Jews were the dominant religious group in the Israel-Palestine region at the beginning of the first millennia CE, and are the dominant religious group there today, however, there was a period of almost 2,000 years where most of the world's Jews were displaced from their spiritual homeland. Antiquity to the 20th century Jewish hegemony in the region began changing after a series of revolts against Roman rule led to mass expulsions and emigration. Roman control saw severe persecution of Jewish and Christian populations, but this changed when the Byzantine Empire adopted Christianity as its official religion in the 4th century. Christianity then dominated until the 7th century, when the Rashidun Caliphate (the first to succeed Muhammad) took control of the Levant. Control of region split between Christians and Muslims intermittently between the 11th and 13th centuries during the Crusades, although the population remained overwhelmingly Muslim. Zionism until today Through the Paris Peace Conference, the British took control of Palestine in 1920. The Jewish population began growing through the Zionist Movement after the 1880s, which sought to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. Rising anti-Semitism in Europe accelerated this in the interwar period, and in the aftermath of the Holocaust, many European Jews chose to leave the continent. The United Nations tried facilitating the foundation of separate Jewish and Arab states, yet neither side was willing to concede territory, leading to a civil war and a joint invasion from seven Arab states. Yet the Jews maintained control of their territory and took large parts of the proposed Arab territory, forming the Jewish-majority state of Israel in 1948, and acheiving a ceasefire the following year. Over 750,000 Palestinians were displaced as a result of this conflict, while most Jews from the Arab eventually fled to Israel. Since this time, Israel has become one of the richest and advanced countries in the world, however, Palestine has been under Israeli military occupation since the 1960s and there are large disparities in living standards between the two regions.

Palestine: Non religious people as percent of the population: The latest value from is percent, unavailable from percent in . In comparison, the world average is 0.0 percent, based on data from countries. Historically, the average for Palestine from to is percent. The minimum value, percent, was reached in while the maximum of percent was recorded in .

Palestine: Christians as percent of the total population: The latest value from is percent, unavailable from percent in . In comparison, the world average is 0.0 percent, based on data from countries. Historically, the average for Palestine from to is percent. The minimum value, percent, was reached in while the maximum of percent was recorded in .

The world's Jewish population has had a complex and tumultuous history over the past millennia, regularly dealing with persecution, pogroms, and even genocide. The legacy of expulsion and persecution of Jews, including bans on land ownership, meant that Jewish communities disproportionately lived in urban areas, working as artisans or traders, and often lived in their own settlements separate to the rest of the urban population. This separation contributed to the impression that events such as pandemics, famines, or economic shocks did not affect Jews as much as other populations, and such factors came to form the basis of the mistrust and stereotypes of wealth (characterized as greed) that have made up anti-Semitic rhetoric for centuries. Development since the Middle Ages The concentration of Jewish populations across the world has shifted across different centuries. In the Middle Ages, the largest Jewish populations were found in Palestine and the wider Levant region, with other sizeable populations in present-day France, Italy, and Spain. Later, however, the Jewish disapora became increasingly concentrated in Eastern Europe after waves of pogroms in the west saw Jewish communities move eastward. Poland in particular was often considered a refuge for Jews from the late-Middle Ages until the 18th century, when it was then partitioned between Austria, Prussia, and Russia, and persecution increased. Push factors such as major pogroms in the Russian Empire in the 19th century and growing oppression in the west during the interwar period then saw many Jews migrate to the United States in search of opportunity.

In 1995, Israel had a Jewish population of approximately 4.5 million people, of whom approximately 1.75 million were born abroad. Over one million of these immigrants were born in Europe, with over 650,000 of these born in the former Soviet Union. Despite Poland having the largest Jewish population in the world in the pre-WWII years, the number of Polish Jewish migrants and descendents in Israel was relatively small in 1995 when compared to the USSR due to the impact of the Holocaust.

Outside of Europe, Morocco had the largest number of Jewish immigrants and descendents in Israel by 1995. Morocco had the largest Jewish population in the Muslim world when Israel was founded in 1948, with over 250,000 people. Many Moroccan Jews sought to emigrate to Israel at this time, but often faced resistance from authorities and local populations who believed the Jews would join in the fight against the Arab forces seeking to establish a Muslim state in Palestine. The government of Morocco then officially prohibited emigration to Israel after gaining independence from France in 1956, however this policy was reversed in 1961 whereby the Moroccan government began facilitating Jewish emigration to Israel in return for payments from Jewish organizations in the U.S. and Israel. By the 1970s, Morocco's Jewish population had fallen to less than 15 percent of its size in 1948.

Palestine: Shia Muslims as percent of the total population: The latest value from is percent, unavailable from percent in . In comparison, the world average is 0.0 percent, based on data from countries. Historically, the average for Palestine from to is percent. The minimum value, percent, was reached in while the maximum of percent was recorded in .

