Is Israeli political party Kulanu religious or anti-religious?

Question

What is their position about religious laws in the country? What is their history of voting on the laws about religious issues?

Answer 1

The party's main platform is economic and social, not religious.

If you look at their official Facebook site or press releases, almost all info is about social/financial issues, including main post from party leader summarizing their last 3 years' achievements, or Party's official site in Russian, with zero items having anything directly to do with religion.

However:

1. Their position sometimes makes them opposed to priorities of "religious" parties for financial/economics reasons - Kulanu is mostly championing middle class, retirees, and more-secular sectors (e.g. former USSR descendants, although they aren't a niche "for Russians" party like NDI); whereas ultra-religious parties basically want financial benefits for their direct constituents (money for Yeshivas and ultra-orthodox welfare funds).

   A big example was "Conscription Law" fight (in short, ultra-orthodox parties want to pass a law which allows their students studying Torah to not be conscripted into the Army like all the normal Israelis are), where religious parties were threatening to fail the budget. As economics party and holder of Finance Ministry, Kulanu opposed them.

2. Their official position on social issues oppose that of ultra-orthodox parties. Wikipedia lists them supporting the following:

   • Civil marriage in Israel, including for same-sex couples
   • Increased state funding for non-Orthodox Jewish denominations
   • Partial operation of public transportation on Saturdays
   • Decriminalization of marijuana

   The first three are directly against the interests and push of ultra-orthodox parties, the third one as well but less directly.