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صفحة: 33
Other Religions Although Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people , many people of other faiths also live there and consider Israel a holy land . Almost 1 million Arabs live in Israel . Most practice the religion of Islam and are called Muslims . A smaller number of Arabs are Christians . Members of all religious groups can become Israeli citizens . They can vote and can be elected to the Knesset . Israel’s Declaration of Independence ensures freedom of religion for all its citizens . Israeli law protects the holy places of all religions and allows worshippers access to these important sites . The Druze people also make their home in Israel . The Druze religion broke away from Islam in the eleventh century . While most young Druze dress like other Israelis , some adults distinguish themselves with their striking black-and-white clothes . The Druze speak Arabic , and they support the State of Israel because it offers them religious freedom . What Do You Think ? In Israel , tension sometimes flares up between secular Jews and H . aredim . The H . aredim , for instance , have fought to close movie theaters on Shabbat , and some block roads so that secular Jews cannot drive through their neighborhoods on Shabbat . Do you think that the government of a Jewish state should require Jews to observe Shabbat when they are in public places ? Explain your answer . When Israel was established in 1948 , it offered all the Arabs living there full citizenship , including the right to vote and the right to hold office in the Knesset . In 1999 , Abdel Rah . man Zuabi became the first Israeli Arab to be appointed to Israel’s Supreme Court . Muslims consider Jerusalem one of the holiest places in the world . It is home to the Al Aksa Mosque , Jerusalem’s main place of Islamic worship . Just a few feet away from Al Aksa is another famous mosque , the Dome of the Rock , shown here .
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