Founded in 1948 as a restored homeland for the Jewish people and a refuge from persecution, Israel is organized under a constitution that guarantees freedom of religion. Yet Israeli politics and culture are also designed to ensure the country’s status as a Jewish state. For Catholics, the land is tied to the central events of Christian revelation, including the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, which makes Israel an especially compelling and complicated place to live.
The Catholic population today includes Palestinian, Hebrew-speaking, and migrant worker and refugee communities. Read more...
