In the period leading up to the formal proclamation of Israel as an independent state, religious and political leaders had to reach a compromise that would guarantee the freedoms of all in the future. residents of the state. In the Status Quo Agreement, drafted by David Ben-Gurion for the Jewish Agency, Ben-Gurion reluctantly appeals to Israel's ultra-Orthodox/Haredi leaders in crafting specific compromises in which religion and politics would work together cooperative. These negotiations covered the Sabbath, kashrut, matrimonial matters, and educational mandates. However, this cooperation entailed the separation of church and state to the extent that Israel would not become a theocratic state upon its creation. It is the separation of church and state that has led to growing conflicts between secular Zionists and the ultra-Orthodox. Although the status quo agreement was intended to appease the religious demands of the ultra-Orthodox leaders in the future Jewish state, it was not intended to appease the religious demands of the ultra-Orthodox leaders of the future Jewish state. limit its guarantees of freedom to religious Jews only. Assuming that members of faiths other than Judaism would also inhabit the imminent State of Israel, Ben-Gurion provided for "fully equal rights for all citizens and freedom from coercion or discrimination in religious or other matters" . Since the creation of Israel was also seen as the creation of a Jewish national home, Ben-Gurion believed that this clause was necessary as long as it did not prevent any other religion from practicing freely, thus welcoming settlers from around the world . Furthermore, it promoted the notion of separate church and state institutions to prohibit the imposition of Jewish culture and identity on these variant settlers and served to...... middle of paper .... .. Odox Jews in Israel's establishment, provides the background for modern struggles for Jewish identity and secular condemnation of the ultra-Orthodox imposition of theocratic ideals. Works Cited Ben-Gurion, David. “Status Quo Agreement”. In Israel in the Middle East: Second Edition, edited by Itamar Rabinovich and Jehude Reinharz, 58-59. Waltham: Brandeis University Press, 2008. Efron, Noah J. The Real Jews: Secular versus Ultra-Orthodox and the Struggle for Jewish Identity in Israel. New York: Basic Books, 2003. Segev, Tom. “People without names.” In 1949: The First Israels, edited by Arlen Neal Weinstein, 155-194. New York: The Free Press, 1986. Yates, Joshua. “Haredim versus secularists: Israel's internal cultural war and the struggle for Israeli identity.” » In Levitt Fellowship Research, edited by Shoshana Keller, 2-71. Clinton: Hamilton College, 2012.