Over the past two decades, the rift between religious and secular Jews in Israel has deepened. The strong sense of solidarity that once animated Israelis has weakened considerably, and tall barriers have arisen between various sectors of Israeli society. Indeed, many Israelis perceive this widening cleavage to be the foremost threat to the cohesiveness of Israeli society.
The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) and Tzohar, a leading association of rabbis, seek to join forces in order to promote change, revive intra-Jewish discourse in Israel, and build the foundation for strengthening the historic alliance between secular and religious Zionists. On Thursday, February 12th-13th, IDI and Tzohar will host a forum of leading figures from Israel's secular and religious communities to discuss Religion, State, and the 18th Knesset: A New Social, Cultural and Political Agenda. The objective of the conference is to define a new social and political agenda on the key issues pertaining to religion and state in preparation for the conclusion of a coalition agreement by the next government. Participants include prominent figures from the religious and secular spheres of Israeli society.