As of January 2024, Arab Israelis identified most with their religion as an important element of their identity. In the same survey, the second most central identity element was the Arab identity. Between March and October 2023, Arab citizens of Israel were ** percent less likely to report their Palestinian identity as important. Conversely, the Israeli identity became slightly more prominent among respondents. This shift was likely attributed to the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023, and its impact on Arab-Israeli society.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace

The "Religious Fundamentalism and Radicalization Survey (RFRS)" is a large-scale cross-sectional survey conducted among Muslims, Christians, Jews, and non-believers in Cyprus, Germany, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Turkey, and the USA. The survey is designed specifically to test hypotheses related to determinants of religious radicalization. It includes a broad range of variables concerning religiosity, religious knowledge, and fundamentalism, as well as a survey experiment concerning the effect of religious scripture on religious violence legitimation. The data collection in Cyprus, Germany, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, and Turkey was funded by the WZB Berlin Social Science Center, whereas the data collection in the USA was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (#435-2012-0922). The fieldwork for the survey took place between November 2016 and June 2017.

The data set currently only includes the variables used in the following publications:

Kanol, Eylem (2021): Explaining Unfavorable Attitudes Toward Religious Out-Groups Among Three Major Religions. In: Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Early view articles. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12725

Koopmans, Ruud; Kanol, Eylem; Stolle, Dietlind (2021): Scriptural legitimation and the mobilisation of support for religious violence: Experimental evidence across three religions and seven countries. In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 47 (7), pp. 1498-1516. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2020.1822158

Analyses of other parts of the data set are ongoing. Once these are completed, the entire data set will be made publicly available.

BackgroundOrgan donation in Palestine is influenced by a unique blend of legal, religious, and socioeconomic factors compounded by the region’s political and economic instability. Despite the increasing need for organ transplantation, public hesitation and misconceptions hinder participation. This study aimed to explore these dynamics, identify barriers, and provide insights into improving organ donation practices in Palestine.MethodsA quantitative survey was conducted among 639 Palestinian adults residing on the West Bank. The survey assessed participants’ attitudes, awareness, and perceptions of organ donation across three domains: religious/psychological, medical, and legal. The data were analyzed using chi-square tests and three-way ANOVA to explore differences in attitudes based on demographic factors such as sex, academic level, and place of residence.ResultsThe study revealed significant variability in public attitudes toward organ donation, with 43.4% willing to donate organs after death but 30% still opposed. Religious and psychological awareness significantly influenced participants’ attitudes, with 40.35% agreeing that organ donation aligns with their beliefs. Medical awareness was higher, with 48.8% feeling informed about the process. Legal awareness was moderate, with 44.85% understanding of the legal framework. The analysis showed no significant demographic differences in attitudes toward organ donation.ConclusionPublic awareness, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic conditions play crucial roles in shaping organ donation attitudes in Palestine. This study highlights the need for targeted educational campaigns that integrate religious perspectives and raise awareness about the legal and medical aspects of organ donation. Strengthening legal frameworks and healthcare infrastructure will be key to improving organ donation rates and ensuring ethical practices in the region.

In 2019, when asked if they favored or opposed a two-state solution on the West Bank through the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state, ** percent of Israeli Jews strongly opposed such a solution. In comparison, ** percent of Israeli Jews strongly favored this solution.

The Arab Barometer is a multicountry social survey designed to assess citizen attitudes about public affairs, governance, and social policy in the Arab world, and to identify factors that shape these attitudes and values. In this third wave of the Arab Barometer, respondents in the countries of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen were queried regarding (1) general questions, (2) evaluation of political institutions and political attitudes, (3) elections and parliament, (4) the media, (5) democracy, (6) social, religious and cultural topics, (7) the Arab world and international relations, and (8) views of the Arab uprisings. In regards to general questions, respondents were asked to give their opinion on the current overall and future economic condition of their countries, the current economic situation of their families, the safety of their locality, and levels of interpersonal trust. On the topic of evaluation of political institutions, political participation, and political attitudes, respondents gave their opinions on how much trust they had in political institutions such as political parties, police, parliament, the courts, and the prime minister. Further, participants were asked about the ease of obtaining services from the government, the present political situation, the performance of their country's current government, problems facing their country, citizen freedoms, corruption and the use of "wasta" (personal influence or connections). Concerning elections and parliament, questions focused on electoral participation, the fairness of elections, and important qualities in a candidate for office. On the subject of the media, questions included the respondent's main source of political information, media bias, media censorship, and use of the Internet. Concerning democracy, respondents were asked questions about their opinions on political competition and reform, participation in political dissent, their opinions on the characteristics of democracy, their opinions about various political system, the degree to which, on a given list of countries, each is a democracy, and how suitable democracy is for the respondents' respective countries. Regarding social, religious and cultural topics, respondents gave their views on the lottery, choosing a spouse, the interpretation of Islam in present-day issues, and the behavior and situation of women in Muslim society. Additional queries included the degree to which religion should influence voting in elections, government decisions, and legislation. Regarding the Arab world and international affairs, questions were asked about views toward globalization and trade, security relationships with other countries, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Finally, respondents were asked about their participation in and views of the events associated with the Arab uprisings. Demographic variables include age, gender, education, income, employment status, occupation, marital status, and religious preference and practices.

