The majority of Israelis are not very religious, and Israel was never intended to be some kind of theocracy. Most of the early Zionists viewed the Jewish people as an ethnic group rather than a religious community. As it turns out, despite their growing influence in Israeli politics, a lot of Ultra-Orthodox Jews do not see Israel as a valid Jewish state because it was not established by the messiah (including some groups that live in Israel and enjoy various public benefits).