Fact Sheets

Israel's Liberal Democracy

In a region of autocracies and theocracies, Israel serves as a beacon of hope for peoples who long for freedom.

The people of Israel come from more than 100 countries. They represent diverse ethnic, religious, and racial groups. Roughly half the population has origins in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Roughly one-fifth of the Israeli population is not Jewish. Most of the non-Jews are Muslims, but Christians, Druze, Baha’is, and other faiths are also represented.

Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy equal rights with Jewish citizens of the state. Israeli Arabs participate in all aspects of Israeli life, from menial jobs to Supreme Court justices.

Hebrew and Arabic are the two official languages of the state.

All the freedoms Americans associate with the bill of rights and civil rights are protected in Israel. Israelis enjoy freedom of speech, assembly, and religion.

Arabs living under the oppression of the Palestinian Authority do not enjoy any of these rights, so it is not surprising that, despite their grievances, Palestinians tell pollsters the nation they admire most is Israel, and Israeli Arabs say they prefer to live in Israel rather than in a Palestinian state.

Israel’s free press is one of the most vibrant in the world. Unlike the mostly government-controlled media in the region, Israeli journalists can report on all aspects of Israeli life, and do not hesitate to criticize their government’s failings. Arab journalists who expressed similar views about the Palestinian Authority or other Middle Eastern regimes would likely face arrest — or worse.

Israel’s Declaration of Independence guarantees freedom of religion for all. Each religious community has its own religious schools, councils, and courts, and exercises jurisdiction over matters of personal status such as marriage and divorce. The holy places of each religion are controlled by officials of that faith, not the Israeli government.

A popular slogan is that Jerusalem should be free and accessible to all faiths. Indeed it should be — and it has been only since Israel assumed responsibility for the entire city in 1967. Today, any Muslim is free to pray at their holy places in Jerusalem. In fact, one news story you probably didn’t read was about the tens of thousands of Muslims who peacefully prayed on the Temple Mount during the holy month of Ramadan.

Israel also recognizes the freedom of assembly. Tens of thousands of Israelis have turned out for rallies for peace, sometimes in support of their government and sometimes to protest its policies.

Israel’s elections are a model of the democratic process. While the United States has only two major parties that are often criticized for being too similar, Israeli voters typically have more than a dozen parties to choose from, representing a wide variety of political views. In the last election, 13 parties won seats in the Knesset, including three Arab parties with eight representatives.

Israel is the only country in the Middle East that provides full equality for women. In the Palestinian Authority and most Arab states, women are treated as second-class citizens, often denied the right to vote or work in most fields, and, in the case of Saudi Arabia, they are not even allowed to drive a car. Worse, abuse of women, such as “honor killings,” is tolerated for a range of “offenses.” Women in Israel are protected by law from discrimination and abuse, and they have been engaged in all walks of life, from homemaker to combat soldier to prime minister.

Israel is one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of recognizing differences based on sexual orientation. Homosexuals are not protected in Arab and Muslim states, and they are often imprisoned and sometimes executed. In the Palestinian Authority, sodomy carries a jail term of three to 10 years. Israeli law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation. In August 2006, Jerusalem will be hosting Love Without Borders: WorldPride Jerusalem 2006, a weeklong event organized by LGBT activists from around the world. This demonstration is the second one of its kind in the world.

Israel is not a perfect society. While Israelis enjoy far greater freedom than any of their neighbors, they have not achieved the equality in all areas to which they aspire, but that is true of the United States and all the other western democracies as well. If the United States has not yet achieved this goal in more than 200 years, no one should be surprised that Israel has fallen short in just 56, but the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness for all Israeli citizens continues.

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