Jewish religious groups and the politics of identity in the “secular-Jewish” state

Conflict between religion and the state has always been a subject for debate in the country. Since Israel’s establishment (Ravitsky, 1998), religion has established political parties and coalitions, caused governments to collapse, played a central role in all public discourse and constituted the essence of the state cultural as well as religious identity. This conflict has many different facets, including philosophical, theological, social, economic and political aspects. This chapter is intended to provide a general framework for discussion of the relations between the religious and the secular in Israel.