📰 Israel · page 7

Approximately 80% of Israeli Jews are born in Israel, 14% are immigrants from Europe and the Americas, and 6% are immigrants from Asia and Africa.[612]562 Jews from Europe and the former Soviet Union and their descendants born in Israel, including Ashkenazi Jews, constitute approximately 44% of Jewish Israelis.563 Jews from Arab and Muslim countries and their descendants, including both Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews,[613] form most of the rest of the Jewish population.[614]564 Jewish intermarriage rates run at over 35% and recent studies suggest that the percentage of Israelis descended from both Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews increases by 0.5 per cent yearly, with over 25% of schoolchildren now originating from both.[615]565 Around 4% of Israelis (300,000), ethnically defined as "others", are Russian descendants of Jewish origin or family who are not Jewish according to rabbinical law, but were eligible for citizenship under the Law of Return.[616][617][618]566

Israeli settlers beyond the Green Line number over 600,000 (≈10% of the Jewish Israeli population).[619] as of 2016, 399,300 Israelis lived in West Bank settlements,[356] including those that predated the establishment of the State of Israel and which were re-established after the Six-Day War.567 Additionally there were more than 200,000 Jews living in East Jerusalem[357] and 22,000 in the Golan Heights.[356]568 Approximately 7,800 Israelis lived in settlements in the Gaza Strip, known as Gush Katif, until they were evacuated by the government as part of its 2005 disengagement plan.[620]569

Israeli Arabs (including the Arab population of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights) comprise 21.1% of the population or 1,995,000 people.[621]570 In a 2017 poll, 40% of Arab citizens of Israel identified as "Arab in Israel" or "Arab citizen of Israel", 15% identified as "Palestinian", 8.9% as "Palestinian in Israel" or "Palestinian citizen of Israel", and 8.7% as "Arab"; the same poll found that 60% of Israeli Arabs have a positive view of the state.[622][623]571

Major urban areas

Israel has four major metropolitan areas: Gush Dan (Tel Aviv metropolitan area; population 3,854,000), Jerusalem (population 1,253,900), Haifa (924,400), and Beersheba (377,100).[624]572 The largest municipality, in population and area, is Jerusalem with residents in an area of 125 km2.573 Statistics on Jerusalem include the population and area of East Jerusalem, the status of which is in international dispute.[625]574 Tel Aviv and Haifa rank as Israel's next most populous cities, with populations of and, respectively.575 The (mainly Haredi) city of Bnei Brak is the most densely populated city in Israel and one of the 10 most densely populated cities in the world.[626]576

Israel has 16 cities with populations over 100,000. as of 2018 there are 77 localities granted "municipalities" (or "city") status by the Ministry of the Interior,[627] four of which are in the West Bank.[628]577

Language

Main article: Languages of Israel

The official language is Hebrew.578 Hebrew is the primary language of the state and is spoken daily by the majority of the population.579 Prior to 1948, opposition to Yiddish, the historical language of the Ashkenazi Jews, was common among supporters of the Zionist movement, including the Yishuv, who sought to promote Hebrew's revival as a unifying national language.[629]580 These sentiments were reflected in the early policies of the Israeli government, which largely banned Yiddish theatre and publications.[630]581 Until 2018, Arabic was also an official language;[14] in 2018 it was downgraded to having a "special status in the state".[12][13]582 Arabic is spoken by the Arab minority and is the main medium of teaching in Arab schools where Hebrew is studied as a subject.[631]583 Arabic is studied in most Jewish schools and is often used on signage and in transport announcements.[632]584

Due to mass immigration from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia (some 130,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel),[633][634] Russian and Amharic are widely spoken.[635]585 Over one million Russian-speaking immigrants arrived in Israel between 1990 and 2004.[636]586 French is spoken by around 700,000 Israelis,[637] mostly originating from France and North Africa (see Maghrebi Jews).587 English was an official language during the Mandate period;[638] it lost this status after the establishment of Israel, but retains a role comparable to that of an official language.[639][640]588 Many Israelis communicate reasonably well in English, as many television programmes are broadcast in English with subtitles and the language is taught in elementary school.589 The primary medium of teaching in Israeli universities is Hebrew, but some courses are offered in English.[641]590

