Religion and National Identity: Negotiating Democratic Governance in Israel
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/rjsalb.v10i2.39664Keywords:
democratic governance, Haredi politics, Jewish national identity, minority rights, religion–state relationsAbstract
This study examines how religion and national identity interact with democratic governance in Israel, addressing the limited integration of institutional, electoral, and identity-based analyses in previous scholarship. Employing a qualitative case-study design, the research uses thematic documentary analysis supported by descriptive secondary quantitative evidence from legal documents, policy materials, official statistics, electoral data, and public-opinion surveys. The findings show, first, that religious influence on policymaking is domain-specific, coalition-dependent, and institutionally mediated, operating through religion–state arrangements in personal status, education, public funding, military service, and related policy domains. Second, religious–secular differentiation is reflected in socioeconomic participation, electoral behavior, and contrasting public assessments of Israel’s Jewish and democratic character. Third, Jewish national identity has clear constitutional expression, while minority recognition, political inclusion, and social cohesion vary across communities and institutional contexts. These findings imply that democratic governance requires institutional mechanisms capable of balancing religious autonomy, accountable representation, and equal citizenship. The study contributes an original integrated framework showing that religion, coalition politics, and national identity shape democratic governance through conditional and interconnected institutional processes.
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