Status quo (Israel)
Encyclopedia
In Israel
, the term status quo (or the secular-religious status quo) refers to the political understanding between religious and secular political parties not to alter the communal arrangement in relation to religious matters, in a predominantly secular population. The established religious community in Israel desires to maintain and promote the religious character of the state, while the secular community desires to reduce the impact of religious regulations in their everyday lives. Occasionally, one political side seeks to make changes to inter-communal arrangements, but these are often met by fierce political opposition from the other side. The status quo preserves the established communal arrangements, and only small changes are usually made.
, as chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive
, on 19 June 1947, to the ultra-Orthodox
Agudat Israel
, in order to form a united policy to present to the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine
(UNSCOP), which had commenced its fact-finding tour 4 days earlier. The letter was meant to address their concerns that the emerging State of Israel will be a secular one, which might hurt the status of religion and religious institutions, as well as the values of their followers.
In the letter, David Ben-Gurion stated that neither the Jewish Agency Executive nor any other body in the country is authorized to determine in advance the constitution of the emerging Jewish State, and its secular character. One precondition from the U.N, for the establishment of the Jewish state was Freedom of thought
and Freedom of speech
to all its citizens. It was considered that the letter would satisfy the concerns of religious parties. The letter stipulated policy principles in four main areas that were considered fundamental to Orthodox Judaism:
Despite the fact that the letter referred only to few basic issues, it has become the basis of regulating the relation between religion and State in Israel.
' varies according to different Jewish denominations, and especially between Orthodox Judaism
, who are more strict in conversion to Judaism
, and Reform Judaism
who are more lenient, and was for many years a political stumbling block in the relations between the more conservative religious community and the state. The state's definition stipulates, among others, what is the process of converting to Judaism that is recognized by the State of Israel. The Orthodox community demanded to recognize only Orthodox conversion to Judaism, while the law also recognizes conversions processes of the reformer's movement and the Conservative Judaism
. The status quo preserves the established communal arrangements.
for Palestine
to be the homeland of the Jewish People. When Israel was formed in 1948, that objective became that of the new State. The Law of Return
was enacted in 1950 and stipulates that every Jew has a right to make aliya
(immigrate to Israel). According to the halakha
(Jewish law) a Jew is an individual who was born to a Jewish mother or one that converted to Judaism. Therefore, at those early days of establishing the Jewish state, the deferral of defining the term 'Who is a Jew?' suited the Consociationalism
form of democracy that exists in Israel since every ruling provoked a political storm. Along with the recognition of the status quo as the regulating arrangement, a political custom has evolved, in which it became a convention to hand the Ministry of Interior, which presides, mainly and among others, over the processes of citizenship
and residency
, identity cards (Teudat Zehut
), in the hands of one of the religious parties in the Knesset
(the Israeli parliament). This custom also implements the form of Consociationalism democracy that grants the governmental rewards accordingly to its relative importance in the eyes of the political players.
Twenty years after the Law of Return was enacted, the definition of 'Who is a Jew?' was ruled to be an individual who was born to a Jewish mother, or one that has converted and is not also under any other religion at the same time. The political reality of the founding fathers of the state of Israel was one that emphasized the form of Consociationalism democracy. The pattern of this model could be seen in the Secular-religious fracture, and especially against the background of not having been implemented in other areas of divisions in the Israeli society.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the term status quo (or the secular-religious status quo) refers to the political understanding between religious and secular political parties not to alter the communal arrangement in relation to religious matters, in a predominantly secular population. The established religious community in Israel desires to maintain and promote the religious character of the state, while the secular community desires to reduce the impact of religious regulations in their everyday lives. Occasionally, one political side seeks to make changes to inter-communal arrangements, but these are often met by fierce political opposition from the other side. The status quo preserves the established communal arrangements, and only small changes are usually made.
Origins
The prevailing view attributes the origins of the status quo to a letter sent by David Ben-GurionDavid Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
, as chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive
Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel , also known as the Sochnut or JAFI, served as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into the state of Israel.-History:...
, on 19 June 1947, to the ultra-Orthodox
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
Agudat Israel
Agudat Israel
Agudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
, in order to form a united policy to present to the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine
United Nations Special Committee on Palestine
The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine was formed in May 1947 in response to a United Kingdom government request that the General Assembly "make recommendations under article 10 of the Charter, concerning the future government of Palestine"...
(UNSCOP), which had commenced its fact-finding tour 4 days earlier. The letter was meant to address their concerns that the emerging State of Israel will be a secular one, which might hurt the status of religion and religious institutions, as well as the values of their followers.
In the letter, David Ben-Gurion stated that neither the Jewish Agency Executive nor any other body in the country is authorized to determine in advance the constitution of the emerging Jewish State, and its secular character. One precondition from the U.N, for the establishment of the Jewish state was Freedom of thought
Freedom of thought
Freedom of thought is the freedom of an individual to hold or consider a fact, viewpoint, or thought, independent of others' viewpoints....
and Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
to all its citizens. It was considered that the letter would satisfy the concerns of religious parties. The letter stipulated policy principles in four main areas that were considered fundamental to Orthodox Judaism:
- ShabbatShabbatShabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
- shabbat shall be the day of rest in Israel. - KashrutKashrutKashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
- kashrut would be observed in the kitchens of official institutions of the Jewish state; but privately each individual may choose to observe or not, or how, and to what extent. - Family lawFamily lawFamily law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
s (marriage etc.) - preserving a single judicial system for the purpose marriage and divorce; with marriage and divorce being conducted in rabbinical courts, and there will be no civil marriageCivil marriageCivil marriage is marriage performed by a government official and not a religious organization.-History:Every country maintaining a population registry of its residents keeps track of marital status, and most countries believe that it is their responsibility to register married couples. Most...
. - EducationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
- full autonomy to the different Jewish denominations, while stipulating the minimum standards in fields such as Hebrew, Jewish historyJewish historyJewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
, scienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
etc.
Despite the fact that the letter referred only to few basic issues, it has become the basis of regulating the relation between religion and State in Israel.
Who is a Jew?
The definition of 'Who is a Jew?Who is a Jew?
"Who is a Jew?" is a basic question about Jewish identity and considerations of Jewish self-identification. The question is based in ideas about Jewish personhood which themselves have cultural, religious, genealogical, and personal dimensions...
' varies according to different Jewish denominations, and especially between Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
, who are more strict in conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community. A Jewish conversion is both a religious act and an expression of association with the Jewish people...
, and Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
who are more lenient, and was for many years a political stumbling block in the relations between the more conservative religious community and the state. The state's definition stipulates, among others, what is the process of converting to Judaism that is recognized by the State of Israel. The Orthodox community demanded to recognize only Orthodox conversion to Judaism, while the law also recognizes conversions processes of the reformer's movement and the Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
. The status quo preserves the established communal arrangements.
The Law of Return
The political debate over 'Who is a Jew?' has symbolized the secular-religious divide in Israel and the way it has been handled. It has been the principal objective of ZionismZionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
for Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
to be the homeland of the Jewish People. When Israel was formed in 1948, that objective became that of the new State. The Law of Return
Law of Return
The Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, that gives Jews the right of return and settlement in Israel and gain citizenship...
was enacted in 1950 and stipulates that every Jew has a right to make aliya
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
(immigrate to Israel). According to the halakha
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
(Jewish law) a Jew is an individual who was born to a Jewish mother or one that converted to Judaism. Therefore, at those early days of establishing the Jewish state, the deferral of defining the term 'Who is a Jew?' suited the Consociationalism
Consociationalism
Consociationalism is a form of government involving guaranteed group representation, and is often suggested for managing conflict in deeply divided societies...
form of democracy that exists in Israel since every ruling provoked a political storm. Along with the recognition of the status quo as the regulating arrangement, a political custom has evolved, in which it became a convention to hand the Ministry of Interior, which presides, mainly and among others, over the processes of citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
and residency
Permanent residency
Permanent residency refers to a person's visa status: the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country of which he or she is not a citizen. A person with such status is known as a permanent resident....
, identity cards (Teudat Zehut
Teudat Zehut
Teudat Zehut is the Israeli compulsory identity document, as prescribed in the Identity Card Carrying and Displaying Act of 1982:Any resident sixteen years of age or older must at all times carry an Identity card, and present it upon demand to a senior police officer, head of Municipal or Regional...
), in the hands of one of the religious parties in the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
(the Israeli parliament). This custom also implements the form of Consociationalism democracy that grants the governmental rewards accordingly to its relative importance in the eyes of the political players.
Twenty years after the Law of Return was enacted, the definition of 'Who is a Jew?' was ruled to be an individual who was born to a Jewish mother, or one that has converted and is not also under any other religion at the same time. The political reality of the founding fathers of the state of Israel was one that emphasized the form of Consociationalism democracy. The pattern of this model could be seen in the Secular-religious fracture, and especially against the background of not having been implemented in other areas of divisions in the Israeli society.
See also
- Religion in IsraelReligion in IsraelReligion in Israel is a central feature of the country and plays a major role in shaping Israeli culture and lifestyle, and religion has played a central role in Israel's history. Israel is also the only country in the world where a majority of citizens are Jewish...
- Torah study commandmentTorah studyTorah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
- Torato OmanutoTorato OmanutoTorato Omanuto is a term describing one who's Torah study is his main occupation...
- The special arrangement for the non Religious ZionismReligious ZionismReligious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...
orthodox Israelis (Haredi JudaismHaredi JudaismHaredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
), on postponements or special exemptions from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) compulsory service. - HesderHesderHesder is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework...
- combining the Torah studyTorah studyTorah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
practice and full Military service, for the Religious ZionismReligious ZionismReligious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...
("National Religious") sector. - Sherut LeumiSherut LeumiSherut Leumi is an alternative voluntary national service in Israel for those that cannot or do not wish to serve in the Israel Defense Forces...
- Tal committee (the "Tal law")
- Atchalta De'GeulahAtchalta De'GeulahAtchalta De'Geulah is a term for a concept of an idea, derived from the Gemara. It refers to the notion of a period of time in which a new stage of revival in the process of the redemption and the coming of the Jewish Messiah...
- Haredi JudaismHaredi JudaismHaredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
- HardalHardalChardal ; Hebrew: חרד"ל, acronym for חרדי לאומי, Charedi Le-umi, lit. "Nationalist Charedi", Plural: Chardalim refers to the Ultra-Orthodox Jews who support the ideology of Religious Zionism...