The main language of the Circassians in Israel is Adyghe, and most of them also know Hebrew and Arabic.591

The deaf community in Israel primarily uses the Israeli Sign Language.592 Several village sign languages are used in Israel, most notably the Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language and the Kafr Qasem Sign Language.593

Religion

Main article: Religion in Israel

See also: Abrahamic religions

The estimated religious affiliation as of 2022 was 73.5% Jewish, 18.1% Muslim, 1.9% Christian, 1.6% Druze, and 4.9% other.[642]594 The religious affiliation of Israeli Jews varies widely: a 2016 survey by Pew Research indicates that 49% self-identify as Hiloni (secular), 29% as Masorti (traditional), 13% as Dati (religious) and 9% as Haredi (ultra-Orthodox).[643]595 Haredi Jews are expected to represent over 20% of the Jewish population by 2028.[644]596 Muslims constitute the largest religious minority, making up about 18.1% of the population.597 About 1.9% of the population is Christian, and 1.6% is Druze.[642]598 The Christian population comprises primarily Arab Christians and Aramean Christians but also includes post-Soviet immigrants, foreign labourers, Armenian Christians, and followers of Messianic Judaism, considered by most Christians and Jews to be a form of Christianity.[645]599 Members of many other religious groups, including Buddhists and Hindus, maintain a presence in Israel, albeit in small numbers.[646]600 Out of over one million immigrants from the former Soviet Union, about 300,000 are considered not Jewish by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.[647]601

Israel comprises a major part of the Holy Land, a region of significant importance to all Abrahamic religions.602 Jerusalem is of special importance to Jews, Muslims, and Christians, as it is the home of sites that are pivotal to their religious beliefs, such as the Old City that incorporates the Western Wall and the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque compound) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.[648]603 Other locations of religious importance are Nazareth (site of the Annunciation of Mary), Tiberias and Safed (two of the Four Holy Cities in Judaism), the White Mosque in Ramla (shrine of the prophet Saleh), and the Church of Saint George and Mosque of Al-Khadr, Lod (tomb of Saint George or Al Khidr).604 A number of other religious landmarks are located in the West Bank, including Joseph's Tomb, the birthplace of Jesus, Rachel's Tomb, and the Cave of the Patriarchs.605 The administrative center of the Baháʼí Faith and the Shrine of the Báb are located at the Baháʼí World Centre in Haifa; the leader of the faith is buried in Acre.[649][650][651]606 The Mahmood Mosque is affiliated with the reformist Ahmadiyya movement.607 Kababir, Haifa's mixed neighbourhood of Jews and Ahmadi Arabs, is one of a few of its kind in the country.[652][653]608

Education

Main article: Education in Israel

In 2015, Israel ranked third among OECD members for the percentage of 25–64-year-olds that have attained tertiary education with 49% compared with the OECD average of 35%.[654]609 In 2012, the country ranked third in the number of academic degrees per capita (20 per cent of the population).[655]610

Israel has a school life expectancy of 16 years and a literacy rate of 97.8%.[315]611 The State Education Law (1953) established five types of schools: state secular, state religious, ultra orthodox, communal settlement schools, and Arab schools.612 The public secular is the largest school group and is attended by the majority of Jewish and non-Arab pupils.613 Most Arabs send their children to Arabic-language schools.[631]614 Education is compulsory between the ages of three and eighteen.[656]615 Schooling is divided into three tiers—primary school (grades 1–6), middle school (grades 7–9), and high school (grades 10–12)—culminating with Bagrut matriculation exams.616 Proficiency in core subjects such as mathematics, the Hebrew language, Hebrew and general literature, the English language, history, Biblical scripture and civics is necessary to receive a Bagrut certificate.[657]617

