A majority of American Jews show overwhelming support for Israel in the wake of the Iron Sword War, according to a new survey published by JPPI, presented to the Diaspora Ministry and presented to the IDF General Staff Forum.
According to the survey, which was conducted among 600 American Jews enrolled on the Institute's panel, most of the American Jewish community closely follows the events of the war, feels great anger and anxiety for Israel's peace and security, and most feel that Israel is waging a more "moral" war than other countries.
House hit by a missile in Sderot, today // Photo: Shmuel Buchris
About 60% of the Jews surveyed expressed anger and anxiety about the war, and about 80% expressed active support for Israel in various ways, such as donations and public support. In this regard, there is a significant gap between Jews who have visited or lived in Israel, who have a very high rate of active support (almost 90%), and those who have visited Israel only once (about 80%) or those who have never visited Israel, whose rate of active support is lower (59%).
One of the effects of the war on American Jews is that more than 70% of them reported a decline in their sense of security, which did not affect their personal connection to Israel. Those who feel less close to Israel feel that war has a negative impact on their security.
Birthright participants in Israel (archive, the subjects have no connection to the information), Photo: Vesey Zeliger
According to the institute, while the survey does not allow for a weighted figure representing all American Jews, "the number of participants from different groups makes it possible to identify trends, clear attitudes, and gaps between different groups of Jews according to religious affiliation, proximity to Israel, political position, connection to Judaism, and more."
In response to the survey, Prof. Yedidia Stern, president of the institute, said: "American Jews follow what is happening in Israel and are directly affected by it. We see broad support for Israel among American Jews, but also anxiety and damage to the sense of personal security as a result of the war. We must continue to strengthen the bond between Israel and Diaspora Jews while understanding their plight and strengthening our sense of shared destiny and unity."
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