---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Religion is a big problem in Israel and…"
description: "\"Religion is a big problem in Israel and the Arab world, but again, the problem isn't religion but political leaders who want to use the religion.\" — Ma..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/mark-kurlansky-1988_again_religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and_268814.png"
---

#  Religion is a big problem in Israel and the Arab world…

![“Religion is a big problem in Israel and the Arab world, but again, the problem isn't religion but political leaders who want to use the religion.” quote by Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/mark-kurlansky-1988_again_religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and_268814.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/mark-kurlansky-1988_again_religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and_268814.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/mark-kurlansky-1988_again_religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and_268814.png)

> “Religion is a big problem in Israel and the Arab world, but again, the problem isn't religion but political leaders who want to use the religion.”

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Political leaders exploit religion to mobilize support, making faith a tool rather than a cause.

**In simple terms:** Leaders use religion for power, not the other way around.

Key Takeaway

Beware of political manipulation of faith.

Themes

politics religion leadership manipulation

Mood

cautious critical

Type

analytical observational

When to use this quote

- elections
- policy debates
- interfaith dialogue
- media analysis

Key Concepts

Power dynamics identity politics social cohesion

Questions to Reflect On

- How can citizens distinguish genuine faith from political rhetoric?
- What safeguards protect religious communities from exploitation?

A Different Perspective

Religious motivations also shape politics, not just leaders.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Political Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-leader/) [Political leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-leaders/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [Everything that you know about yourself comes from thinking back, and I think I saw religion as the first big betrayal of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/everything-that-you-know-about-yourself-comes-from-thinking-back-and/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [The religion of Big Data sets itself the goal of fulfilling man's unattainable desires, but for that very reason ignores her attainable needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-feuerbach/the-religion-of-big-data-sets-itself-the-goal-of-fulfilling-man-s/)

[Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-feuerbach/)

> [Alongside my own deep personal faith, I am a follower, as well, of our civic religion. I am a big believer in the separation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/alongside-my-own-deep-personal-faith-i-am-a-follower-as-well-of-our/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I've always been very vocal about my religion. It's a big part of who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilarie-burton/i-ve-always-been-very-vocal-about-my-religion-it-s-a-big-part-of-who/)

[Hilarie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilarie-burton/)

> [I have a funny relationship with religion. I'm a big believer in ritualistic behavior as long as it doesn't hurt anybody. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-have-a-funny-relationship-with-religion-i-m-a-big-believer-in/)

[Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/)

> [France can certainly accommodate foreign people on its soil long-term, those with foreign citizenship... as long as they respect French laws and French values,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/france-can-certainly-accommodate-foreign-people-on-its-soil-long-term/)

[Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/)

> [We are quite convinced, and we say this to the Palestinians, that violence is not going to solve the problem of Israel and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/we-are-quite-convinced-and-we-say-this-to-the-palestinians-that/)

[Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/)

> [The most vexing problem Israel faces is its relations with its neighbors. From the inception of the state until today, Israelis have felt besieged,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bronfman-sr/the-most-vexing-problem-israel-faces-is-its-relations-with-its/)

[Edgar Bronfman, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bronfman-sr/)

> [I'm not trying to defend Israel. What I'm telling my nation is that Israel is just like any other state, and I want them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/i-m-not-trying-to-defend-israel-what-i-m-telling-my-nation-is-that/)

[Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/)

> [From the Israeli perspective, the fear is that if pressure is off of Iran, Israel would be left having to accept the balance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trita-parsi/from-the-israeli-perspective-the-fear-is-that-if-pressure-is-off-of/)

[Trita Parsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trita-parsi/)

> [The kind of problem that America faces in Iraq is a little bit the kind of problem that Israel faced in dealing with Hezbollah.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-kind-of-problem-that-america-faces-in-iraq-is-a-little-bit-the/)

[Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/)

> [“A truce between Israel and Palestine? Imagine walking into a doctor’s office. You sit down, pick up a magazine, and begin to read. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-brackin/a-truce-between-israel-and-palestine-imagine-walking-into-a-doctor-s/)

[Ron Brackin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-brackin/)

> [Our problem with Israel is that its leaders always talk about war and security but never about peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saad-hariri/our-problem-with-israel-is-that-its-leaders-always-talk-about-war-and/)

[Saad Hariri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saad-hariri/)

> [Among the many factors that make a return to halcyon days of the first decades of the postwar era virtually impossible is the decline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gilpin/among-the-many-factors-that-make-a-return-to-halcyon-days-of-the/)

[Robert Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gilpin/)

> [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/)

[Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/)