The Jewish population maintains a relatively high level of educational attainment where just under half of all Israeli Jews (46%) hold post-secondary degrees.[658][659]618 Israeli Jews 25 and older have an average 11.6 years of schooling, making them one of the most highly educated of all major religious groups in the world.[660][661]619 In Arab, Christian and Druze schools, the exam on Biblical studies is replaced by an exam on Muslim, Christian or Druze heritage, respectively.[662]620 In 2020, 68.7% of 12th graders earned a matriculation certificate.[663]621

Israel has a tradition of higher education where its university education has been largely responsible in spurring modern economic development.[664]622 Israel has nine public universities subsidised by the state and 49 private colleges.[657][665][666]623 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem houses the National Library of Israel, the world's largest repository of Judaica and Hebraica.[667]624 The Technion and the Hebrew University consistently ranked among world's 100 top universities by ARWU ranking.[555]625 Other major universities include the Weizmann Institute of Science, Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Bar-Ilan University, the University of Haifa, and the Open University of Israel.626

Health

Main article: Health in Israel

Health in Israel is advanced and efficient compared to other developed countries; Israel spends 7.3% of their gross domestic product on health compared to 9.3% in the OECD and 18% in the US.627 With the passing of the 1995 National Healthcare Law, there is mandated universal healthcare for 100% of the population funded by a health tax which is a fixed percentage of income.[668][669]628 This health care 'basket' includes a list of services mandated by the Ministry of health.629 Individuals can purchase coverage for additional services for an extra charge.[670]630 Despite the cost savings in healthcare, the health status in Israel is satisfactory compared to other countries.[668][671]631

The life expectancy in Israel is 83.8 years, above the OECD average by 2.7 years.632 Preventable mortality is 78 per 100,000, which is less than the OECD average of 145, whereas treatable mortality is 56 per 100,000, also less than the OECD average of 77.633 The suicide rate is 4 per 100,000, which is lower than the OECD average of 11.634 However, 9.1% of Israelis consider their health status bad or very bad, which is higher than the OECD average of 8.0%.[672]635 Major risk factors include, smoking by 17.0 percent of the population, above the OECD average of 14.8 percent.636 Alcohol use is less at 2.7 liters per person compared to 8.5 liters.637 Twenty-eight percent of adults do not get exercise, a little below the 30 percent average.638 Obesity in Israel is 18 percent, near the OECDs 19 percent.[672]639

Culture

Main article: Culture of Israel

Cultural diversity stems from its diverse population: Jews from various diaspora communities brought their cultural and religious traditions with them.[673]640 Arab influences are found in architecture,[674] music,[675] and cuisine,[676] among others.[677]641 Israel is the only country where life revolves around the Hebrew calendar, which is aligned to the seasons in the Levant.642 Public holidays are determined by the Jewish holidays, and except for Yom HaAtzma'ut (Independence Day) there are no annual civil holidays.643 The official day of rest is Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.[678]644

Literature

Israeli literature is primarily poetry and prose written in Hebrew, as part of the renaissance of Hebrew as a spoken language since the mid-19th century, although a small body of literature is published in other languages.645 By law, two copies of all works published in Israel must be deposited in the National Library.[679]646 In 2016, 89 per cent of the 7,300 books transferred to the library were in Hebrew.[680]647

In 1966, Shmuel Yosef Agnon shared the Nobel Prize in Literature with German Jewish author Nelly Sachs.[681]648 Leading poets include Yehuda Amichai, Nathan Alterman, Leah Goldberg, and Rachel Bluwstein.[682]649 Internationally famous contemporary novelists include Amos Oz, Etgar Keret and David Grossman.[683][684]650

Music and dance

Further information: Music of Israel, Dance in Israel

Israeli music includes Mizrahi and Sephardic music, Hasidic melodies, Greek music, jazz, and pop rock.[685][686]651 The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra[687][688] has been in operation for over seventy years and performs more than two hundred concerts each year.[689]652 Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Ofra Haza are among the internationally acclaimed musicians born in Israel.653 The country in the Eurovision Song Contest nearly every year since 1973, winning it four times and hosting three times.[690]654 Eilat has hosted its own international music festival, the Red Sea Jazz Festival, every summer since 1987.[691]655 The nation's canonical folk songs are known as "Songs of the Land of Israel".[692]656