Survey: Trust between Jews, Arabs in Israel at all-time low

A survey presented at the Givat Haviva Annual Shared Society Conference reveals a significant deterioration in trust between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel over the last few months, in the context of the war in the Gaza Strip.

According to data collected by the Midgam Institute, nearly three quarters (72 percent) of Jews do not trust Arabs, while 43 percent of Arabs express distrust towards Jews. Half of the Jews surveyed report having felt an escalation in manifestations of hostility from Arabs, while more than 40 percent of Arabs say they have perceived increased hostility from Jews.

The study also reveals that 45 percent of Jews refuse to maintain friendly relationships with Arabs, compared to 13 percent of Arabs sharing this sentiment towards Jews. Only 30 percent of Jews would allow their relatives to study in mixed classes, compared to nearly 60 percent of Arabs. Furthermore, 67 percent of Jews oppose the entry of an Arab party into the government coalition.

Givat Haviva CEO Michal Sela believes that "the return of the hostages and the end of the war could mark the beginning of a reconciliation between Jews and Arabs within the state."

During the conference, Hadash-Ta'al party leader Ayman Odeh emphasized that "the majority of Jews do not understand what the Arabs went through last year. You do not know how much we were torn apart by the images from Gaza. My mother cries every day in front of the television."

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, for his part, asserted that "the Jewish majority in Israel has a duty to extend a welcoming hand," adding that he had "publicly opposed attempts by some Jewish municipalities to prevent Israeli Arab workers from accessing construction sites in Jewish localities during the war."