Religions and Ethnicity

Judaism is the predominant religion in Israel. Around 80% of Israelis are officially registered as Jews. Islam is the second most common religion. The majority of Arabs are Moslem and the rest are Christian. The Druse and Bedouin population is mostly Moslem.

Among the Jewish population there is the Ashkenazim and Sephardim. The Ashkenazi Jews are those who primarily came from east European countries such as Russia and Poland and central Europe. The Sephardim consist mostly of Jews from Arabic countries and North Africa. The Ethiopian Jews do not fall into either of these sub-groups.

Religiously, approximately 20% of all Israeli Jews are orthodox. They strictly observe the Sabbath, holidays and Jewish dietary laws. Some consider themselves as traditional, while the rest are secular.