The Jewish ethnicities in Israel

The founding of the state of Israel was accompanied by a social, cultural and political project, which aim was to secure the establishment of a homogenous nation. The middle class, which originated from Eastern Europe, and its secular vis ion of the state of lsrael, has maintained a hegemonic position since the foundation ofthe state up to 1977. However, the author maintains that, the democratic system has allowed other groups not only to advance demands for cultural autonomy but also to influence the dominant culture through political representation. The article analyzes two of these groups: the Mizrahim and their resistance to the secularization of the Jewish culture and the Russians who also resist the cultural homogenousation although they share the secular vis ion of the dominant culture. Thesc processes have led to what the author defines as a conflict type multiculturalism.