2025 Religion and State Index

83% of Israeli Jews support freedom of religion, including 71% of "National Religious" Jews

17/09/2025 15:57

Tags: Religion and State Index

Support for Religious Freedom According to Religious Level/Sector

83% of Israel’s Jewish adult public support freedom of religion, and 73% see the ultra-Orthodox–secular divide as Israel’s deepest societal conflict. Majorities also back requiring ultra-Orthodox men to serve in the IDF (80%), punishing draft evaders (75%), prosecuting rabbis who incite against service (67%), and forming a coalition without ultra-Orthodox parties (68%). Meanwhile, 71% support pluralistic Jewish heritage programs in public schools and 73% support mandating core studies in ultra-Orthodox schools. 57% agree that Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism should enjoy equal status in Israel. While potential Likud voters have become more conservative than those who voted for Likud in the last election, Naftali Bennett’s party is expected to attract more liberal voters.

On the eve of Rosh Hashanah 2025, Hiddush is proud to release findings from the 17th Religion and State Index, published annually since 2009. The Religion and State Index, carried out by the Rafi Smith Polling Institute, found that support for religious freedom is broad: 95% among secular Jews and nearly half (46%) of ultra-Orthodox Jews. Among ‘National Religious’ Jews, 71% support this principle: 79% of liberal religious, 66% of classical religious, and 60% of Torah‑oriented religious.

A majority of 57% supports the separation of religion and state, including 44% of those who voted Likud in the last election. However, only 31% of those who say they would vote Likud in the next election support separation, compared with 84% among those intending to vote for Naftali Bennett’s party.

This is the 17th annual Religion and State Index published by Hiddush and is the only systematic and in‑depth periodic survey of the Jewish‑Israeli public’s views on religion and state. The findings present a comprehensive picture of the full range of contested issues in this arena and make it possible to track shifts over time across social, political, and religious segments. A unique feature of this year’s Index is a deeper profiling of the National Religious public by sub‑streams: liberal, 

73% of the public sees the tension between ultra‑Orthodox and secular Jews as one of the two most severe conflicts in Israeli society toda

classical, and Torah‑oriented, commonly referred to as ‘hardalim’ [‘national Haredi’] (respondents were asked to self-identify accordingly).

The Index is important both internally, for the Israeli public, policymakers, influencers, and researchers; and externally, primarily to Jewish leadership and activists outside Israel.

The 2025 Index shows that the policies of successive Israeli governments—especially the current one—run counter to the will of the majority, including significant segments of the religious public, most of whom do not want religious coercion imposed on the non-religious public.

This year’s findings also point to a shift among those who voted Likud in the last election compared with those now declaring an intention to vote Likud in the next one. The pool of prospective Likud voters appears smaller and more conservative. By contrast, those who say they would vote for Naftali Bennett’s future party tend to support more liberal positions on religion‑and‑state issues.

Similar trends emerge regarding a future coalition: 68% of the Jewish‑Israeli adult public supports a broad coalition without the ultra‑Orthodox parties—or including them but without granting their demands on religion‑and‑state matters such as draft exemptions for yeshiva students, increased funding for religious institutions, bans on public transport on Shabbat, preventing civil marriage, and non‑enforcement of the core curriculum. This view is shared by 60% of those who voted Likud in the last election, 39% of Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit voters, and over 90% of Yesh Atid, National Unity, and Labor‑Meretz voters.

73% of the public sees the tension between ultra‑Orthodox and secular Jews as one of the two most severe conflicts in Israeli society today—second only to the right–left divide.

When asked which religion‑and‑state issues matter most to them and which they want their preferred party to advance in the next election, the top priority is drafting yeshiva students into the IDF or national service (44%), followed by freedom of religion and equality in bearing the civic burden more generally (33%).

For additional findings from the 2025 Religion and State Index, klick here

Please note that the full Index will be published later this year