Israel: Common Misconceptions

Jordan Green

Everyone is Jewish

Although Israel was founded in order to give Jews a place of solace and is considered a Jewish country, not everyone is Jewish. In fact, only about 76% of the population is Jewish. This doesn’t mean fully Jewish, either. "76% Jewish” means that those included in that percentage has at least one Jewish grandparent. The rest of Israel is a mixture of Muslims, Christians, Druse, Bedouins and more. Jerusalem is a holy city for Jews as well as Christians and Muslims which attracts many non-Jews to live in Israel. 

Israel is a Third World Country

Israel is one of the leading countries in the high tech industry. In fact, if you look into high tech companies such as Google or Microsoft, a high demographic of their employees is Israeli. Furthermore, Israel’s army is one of the best and most technologically advanced armies in the world. Everywhere one goes, technology plays a huge role - more so than in other countries. And, it is important to point out, contrary to popular belief, we do not ride camels. 

Israel is War-torn

Although there are countries and terrorist groups that constantly attack Israel, Israel is not a War Zone. All houses and buildings have war shelters that serve as a precaution but typically are unneeded. Of course, service in the Israeli Defense Force is mandatory, but they keep us safe and give Israel country the ability to live in peace and not live in constant fighting and fear. 

Israelis Are Very Observant

Israel does not have large Hasidic population. Only about 9% of the entire Jewish Population. Due to Israel being a religious country, many stores and public transport do not operate on Saturdays but it is beginning to change. Over 50% of the Jews in Israel are completely Secular and that number is steadily growing. 

People Only Speak Hebrew 

First of all, everyone in Israel speaks English. It is very rare to come across someone who does not speak English. English is required in all 12 years of school and is learned at a very high level. Furthermore, being a very young country means Israel is full of immigrants. If one is to walk outside, they will hear hundreds of languages. Russian or French are spoken frequently due to the already extraordinarily high Russian Population and because of the recent wave of French Immigration. 

Ultimately, Israel defies nearly every stereotype one would expect of a 70-year-old religious country. Israel is a beautiful country that welcomes all, regardless of religious belief.