Connection to Israel remains strong among US Jews, but lower among liberals
A new survey shows how much the war in Israel has changed the connection to the Jewish state among American Jews, with conservative and observant Jews reporting the strongest positive shift
Throughout nearly 15 months of war, the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) surveyed American Jewry, revealing on Sunday how the war in the Middle East has changed perceptions in the Jewish community.
The survey identified a growing erosion of the sense of closeness to Israel among liberal groups of American Jews, and, conversely, a strengthening of affinity for Israel and Judaism among centrist groups and conservative streams.
The latest survey examined the sense of affinity to Israel through generational questions, and the results show that the connection to Israel is still strong. A large majority of American Jews feel a closeness to Israel and Judaism, with most participants in the latest survey responding that they are connected to Israel at least as much as their parents or even stronger than their parents.
Among Jews who identify as conservative, a majority of 57 percent declared that they are more connected to Israel than their parents. Most respondents, in all ideological groups, responded that they care about being Jewish as much as their parents.
Most of the participants in the study responded that they light Hanukkah candles this year on all eight nights of the holiday.
As expected, as you move up the religious scale from secular to conservative (ultra-Orthodox, Haredi, other identifications of high observance), the percentage of respondents who light candles on all days increases. Despite the differences, a majority of all religious streams of American Jews light Hanukkah candles in their homes.
A large majority of the Jewish participants in the study (90 percent) said that there will be no Christmas tree in their homes this year. Only about a tenth of the respondents said that there will be a tree in their homes, which is lower than past years.
Ahead of President-Elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, American Jews believe that Israel's refusal to accept a ceasefire in Gaza until all hostages are released is legitimate.
Among conservatives, 99 percent agreed with the statement, while 52 percent agreed among Jews identifying as "very liberal."
Following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, Israel took control of several areas, including the Hermon Mountain Range, and also destroyed military infrastructure of the Syrian army. The study shows that there is agreement among Jews, both among voters who chose Vice President Kamala Harris, that Israel used its power "to the right extent."
While most conservative Jews believe that Israel won the war, among liberal Jews the dominant opinion is that Israel "neither won nor lost" the war.
More than a third of respondents in the study (36 percent) indicated that the war in Israel makes them feel safe, while 46 percent indicate that the war has had "some" impact on their concerns for their security. Compared to previous months, these figures represent a slight improvement in terms of respondents' sense of security.
"The ongoing war in Israel is also significantly affecting Jews in the United States," said Dr. Shuki Friedman, CEO of the Jewish People Policy Institute. "For the group that is more connected to Israel, the war has led to greater identification with Israel and their Jewish identity. The Israeli government should act to strengthen this trend and fulfill its legal obligation to strengthen the connection between the State of Israel and Diaspora Jewry."