Secular Israelis who prioritise living in a liberal democracy are a shrinking portion of Israel’s population, said Uri Ram, professor of sociology and anthropology at Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
By 2015, only a minority – although, at 45%, a large one – of the Jewish population in Israel defined themselves as secular, and that is shrinking as religious and ultra-orthodox Jewish families, on average, have more children.
Data from the first class at elementary schools in 2023 showed that only 40% of children were in the secular stream, he said.
“There is a growing problem of ‘brain drain’, and it will increase, firstly, if the military risk is not reduced and, secondly, if the state does indeed turn more populist-autocratic,” said Ram, who has researched the struggle for Israel’s future between liberal, mostly secular Israelis like Noam and a group he describes as ethno-religious traditionalists.
“In these situations, the upper middle classes will send their young generations abroad. Jews are well networked in desired academic and professional markets abroad, and family and work connections will assist the integration of young, educated Israeli immigrants in the desired locations.”
Excellent article - I did not fully-appreciate the concerns about the growing ultra-orthodox population. I had heard about their resisting having to do military service.
Israel is not a liberal democracy. The “State of Israel” is an ethnic-state. That was the purpose since the beginning. People can assume it is a liberal democracy, then those people would lack common sense. Israel is a country for the Jews to control. An ethnocracy can be totally secular and not be religious. The article uses Western terms that does not fully capture the mindset. The Israeli elites are not ultra-orthodox. If the Israeli lobby is any indication, these Israelis who are moving due to security situation, are still partial to the state of Israel. The state of Israel is one of those priorities that many Jews, even non-Jews, think is important. And that is why Israel has such a powerful lobby within the US. It is basically the 51st state of the US while being autonomous. A liberal democracy is equality under the law and suffrage for all. Israel isn’t that, and if these people value liberal democracy over the ethnic homeland, there are plenty of Western countries for that.
