Government: 42 percent of Israeli Jews 'secular'

[Bilal Mahmud المكافح المخلص]

JERUSALEM - Forty-two percent of Israeli Jews identify themselves as secular or non-religious,

Secular but some still go to a synagogue and celebrate Passover

12 percent of Israelis identify themselves as 'religious', eight percent as 'ultra-Orthodox'.

making them the largest segment of society, according to figures released by the government on Monday.

The Central Bureau of Statistics said another 25 percent identify themselves as "not very religious," 13 percent as "traditional," 12 percent as "religious" and eight percent as "ultra-Orthodox."

It said 72 percent of respondents had been to a synagogue in the past year, 82 percent celebrated the Passover holiday and 67 percent light candles for Hanukkah.

The numbers are the product of polling carried out throughout 2009 on 7,500 Jews over the age of 20, the bureau said.