Religion, Politics and Gender Equality among Jews in Israel

תקציר

When thinking of politics of religion and state and their effect on gender relations, the case of Israel is unique in many respects: Israel has been established as a State for the Jewish People (in its Declaration of Independence), and is defined as a Jewish and democratic state (in its Basic Laws); there has never been a formal separation between religion and state in Israel's legal and political structure and religion is intertwined in all levels of governance, political society, and civil society; the struggle against religious exclusive rule over marriage and divorce and in other matters has been on the agenda of women's organizations since the British mandate on Palestine with not much success; religious laws' exclusive jurisdiction is still maintained in matters of marriage and divorce and civil marriage is non-existent in Israel; civil society in Israel is extremely diverse and heterogenic, yet the significance of the ethnoreligious component is shared by most groups on various levels, ranging from issues of identity (both formal, personal and group identity) to issues of internal governance and authority, and more. We will first present a concise historical review of this political context, as well as a discussion of the socio-cultural background against which issues of women, religion, and state should be considered. This will be followed by a review of the Israeli political system and its influence on women’s status, including some background on gender and politics in Israel. We will then proceed with a more detailed review and legal analysis of women’s status in Israeli society. A discussion of women’s organizations within Israeli civil society, highlighting the emergence of religious feminism, will conclude this essay.