ABSTRACT
Israel is an intriguing and unique case of a Jewish nation state that faces complex challenges emerging from the encounters and communications involving the cultures it contains. Multiculturalism is a prominent trend in contemporary western society and culture, and is also evident in full force in Israel. As a result of changes in the composition of the population and in the media, as well as political, economic, and technological developments, Israel contains religious, ethnic, national, and gender groups whose cultures transcend the geographic borders of the Israeli nation state. Since Israel's foundation, diversity and multiple rifts have characterized Israeli society, with its ethnic, religious, and national groups embroiled in a moral, ideological battle over the identity of the state and the allocation of its resources. The seven prominent rifts in Israeli society are based on nationality, religion, ethnicity, status, tenure in Israel, politics, and gender.
