Half of Israelis believe that the cancellation of the grandchild clause is intended to preserve the Jewish majority in the country, but they also believe that the move in question will significantly reduce immigration to Israel, according to a survey by the Center for a Joint Partnership with the Israel Democracy Institute.
From the survey, conducted by the Institute's Viterbi Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, which examines the general public's attitudes regarding the changes to the Law of Return proposed by the coalition members, it is clear that the Israeli public is torn between its desire to preserve the Jewish majority, but on the other hand not to harm Diaspora Judaism.
49.8% of the respondents answered that the cancellation of the grandchild clause is intended to preserve the Jewish majority in the country, compared to 36.8% who do not think so.
In a political division, 66.7% of the right-wing voters think so, compared to 41.3% and 34.7% of the center and the left respectively (only 27% among the Arabs, and over 82% among the ultra-Orthodox).
50.6% believe that the cancellation of the grandchild clause will significantly reduce immigration to Israel, compared to 34% who do not believe so.
Among immigrants in the former Soviet Union, 70% believe that the cancellation will reduce immigration.
The speakers' stand in the Knesset Plenum.
The Israeli public is torn between its desire to preserve the Jewish majority, but on the other hand not to harm Diaspora Judaism, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The survey also shows that the Israeli public wants Diaspora Jewry to take an active part in discussions concerning the Law of Return.
45.8% of all respondents answered that they believe that the representatives of Diaspora Jewry should be included in the debates about the law in the Knesset, compared to 39.9% who answered that they think or are sure not.
Another issue that came up in the survey is the issue of conversion.
49.6% believe that the State of Israel should offer easy conversion to Israelis who are not recognized as Jews according to Halacha, compared to 41.8% who do not think so (66.4% among the opposition, and 33.4% among the coalition).
Alongside this, it is evident that for Israelis it is very important to marry a Jew or a Jewess.
58% of the respondents answered that it would bother them if a member of their family married a person who is not Jewish according to Halacha, and this figure increases to 58.6% when it comes to a member of their family marrying a non-Jew.
Among the ultra-Orthodox, 95% are bothered by this matter, compared to about a quarter of the secular respondents.
The conversion system.
49.6% believe that the State of Israel should offer easy conversion, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The author of the study, Adv. Shlomit Ravitzki Tor Paz, Director of the Center for a Joint Company at the Israel Democracy Institute: "A huge public is very disturbed by the willingness to damage one of the identity characteristics of Zionism without a broad public discussion that includes representatives of Diaspora Jewry.
The survey once again shows the huge gaps between Israel's various sectors in relation to its Jewish identity, and requires an intensive dialogue between the sectors and an attempt to reach agreements."
Alex Rief, CEO of the Million Lobby, stated that "if there is a change in the grandchild section - this is a severance from Israeli society and the Jewish people of about half a million eligible for the Law of Return who have currently been living in Israel for about three decades, identify with the state and the vast majority of them consider themselves Jews."
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