Eight-in-ten Jews in the U.S. Say that caring about Israel is an important or essential part of being Jewish. They personally feel an emotional attachment to Israel and say that they follow news about the Jewish state closely, at least somewhat. They also say that they share a similar attachment to the Jewish state.
During the last 14 months of the Trump administration, the survey indicates a diverse range of perspectives among U.S. Jews concerning the Israeli government, which includes certain areas of intense criticism. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receives “excellent” or “good” ratings for his leadership from less than half of U.S. Jews. Only one-in-three believe that the Israeli government is genuinely striving towards achieving peace with the Palestinians. (Just 12% believe that Palestinian leaders are sincere in their efforts, and even fewer do.)
The study indicates that a large number of individuals are against it. Among those who are aware of the movement, most of them are not in favor of it. According to the research, a small majority of Jewish people in the United States are familiar with the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. Additionally, the study discovers that.
This chapter examines the analysis of Israel and Jews in the U.S., Focusing on their shared experiences and perspectives. The remaining part of this chapter delves deeper into these findings and provides more detailed exploration.
Travel to Israel
Just under half of U.S. Jewish adults (45%) have been to Israel, including 19% who have visited once and 26% who have visited multiple times or have lived in Israel.
Israel has been visited or inhabited by a larger percentage of Jews who identify as having no religious affiliation compared to Jews who do identify with a religion. Specifically, 54% of Jews with no religion have visited or lived in Israel, while only 22% of Jews who identify with a religion have done so. Among the Jews surveyed, a significant majority of Orthodox Jews (80%) have been to Israel, as well as 59% of Conservative Jews, 44% of Reform Jews, and 29% of Jews who do not associate with any specific branch or stream of American Judaism.
These results are similar to a study conducted in 2013, which found that 43% of those surveyed, including Israel, had experienced the same thing more than once.
Attachment to Israel
Among Jews who do not practice a specific religion, the percentage is 33%, whereas among Jews who practice a religion, it is 67%. A significant majority of American Jews, around 60%, have a strong emotional connection to the modern state of Israel, with 25% having a very strong attachment and 32% having a somewhat strong attachment.
As was the case in the 2013 study, the new survey finds that Jews ages 50 and older are much more emotionally attached to Israel than are younger Jews.
Among the subgroup of Jews, who make up a majority of 60%, it is only the Orthodox Jews who are emotionally attached to Israel to a great extent, as they claim. In fact, Orthodox Jews have the strongest attachment to Israel among all the Jewish groups.
Generally, Democrats and those with a Democratic leaning tend to express greater attachment to Israel compared to those who lean towards the Republican Party and Republicans.
It is possible that traveling to Israel could lead to a greater emotional attachment to Israel. According to a survey, American Jews who have never been to Israel feel less attached to it compared to those who have. Additionally, Jews who feel a strong emotional attachment to Israel are more likely to make the trip. However, the survey cannot speak to the direction of this relationship.
Since 2013, it remains uncertain whether the levels of emotional connection that U.S. Jews have towards Israel have significantly changed. The outcomes of the two surveys regarding this matter are not directly comparable. Jewish participants tend to express lower levels of attachment to Israel when responding privately compared to when they are speaking with a live interviewer. This is supported by a separate experiment conducted to examine the methodology. The 2013 survey was carried out via telephone, while the new survey was conducted through online platforms and mail. Many of the patterns observed in the 2020 survey data regarding Israel align with the findings from the 2013 survey. In a general sense. (For more details on the methodological experiment, please refer to Appendix B.)
For them, showing concern for Israel is a significant (although not necessary) component of their Jewish heritage, and 45% of Jewish individuals in the United States emphasize that showing concern for Israel is “crucial” to the overall definition of being Jewish.
