Israeli Diversity

The event that I attended in Israeli - the University Social Responsibility Summit - gave me an opportunity to better understand the issues of diversity in Israel.  At the Temple Mount, I was reminded once again of a very stark picture.  On the Temple Mount, on which the Jewish Temple once stood, there is now no temple.  Instead, there are now two Islamic mosques, one of them the glittering golden dome.  There are plenty of Muslims.   Jews are allowed there but not to pray.  

At the Wailing (Western) Wall, actually the west-facing side of the Temple Mount - the foundation of the Jewish Temple, there are plenty of Jews praying.   But presumably no Muslims.  

People once entered the Temple Mount through a set of very broad and long steps that approached the Temple Mount from the south.  You were forced to look up towards the sky, where heaven - God’s residence - is.  Now the southern entrance is completely blocked.  Instead, you sneak into the Temple Mount through a twisting, snake-like flyover rising above the grounds in front of the Wailing Wall.  It is a very weird sight.  

At the conference, someone presented a picture of the evolving diversity in Israel.  In the past 3 decades, the percentage of Arabs have grown, albeit modestly.  The percentage of orthodox Jews have remained stable.  But the Haredi, ultra orthodox Jews have grown the fastest.  I was told that they do not serve in the army, and generally do not work, concentrating on studying the Bible.  The percentage of secular Jews, those who serve in the army and contribute the largest amount of taxes, have shrunk the most.  

Each of these 4 major groups of Israelis generally live in their own neighbourhoods, attend their own schools, make friends with their own, and live segregated lives.  The University of Haifa is one of the few places where interaction among the different groups are encouraged.  

We plan to take some of our students here, to learn from some of the efforts of integration - a real challenge.