ABSTRACT
Israel's immigration and integration policies are determined by several factors. One is the state ideology or national ethos; that is, the definition of Israel as a state that is both Jewish and democratic. In 1917, the Balfour Declaration promised that there would be a ‘homeland’ for the Jews in the area then known as Palestine, which was mandated to Great Britain. This was logical, because that area of the world in which Israel is situated is perceived to be the historical home of the Jews. Israel's social, political, economic and educational policies are anchored in the national ethos, which in the Declaration of Independence defines it as a ‘Jewish and democratic’ entity. The indigenous non-Jewish population opposed the foundation of Israel in 1948, and fought against Jewish groups in the Israeli War of Independence. Different ministries are in charge of the different cultural groups and of the different areas of their integration in Israeli society.
