Jewish Sabbath and Israeli Democracy

• In Event: Religion and Public Opinion: Comparative Perspectives on Political Attitudes and Beliefs

Abstract

Weeks of protests object to democratic backsliding in Israel where expressed support for democracy is high and support for strongmen is low. This study examines the tensions in that support induced by public religion and the religious-secular divide. Using the 2022 European Social Survey, it shows that support for democracy (strongman rule) is lower (higher) on the Jewish Sabbath, which is observed in Israeli law. Secular Jews are less supportive of democracy on the Sabbath, and religious Jews are less supportive of strongman rulers on the Sabbath. The study probes the effect of changing the salience elements of democracy; namely, on the Sabbath respondents ascribe more value to the vox populi and less to liberalism or institutionalism.

Author

• Hannah Ridge, Chapman University