Israel's Religious Divide and Its Politics — Michael Freedman

This episode of The IR thinker examines how two key religious communities in Israel, Haredim and Datiim, understand and relate to the State of Israel, its institutions and its policies.HaredimThe term “Haredi” comes from the Hebrew word for “trembling” or “fearing”, and is often used to refer to “ultra-Orthodox” Jews. Haredim are characterised by their strict adherence to Jewish law (Halacha) and the segregation of their communities from mainstream society.DatiimThe term “Dati” translates as “religious” and it is used to refer to “modern Orthodox” Jews or “religious Zionists”.Michael FreedmanMichael Freedman is an assistant professor (lecturer) in political science at the University of Haifa, where he is affiliated with the Political Behaviour Lab and the Haifa Data Science Research Center. He received his PhD in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2019.Publications:No Longer Sacred: Religious Post-Zionist Beliefs about the State of IsraelVote with your rabbi: The electoral effects of religious institutions in IsraelContent00:00 - Introduction02:23 - ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’: Divergent Approaches to the State of Israel04:59 - Cohabitation of ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’ in Urban Areas07:43 - What Drives the More Pragmatic Approach of ‘Haredim’ Towards the State of Israel?09:23 - The Possibility of ‘Haredim’ Women Pursuing Political Careers10:45 - Understanding Gender Roles and Labour Participation Among ‘Haredim’ Women12:06 - What Influences the ‘Datiim’ Approach to the State of Israel and the Gaza Strip?16:03 - To What Extent Can Israel be Defined as a Religious State?20:08 - The Prospects for ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’ Serving in the Israeli Army22:12 - Avoiding Mandatory Service in the Israeli Army?24:18 - The Potential for Non-Jewish People to Serve in the Israeli Army25:53 - The Religious Identity of the Israeli Government in 202329:13 - The Dynamics of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Political Support Among Religious Groups32:43 - The Demand for a New Political Party in Israel34:50 - International and Foreign Policy Perspectives on Tensions Between ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’36:28 - The Feasibility of ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’ Serving as Israeli Ambassadors Abroad37:43 - Envisioning an Ideal Political Model for the State of Israel39:23 - Evaluating the Degree of Democracy in Israel: The Impact of Judicial Reform44:06 - The Motivation Behind Governmental Efforts to Strip Courts of Certain Competencies, and the Associated Protests48:25 - Does the Judicial Reform Unite or Divide the ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’?49:18 - Identifying Political Common Ground Between ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’50:50 - The Response of ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’ to the Covid-19 Pandemic52:49 - The Presence of ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’ at Universities55:38 - Where to Find ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’ Scholars?58:06 - Accessing ‘Haredim’ and ‘Datiim’ Communities for Research PurposesFollow & Further ResourcesSubstack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/X: https://x.com/irthinker_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.