Any
nation will have countless, different social strands. What appears to be the
case in Israel is that you have the ultra-Orthodox Jews - who seem not all that
dissimilar to the pharisees of Jesus's day - and the secular.
The secular Jews reflect the situation you would find amongst the
British today. They vary from atheists, through agnostics to nominal - and often
are Reformed Jews. (Not exactly secular, I know.)
The true divisions in the religious sector are at least the same as
existed in the Catholics and Puritans during Tudor and Stewart reigns, here in
the UK - but actually, are rather more complex.
The Ultra-Orthodox known as Haredis have multiple
sub-divisions - every one likely to be at least twice as a distant from the others as,
say - a Methodist and a Roman Catholic.
There are the Hasidim from a movement started in E. Europe
in the 18th Century; the Ashkenazim often called 'Jews from Germany';
the Sephardim who were the Jews expelled from Spain in 1492; the more
recent Ethiopian Jews. That these groups are racial is obvious - but these can
foment sub-groups amongst the Haredi.
Typically, there are the Chabad; the Mitnagdim,
Shas and others too numerous to list. (The majority of sects tend to
originate from the Ashkenazim.)
If there are major gulfs between the assorted sects, that is one
thing, but the gulf between the religious and the secular is beyond
comprehension.
Add into this an inbuilt socialism and the rightist Likud and it
all becomes mind-boggling.
Zionists versus religionists is a common battleground.
(Astonishingly - many ultra-Orthodox sects are not especially in favour of
Israel occupying Jerusalem!?)
If the Jews are massively difficult to comprehend with all of their
inbuilt complexities - just wait until you see where the Palestinians are coming
from!
