Diversity, equality and inclusion in Israel

This chapter addresses diversity in Israeli society via a discussion of the reality and relations between the Jewish majority and diverse groups of Israeli Arabs, between Jews from a European background ("Ashkenazim") and those whose families hail from Moslem countries ("Mizrachim"), between Ultra-Orthodox ("Haredi") Jews and the other Jews, as well as issues of gender and sexual-identity. Where conditions for successful integration seem to be present, the strong economic inequalities between entire sectors of the population are being politically exploited to reinforce identity politics in spite of pushes towards more integration such as growing education attainment in lower status sectors. The only hope for the future is that activism conducted by civil society succeeds in creating successful integration of the lower status sectors of Israeli society, and a reinforcement of an Israeli identity as opposed to intersecting ethnic/religious identities.