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Israel /
Religions & Peoples
| RELIGIONS |
Judaism
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5,300,000 |
82% |
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Karaism
|
15,000 |
0.2% |
Islam
|
1,100,000 |
16% |
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Sunni
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1,100,000 |
16% |
Christians
|
205,000 |
3.1% |
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Coptic
|
800 |
<0.1% |
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Greek Orthodox
|
90,000 |
1.3% |
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Protestant
|
20,000 |
0.3% |
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Roman Catholic
|
85,000 |
1.3% |
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Armenian Catholic
|
800 |
<0.1% |
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Chaldean
|
400 |
<0.1% |
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Maronite
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8,000 |
0.1% |
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Melkite Greek
|
400 |
<0.1% |
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Syrian Catholic
|
1,800 |
<0.1% |
Druze
|
80,000 |
1.2% |
Baha'i
|
15,000 |
0.2% |
Samaritans
|
300 |
<0.1% |
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81% of the Israeli population are Jews, 15% Muslims, 2,3% Christians, 1,7% Druze, 0,2% Karaites and 300 people are Samaritans.
Israel is a country of total religious freedom, and minority groups face no oppression. The large Muslim community has their religious sites protected by the Israeli government. Yet, Israel is a country that often divides according to religious beliefs of individuals and groups, and this hits hard on Palestinians, who have limitations on owning property and are admitted to the Israeli military.
Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages. While Hebrew is by far the most used, Arabic is used in all social arenas, from school to the legislature. In addition, Russian and English are languages spoken by many, and are often the preferred language in many contexts.
Yiddish is the fifth language of Israel, still used to some extent in communities originating from Eastern Europe.
© Copyright 1996-2008 LookLex Ltd. All rights reserved
By: Tore Kjeilen
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