## More by Mark Kurlansky

> [“A 1670 revision of the criminal code found yet another use for salt in France. To enforce the law against suicide, it was ordered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/a-1670-revision-of-the-criminal-code-found-yet-another-use-for-salt/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [“The Romans, Jones pointed out, called a man in love salax, in a salted state, which is the origin of the word salacious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/the-romans-jones-pointed-out-called-a-man-in-love-salax-in-a-salted/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [When you're in theater, you inevitably wind up working in restaurants. I made pastry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/when-you-re-in-theater-you-inevitably-wind-up-working-in-restaurants/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [“For a time, the Hanseatics were well appreciated as honorable merchants who ensured quality and fought against unscrupulous practices. They were known as Easterlings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/for-a-time-the-hanseatics-were-well-appreciated-as-honorable/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [I blurbed a nice book, not at all like my book 'The Big Oyster,' called 'The Essential Oyster.' I blurbed a pretty good book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/i-blurbed-a-nice-book-not-at-all-like-my-book-the-big-oyster-called/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [The entire trendy foodie world - food writing, food television, celebrated restaurants - is all about food for the rich. But the most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/the-entire-trendy-foodie-world-food-writing-food-television/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [One of the truly horrible things about the Holocaust is that it doesn't end in 1945. It keeps affecting our lives in the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/one-of-the-truly-horrible-things-about-the-holocaust-is-that-it-doesn/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [It's true that writing and pastry-making are similar, but when you work as a pastry chef, you can get a kind of mania that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/it-s-true-that-writing-and-pastry-making-are-similar-but-when-you/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [Food is interesting to me because it's a way of understanding culture and societies and history. I would never write about food just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/food-is-interesting-to-me-because-it-s-a-way-of-understanding-culture/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [THE ROMANS SALTED their greens, believing this to counteract the natural bitterness, which is the origin of the word salad, salted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/the-romans-salted-their-greens-believing-this-to-counteract-the/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [“It is a peculiarity of the English language that while most fish swim in schools, herring swim in shoals, a word of the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/it-is-a-peculiarity-of-the-english-language-that-while-most-fish-swim/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [“The painstakingly extracted purple dye was a luxury item of such prestige that the color purple became a way of showing wealth and power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/the-painstakingly-extracted-purple-dye-was-a-luxury-item-of-such/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [Don't forget the Vietnam War was brought to us by Democrats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/don-t-forget-the-vietnam-war-was-brought-to-us-by-democrats/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [So much of what I write in fiction is based on true stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/so-much-of-what-i-write-in-fiction-is-based-on-true-stories/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [I'm friends with Studs Terkel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/i-m-friends-with-studs-terkel/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

[Explore all 193 Mark Kurlansky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

## More Again quotes

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [I've always been interested in photographs, collecting them not systematically but randomly. They get lost, then turn up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-photographs-collecting-them-not/)

[W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/)

> [I say this about everything: when I was on 'Neighbours,' I said, 'These are the best years of my life!' When I was filming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/i-say-this-about-everything-when-i-was-on-neighbours-i-said-these-are/)

[Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/)

> [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/)

[Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/)

> [I don't know about writing. It's quite lonely. You have to have a lot of patience with yourself. I don't know if I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-wilson/i-don-t-know-about-writing-it-s-quite-lonely-you-have-to-have-a-lot/)

[Ruth Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-wilson/)

> [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/)

[Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/)

> [You couldn't get me to go travel around and sit in a hotel room again. I have no interest in doing that. So everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/you-couldn-t-get-me-to-go-travel-around-and-sit-in-a-hotel-room-again/)

[Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/)

> [In theater, one of the biggest problems when you're rehearsing comedy over and over again is that you stop laughing at each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ashley-carter/in-theater-one-of-the-biggest-problems-when-you-re-rehearsing-comedy/)

[Lauren Ashley Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ashley-carter/)

> [I'd like to do some female roles again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/i-d-like-to-do-some-female-roles-again/)

[John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/)

> [Death is a sniper. It strikes people you love, people you like, people you know - it's everywhere. You could be next. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/death-is-a-sniper-it-strikes-people-you-love-people-you-like-people/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [Well, a lot of our concerts do okay, and I know we still get royalty checks which still isn't that important, but again, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-johnston/well-a-lot-of-our-concerts-do-okay-and-i-know-we-still-get-royalty/)

[Bruce Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-johnston/)

> [Oh wow, you know what's wrong with all these families on TV? All these kids say stuff no kid would say. Stuff grown-ups want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macaulay-culkin/oh-wow-you-know-what-s-wrong-with-all-these-families-on-tv-all-these/)

[Macaulay Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macaulay-culkin/)

> [We must resist the temptation of once again turning America into the traditional bogeyman of the left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-napolitano/we-must-resist-the-temptation-of-once-again-turning-america-into-the/)

[Giorgio Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-napolitano/)

> [We won the Europa League in 2013 and it was an amazing night, an amazing feeling. I take those memories and think to myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cahill/we-won-the-europa-league-in-2013-and-it-was-an-amazing-night-an/)

[Gary Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cahill/)

> [The coronavirus has yet again exposed the strong contrast between President Trump - who is working ardently for the American people - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-coronavirus-has-yet-again-exposed-the-strong-contrast-between/)

[Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/)

Browse all 2,975 Again quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Religion is a big problem in Israel and the Arab world, but again, the problem isn't religion but political leaders who want to use the religion.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark Kurlansky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and-the-arab-world-but-again-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Again"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and-the-arab-world-but-again-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/mark-kurlansky-1988_again_religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and_268814.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/mark-kurlansky-1988_again_religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and_268814.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b0/mark-kurlansky-1988_again_religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and_268814.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Religion is a big problem in Israel and the Arab world, but again, the problem isn't religion but political…” — Mark Kurlansky",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mark Kurlansky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Religion is a big problem in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and-the-arab-world-but-again-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/religion-is-a-big-problem-in-israel-and-the-arab-world-but-again-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
