Hod Hasharon was ranked as Israel’s most liberal city in the 2025 Freedom Index, published Tuesday by the nonprofit Free Israel, which monitors how religious issues affect civic life in 40 municipalities across the country.
The central city scored 84 out of 100, surpassing last year’s leader, Givatayim, which dropped to second place.
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Protesters dressed as handmaids ride an escalator past an ultra-Orthodox man at Jerusalem’s central bus station during anti-government demonstrations in 2023
(Photo: Reuters)
The Freedom Index, compiled annually for the past eight years, evaluates municipalities based on 11 categories, including public transportation and commerce on Shabbat, access to civil burial alternatives, oversight of religious organizations in public schools, municipal support for LGBTQ rights and funding for non-Orthodox Jewish communities.
This year, five new cities were added to the index: Kiryat Bialik, Kiryat Motzkin, Karmiel, Pardes Hanna-Karkur and Netivot. The index is compiled under the academic supervision of Prof. Amit Schejter of Ben-Gurion University and led by researcher Aran Rondel.
Ashkelon showed the biggest improvement this year, jumping seven spots to 16th place with a score of 44. Meanwhile, Netivot, added to the index for the first time, ranked last, emerging as the most religiously conservative city surveyed.
Hod Hasharon’s climb to the top followed steps taken by Mayor Amir Kochavi to tighten oversight of educational content in public schools and increase transparency for parents.
The report’s authors noted that these actions are especially important in light of concerns surrounding the Education Ministry’s pedagogical flexibility programs, which give schools discretionary budgets to purchase outside educational services. Critics say the system lacks oversight, enabling some schools to bring in external groups — including religious organizations — whose activities may promote gender segregation, anti-LBGTQ rhetoric or other ideologically driven content. The city also increased support for non-Orthodox Jewish communities.
Meanwhile, Givatayim scored 80 but continues to lead in reducing costs for religious services, opposing gender-segregated public events and supporting LGBTQ rights. The city was criticized for not providing residents with sufficient access to public information.
Tel Aviv and Ramat Hasharon tied for third, both scoring 78. Ramat Hasharon rose five places from 2024 after changing bylaws to allow more Saturday commerce at the local BIG Glilot shopping center, increasing support for pluralistic Jewish organizations and improving school oversight. The city would have ranked first had it not discontinued its local civil union registry.
In a significant drop, Bat Yam and Petah Tikva each fell 11 spots to 26th and 28th, respectively, with scores of 32 and 30. The report emphasized the contrast between their rankings and those of neighboring cities in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.
Netivot’s debut at the bottom of the index was notable not only for its low score, just 3 points, but also because it became the first non-Haredi city in eight years to rank so low. The municipality funds 10 Orthodox-only pilgrimages to the graves of revered rabbis, does not enforce gender inclusion protections and operates both of its public swimming pools on a gender-segregated schedule.
“In the face of the most extreme and religious government in Israel’s history—one attempting to turn the country into a more fundamentalist state—local authorities have become a critical line of defense for Israelis who want to live in a free, liberal and democratic society,” said Free Israel CEO Uri Keidar. “The Freedom Index shows there are local leaders choosing that path, and others who continue to follow a fearful, conservative course that does not reflect the character of most of their residents.”