Personal Status Law in Israel: A Country Witnessing Tensions With the Principle of Equality

The chapter explains that Israel’s personal status regime, a system of state-sanctioned religious courts for different communities, originated from the Ottoman millet system. It argues that this framework creates an illiberal system where individuals are bound by their religious identity without the option for civil norms. The chapter aims to provide a historical background and a detailed review of the four main religious court systems - Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze - highlighting their unique characteristics and relationships with the state. The concluding section offers an integrative analysis of the system as a “plurality of legal pluralisms,” shaped by power dynamics and diverse political and social discourses.