page_title: Religion in Israel
section_title: Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches
hierarchical_section_title: Religion in Israel / Religious groups / Christianity / Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches
caption_attribution_description: עברית: כנסיית מריה מגדלנה היא כנסייה רוסית השוכנת על מורדותיו המערביים של הר הזיתים בירושלים. היא מוקדשת למרים המגדלית, תלמידתו של ישו שהלכה אחריו בדרכו לצליבה, והייתה הראשונה לראותו לאחר שקם לתחייה. This is a photo of a place that is recognized as a heritage site by The Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel. The site's ID in Wiki Loves Monuments photographic competition is 1-3000-702 English: Church of Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem. العربية: كنيسة مريم المجدلية في القدس.
context_page_description: Religion in Israel is a central feature of the country and plays a major role in shaping Israeli culture and lifestyle.
  The majority of Israeli citizens are Jews, but not all are religious. Many Israeli Jews are secular or atheistic. Some are hostile to all forms of religious beliefs and practices. One measure of Jewish religious observance in Israel is the proportion of Jewish Israelis that vote for religious parties to represent them in the Knesset. Roughly one third of Jewish Israelis vote for religious parties such as the Religious Zionists and the Haredi.
  Religion has played a central role in Israel's history. Israel is also the only country in the world where the majority of citizens is Jewish. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, the population in 2011 was 75.4% Jewish, 20.6% Arab, and 4.1% minority groups. The religious affiliation of the Israeli population as of 2019 was 74.2% Jewish, 17.8% Muslim, 2.0% Christian, and 1.6% Druze, with the remaining 4.4% including faiths such as Samaritanism and Baha'iism, and irreligious people with no faith.
context_section_description: Most Christians in Israel belong primarily to branches of the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches that oversee a variety of church buildings, monasteries, seminaries, and religious institutions all over the land, particularly in Jerusalem.
caption: Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem.
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