Religious Political Parties in Israel

Thesis is focused on Israeli religious political parties and the question of their increasing influence. Furthermore, it is focused also on potential increase of the Israeli state's religiosity. Religious parties are classified according to three determining factors. These are: (i) attitude towards Zionism, (ii) number of Sephardi Jews in the party, i.e. whether it is an Ashkenazi or a Sephardi party, and (iii) position towards Arabs (Palestinians). The initial part of the Thesis describes historical evolution which led to the establishment of Israel as a state. Primarily to introduce the situation, and the moods, that was preceding the state's establishment, but also to provide better understanding of relations between the Jews and the Arabs. The level of Israel's religiosity is analyzed based on influence of the key religious institutions on the state affairs. Besides the Ministry of Religious Services these are mainly the Rabbinical Courts, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and local religious councils. To better assess the religious nature of the state the Thesis moreover analyzes and describes the status quo as regards the relationship of the state and the religion