Beyond Israel specifically, it feels like religion (in the context of governance) is a boat anchor that fights against the successful, doing well, tolerant, permissive parts of society. It constantly is a source of decoupled, easy-to-antagonize/coerce, simple popularism, that often acts against it's own & the broader self-interest.

I'd just love to see a religious state that can act liberally & broadly.

> Religion poisons everything.

Did you know that the fundamental building blocks of humanity came from religion? For example, let's start with "law".