Assessing Israel

Israel is often a subject of shrill criticism, with hyperbole more prominent than clear reasoning, systematic analysis of the Israeli record, or comparison of its performances with those of other countries. Inquiries into claims about a threat of religious domination by the ultra-Orthodox and the disadvantages of non-Jews serve to illustrate the problems in assessing claims affected by ideology and emotion. As far as the analysis can go, the prospect of religious domination seems no greater in Israel than in other western democracies. Ethnic differentiation, as measured by indicators for incomes and health, has improved in recent years and is less severe than comparable conditions in the United States.