The Bahá’í faith is one of the world's youngest major religions, having been founded in 19th century Persia (now Iran) by the prophet Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá’u’lláh had been a follower of a merchant called the Báb, who had developed a substantial following in Persia after claiming to be a manifestation of god. This small but growing religion was brutally suppressed by the Shia Muslim authorities in Persia, with the Báb himself being executed in 1850. Following this, Bahá’u’lláh fled into exile in Baghdad, in present-day Iraq, where he began to preach that he was the next in the line of God's messengers after the Báb. Both of the prophets claimed the lineage of all Abrahamic religions, combining beliefs from Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Bahá’u’lláh was eventually forced to settle in the coastal city of ‘Akká, Palestine (now Acre, Israel) where he died in 1892. The site of his death became the central place of pilgrimage in the Bahá’í faith, and is why the center of the religion is today in the nearby city of Haifa. Beliefs of the Bahá’í The Bahá’í are perhaps unique for a major religion, as rather than emphasizing the correctness of their own beliefs over other religions, followers of Bahá’í believe that there is truth in all world religions and that there should be peace and harmony among the different faiths. Bahá’ís recognize the prophets and messengers of the different world religions as all part of the same process of revelation by God to humanity. While they believe in plurality among those who bring God's message, the Bahá’í are monotheistic and believe in only one god, rather than multiple. Bahá’u’lláh taught that the different religions developed to convey the same message of God, but in different societies and time periods, meaning that the message has been delivered in different ways to suit the needs of the time and place. The key teachings of the Bahá’í faith include the unity of science and religion, equality between different peoples and religions, the importance of education and tolerance, and the unity of world religions due to the oneness of God. Today it is estimated that over five million people follow the teachings of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh worldwide.

The Arab Barometer is a multicountry social survey designed to assess citizen attitudes about public affairs, governance, and social policy in the Arab World, and to identify factors that shape these attitudes and values. In this first round of the Arab Barometer, respondents in the countries of Jordan, Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco, Yemen, Bahrain and Palestine were queried regarding (1) economic questions, (2) evaluation of political institutions, political participation, and political attitudes, (3) identity and nationalism, (4) politics and religion, (5) religiosity, and (6) the Arab world and international affairs. In regards to economic questions, respondents were asked to give their opinion on the current overall and future economic condition of their countries, and the current economic situation of their families. On the topic of evaluation of political institutions, political participation, and political attitudes, respondents gave their opinions on how much trust they had in political institutions such as political parties, police, parliament, the courts, and the prime minister, their involvement in organizations, whether people can be trusted, city safety, election participation, and the fairness of elections. Further, participants were asked about the ease of obtaining services from the government, the present political situation, their political interest and main source of political information, and their support of the government. Other questions asked their opinions on political competition and reform, participation in political dissent, their opinions on the characteristics of democracy, the degree to which, on a given list of countries, each is a democracy, and how suitable democracy is for the respondents' respective countries. The remaining questions asked respondents for their opinions of various political systems, the performance of their country's current government, problems facing their country, citizen freedoms, corruption, and qualifications for national leadership. Concerning identity and nationalism, respondents were asked how they view themselves, what affiliations were most important, which groups they wished to have as neighbors, what they thought of emigration, and pride in their country. On the subject of politics and religion, queries included the degree to which religion should influence voting in elections, government decisions, and legislation. Regarding religiosity, respondents gave their views on the lottery, choosing a spouse, the interpretation of Islam in present-day issues, the behavior and situation of women in Muslim society, and a person's qualifications for a government job. The final topic, the Arab world and international affairs, questions were asked about the Arab world lagging behind other regions, the effectiveness of the Arab League, whether certain events were part of terrorist operations, the United States' role in the Middle East, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Additional topics include internet use, time spent in Western countries, and citizen disputes and the use of "wasta" (personal influence or connections). Demographic variables include age, gender, education, employment status, occupation, marital status, religious preference and practices, individual and family income, and country of origin.

Those who sympathize with the Israeli side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict slightly dominated Polish public opinion compared to those who have more favorable attitudes toward the Palestinian side in 2023.

In 2019, opinion among American Jews on the dismantling of Jewish settlements in the West Bank as part of a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine was divided. ** percent of respondents said that Israel should be willing to dismantle some of the Jewish settlements, and ** percent said that Israel should not be willing to dismantle any of the settlements.