Israel
 | This article does not cite any sources; the information may not be accurate or reliable. |
Israel |
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| Location of Israel
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| National Assembly | N/A | |
| Statistics: | ||
| Total Population | ||
| - | UN 2021[3] | 8,900,059 |
| Bahá'í pop. | ||
| - | Bahá'í source | 650[1] |
| - | Non-Bahá'í source | 13,571[2] |
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| Categories: Israel • People | ||
The State of Israel came into existence in 1948, after a Jewish-Arab conflict over the territory hitherto known as Palestine. The siting of many places of significance to Bahá'ís within this area makes the proclamation of this new nation of great interest to Bahá'ís. At the time of Bahá'u'lláh, the area was part of the Turkish province of Syria, and had no real political importance, even though Jerusalem (Al-Quds) was situated there.
By the late twentieth century, Jerusalem had been established as the capital city of Israel, even though its political status had not been internationally agreed upon. Tel Aviv is the second city, with Haifa the third. The difference in character between the three is conveyed by the saying: "In Jerusalem they pray; in Tel Aviv they play; in Haifa they work".
Because the state of Israel surrounds the Bahá'í holy places, the Bahá'ís have often been accused of being supporters of Israel as a state, or of Zionism in general. The situation as far as the Bahá'ís are concerned has been simple: They maintain a strict policy of obedience to government, whether that government be dominated by Muslims (as it was during the Ottoman Empire), Christians (during the British Mandate) or Jews (as in Israel).
Although many Arab families were forced from their homes in 1947-1948, Israeli citizenship is open to anyone resident in the country, whether Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Samaritan, Druze or any other. The Bahá'ís living in Israel, however, are for the most part citizens of other countries. Bahá'u'lláh Himself instructed the Bahá'ís not to teach the Faith in Palestine, although of course a few people became Bahá'ís through personal contact with the Blessed Beauty Himself. An Israeli citizen wishing to become a Bahá'í cannot do so while within the country. It will be the decision of the Universal House of Justice as to when this self-imposed restriction on teaching the Faith should be lifted.[citation needed]
The People of Israel[edit]
The population of Israel is very mixed. Although many are Jews, whose families have migrated to Israel from many countries, their religious practices and customs are quite diverse. There are Sephardic, Ashkenazi and Oriental Jews, as well as smaller groups such as Karaites (Karaim). There are Jews from Kerala (India) and Ethiopia (known as Falashas). Those who have immigrated to Israel may not necessarily speak much Hebrew, but as the newcomers are assimilated, the language is generally a uniting factor for all these groups. There is also a wide range of attitudes to religion, from the Hassidic Jews (Chassidim) with their black clothes and big hats, to "secular" Jews, for whom the religion means very little. In addition to Jews there are Arabs, both Muslim and Christian, with nomadic bedouins in the southern desert. There are tiny numbers of Samaritans and Druze, and other minorities such as Armenians. It is tempting to think that Bahá'u'lláh's message of unity and religious oneness will bring about huge changes when this land is finally open to Bahá’ís to teach the Faith.
The total population of Israel is now about 8 million people, but despite the high birth rate of the "Ultra Orthodox" Haredi and Hassidic Jews, there is a low birth rate among the rest of the Jewish population. Under Israel's "Law of Return" any person in the world whose mother, father, grandmother or grandfather was ethnically Jewish has the right to immigrate to Israel and become a citizen. The law also accepts people who converted to Judaism. The law excludes Jews who have taken on another religious identity. Israel's Jewish population is growing each year with a recent rise in immigration coming from France.
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Bahá’í International Community 2022, Frequently Asked Questions.
- ↑ The ARDA 2023, World Religion Database, 2020 Bahá’ís.
- ↑ "World Population Prospects 2022". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
References[edit]
- Bahá’í International Community (2022). "Welcome to the Bahá'í Holy Places and Gardens". Bahá’í International Community. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- The ARDA (2023). "The Association of Religion Data Archives". Retrieved September 16, 2023.
