Religion and Politics in Israel

This article, sent to us last week from a blog reader (thanks Beth!), discusses the problems that were created when Israel fused religion with politics. We aren’t endorsing all of the assumptions of the author, but it’s a fascinating look at the damage that results when political interests are joined with religious authority.

From the article:

“Israel arose as a secular, social democratic country inspired by Western European democracies. With time, however, its core values have become entirely different. Israel today is a religious, capitalist state. Its religiosity is defined by the most extreme Orthodox interpretations…Israel defines itself as a “Jewish and democratic state.” However, because Israel has never created a system of checks and balances between these two sources of authority, they are closer than ever to a terrible clash.”

Image by Mataparda. Used in accordance with Creative Commons. Sourced via Flickr.