235 ESSAY GAME OF THRONES: THE ONGOING DISCOURSE ON RELIGION AND STATE IN ISRAEL (Part 1) By Liana Voloch Author Student, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Tel Aviv Abstract My main purpose in this essay is to explore a nature of the status quo agreement and examine main disputes regarding the status quo: unchained women (“Agunot”), an exemption of the “Yeshiva” students from mandatory military service; a separation of woman and man in buses; biblical prohibitions that have a direct effect on non-religious citizens, etc. <...> He analyses sources of law in Israel and their evolution. <...> Then the notion of “Jewish and Democratic state” is discussed. <...> The author thinks that a democratic liberal state model does not go together with Israel. <...> Israel is considered as a special model of democracy, which is Jewish-Democracy. <...> Keywords Israel, laws of Israel, Status quo agreement, religion and state, sources of law, sources of law in Israel, religious education system TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction. <...> A. The Constitutional Revolution and its Influence in Terms of Religion . <...> Volume 1 December 2014 Issue 2 www.kulawr.ru 236 KUTAFIN UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW “Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights. <...> Erecting the ‘wall of separation between church and state,’ therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society.” Thomas Jefferson I. Introduction In November 1947 General Assembly of the United Nation deliberating on the issue of Palestine, fi nally recommended dividing the territory into two parts: a separate Jewish state and an Arabic state. <...> It was also mentioned that two states would function as democratic ones without any infringing social and political rights of different nations in the borders of the other states. <...> Prior to those events and foundation of Israeli state, a number of disputes were going on between the Jewish community members. <...> One of the main disputes took place between orthodox and non- orthodox Zionsits Jews.1 After the UN decision, the fi rst Israeli Assembly was gathered in order to decide about a nature of the religion and state relations. <...> Although a majority of people were for a non-orthodox state orthodox parties could not <...>