo-Judaic "halacha" and the 17^th-century Turkish-authorized Rabbinate on today's Israel – with Orthodox-moderates, in silent obeisance, hypocritically bowing in lock-step to the Ultra-Orthodox / khareid•imꞋ fanatics despite their recognition of the harm and family tragedies it causes to countless Israeli Jews, as well as the ensuing khi•lulꞋ י--ה.

This also causes a rift – disunity – within Tzon Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ = Orthodox: between the Orthodox-Lite and Orthodox-traditional group, on the one hand, vs the spineless Orthodox-moderate (at heart) sycophants to the Ultra-Orthodox / khareid•imꞋ .

The media, the Israeli government and both extremes of Israeli Jews, the Arabs, Christians, Muslims, Europeans, neo-Nazis and a wide assortment of enemies all dangle from the single thread of this disunity that prevents Israel from uniting the Name to become a reflection of the Tzon Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ = Orthodox 90%.

Judaism vs Democracy

The disconnect between the Judaic perspective of the Tzon Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ = Orthodox, as defined herein, in contrast to the Ultra-Orthodox, once again arises in the attitude toward obeying democratic laws vs Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ . Conspicuously, democratic laws cannot conflict with Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ as long as democratic laws reflect compatibility with the – 90% – majority!

Clearly, the primary fear is that democratic laws will reflect the tiny minority of the rabid anti-religious who have so often ruled the Israeli government. This is mirrored by a secondary fear that pseudo-Halakhah will reflect the tiny minority of the rabid fanatics of the Ultra-Orthodox / khareid•imꞋ .

The 90% reasonable and moderate (tolerant) Judaic democrats could easily reconcile with a reasonable and moderate (tolerant) Orthodox Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ .

There are three obstacles: rabid anti-religious, rabid Ultra-Orthodox and coalitions of the Israeli government that empowers each to repress the Tzon Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ = moderate Orthodox 90%.

Conspicuously, anti-religious democratic laws can never harmonize with Ultra-Orthodox / khareid•imꞋ pseudo-Halacha.

Unfortunately, this is the blinkered "dilemma" windmill at which the media, the Israeli government and both extremes of Israeli Jews, the Arabs, Christians, Muslims, Europeans, neo-Nazis and a wide assortment of enemies would like to keep the 90% futilely tilting.

Democratic Solution Obvious: Compatibility with Judaism of Tzon Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ = Orthodox 90%

"In general, Jews in Israel support expressions of religion and tradition in the Israeli public sphere, but at the same time they seek to maintain personal freedom of choice…"

"Most Israeli Jews testified that they are "interested" or "very interested" in religion's place in the State of Israel (65%) and in the meaning of a "Jewish state" (70%). About half believe public life in Israel should continue to be conducted as they are today, about 25% believe Israel should be more religious, and about 25% believe it should be less religious."

This is a perfect bell curve, indicating that the 90% have it right. The conflict derives from the rabid fanatics at both extremes: Εd•om•imꞋ and khareid•imꞋ .

The only solution is democracy: de-clawing both extremes – the Εd•om•imꞋ and the khareid•imꞋ –in order to install a democratic-Judaic rule of logical and intelligent (reflecting the Order of the Creator and His universe), as opposed to a ridiculous caricature of, Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ . This implies that the only effective tool is knowledge; i.e., education – and why the khareid•imꞋ refuse and fight education and knowledge as an existential (epikoros) threat.