Survey Shows Majority of Israelis Support Separation of Religion and State

A study just published by the Israeli Bureau of Statistics here, has some surprising statistics. The poll results, available only in Hebrew so far, support the view that religious parties, despite holding the balance of power in Israeli politics do not represent the views of the majority on most issues.
Israel has no form of civil marriage, meaning that Jews and non-Jews who wish to marry cannot do so inside Israel. In addition, Jews who wish to marry in a non-religious ceremony cannot do this in Israel, these laws being defended constantly by the religious minority as being the only way to avoid intermarriage, which they see as paving the way to the destruction of the Jewish state.
However the study, carried out in 2009 among 9340 Jews over the age of 20, shows that a clear majority would choose to separate religion and state. The most interesting statistics are;

• 57% of all respondents support separation of state and religion, while among those who defined themselves as secular 77% are in favor.
• 90% of secular Israelis are in favor of civil marriage, 60% of those defining themselves as traditional Jews are in favor, and only among religious and ultra-orthodox groups is there a majority against.
• 64% of all respondents support the opening of entertainment centres ( pubs, restaurants, cinemas)on the Sabbath, 93% among secular Jews and 76% among traditional Jews ( at the moment only areas outside city centres are generally open, and since there is no public transport on the Sabbath only people with a car can get there).
  
• 53% of all respondents are in favor of public transport on the Sabbath.

• 62% are in favor of sporting events on the Sabbath.

However, the study isn't all sweetness and light; 80% of respondents believe that religion has a strong influence on daily life in Israel, and 27% feel that their neighborhood has become more religious in the past few years. About half would like to increase religious education in state schools, this breaking down into 90% of religious in favor against 23% of secular Jews.
This study gives a clear mandate for reform in Israeli politics, but of course nothing will come of it while the religious parties continue to hold the Israeli public to ransom, enabled to do so by the mostly secular larger political parties both on left and right.