Religious-Secular Divide Intensifies in Israel under Netanyahu.
The divide between secular and religious Jews in Israel has intensified under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, with ultra-Orthodox parties wielding unprecedented power and aggravating concerns among secular Israelis that the character and future of their country is under threat. The ultra-Orthodox community, known as haredim, makes up 13% of the country's population and is growing faster than any other group. They mostly live in separate towns and city neighborhoods, and unlike most secular Jews, most are not conscripted in the military. The community has gained massive budgets that critics say will entrench its isolated way of life and weaken Israel's economic prospects as the ultra-Orthodox population balloons.