Caring about Israel is more central to the Jewish identity of Jews by religion than to Jews of no religion, among whom three-in-ten say that caring about Israel is not important to what being Jewish means to them. The survey also finds that caring about Israel is more central to the Jewish identity of older Jews (ages 50 and older) than to Jewish adults under the age of 30.
Roughly 25% of Jews who do not align with any specific branch of Judaism believe that caring about Israel is crucial to their Jewish identity. According to 42% of respondents, it is considered important but not absolutely necessary, while 28% stated that it holds no importance. Among Conservative Jews, a majority of two-thirds believe that caring about Israel is an essential aspect of their Jewishness. Similarly, approximately 53% of Orthodox Jews and 49% of Reform Jews share this perspective.
Chapter 2 explores the significance of Jewish respondents’ identity, distinguishing between “essential” and “not important” aspects. Additionally, the study obtained new findings that are not directly comparable to those of 2013. Therefore, the discussion includes additional information on what it means for Jewish individuals to consider their Jewish identity “essential,” and how this relates to their level of concern for Israel. The study reveals that respondents who participate in the survey through mail and online are more likely to express their views on Israel, compared to those who answer questions over the phone. This mode of participation has a significant impact on the results of the study, which is why researchers transitioned from a telephone survey to a mail and online survey to better gauge this effect.
Following news about Israel
A slim majority of U.S. Jews say they follow news about Israel at least somewhat closely, including 14% who follow it “very closely” and 43% who follow it “somewhat closely.” On average, Jews by religion pay closer attention to news about Israel than do Jews of no religion, and older Jews are more tuned in to news about the Jewish state than are younger Jewish adults.
The survey also shows that more Jews in Israel follow news about Conservative and Orthodox Jews, with fewer than half of them having any affiliation or denominational connection with Reform Jews.
Jews who are emotionally attached to the Jewish state are much less likely to closely follow news about it, at least to some extent, or so they say.
This query was not posed in 2013.
Roughly half of U.S. Jews say U.S. level of support for Israel is about right
As of 2020, about one-in-five U.S. Jews (22%) say the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, up from 11% who said this in 2013. Over the same period, the share who say the U.S. is not sufficiently supportive of Israel declined by 12 percentage points (to 19%), while the share who say the level of U.S. support for Israel is “about right” has held steady (54% in each survey).
The survey conducted during the last year of the Trump administration found that Democrats, especially those who lean towards the Democratic Party and Jewish Democrats, are more likely to say that Israel is about right for U.S. Support, while Republicans are more supportive of Israel too, according to the survey.
In Jewish surveys, it has been found that adults under the age of 30 are far more inclined to say that the U.S. Is supportive of Israel compared to Jews aged 50 and older. Additionally, Jews who do not adhere to any particular religion are significantly more likely to say that the U.S. Is supportive of Israel when compared to Jews who do follow a religion. This was the case in 2013.
The survey conducted in 2020, from June 3 to November 2019, provided more details regarding Donald Trump’s presidency during his second term as president. In contrast, the survey conducted in 2013, from June 13 to February 20, during Barack Obama’s second term, consisted of telephone interviews. It is important to keep in mind that two separate studies were conducted, and the way respondents answered the question seemed to have little difference whether they wrote their answer on a paper questionnaire or answered the question with a live interviewer. However, when comparing the results from 2013 to 2020, it appears that there is little difference in the way this question was answered. This indicates that the survey conducted in 2020, in conjunction with the 2020 survey results, can be compared to the results from 2013, since they were conducted using the same methodological experiment.
Netanyahu rated negatively by more than half of U.S. Jews
Four-in-ten U.S. Jews say Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel for more than a decade, has done an “excellent” (13%) or “good” job (27%) leading the country, while a slim majority say his leadership has been “only fair” (26%) or “poor” (28%).
Netanyahu’s leadership has been praised as excellent or good by almost half (45%) of Jews, even though he does not belong to any religion. Furthermore, Jews view Netanyahu’s religious affiliation more positively than those who do not practice religion.
Approximately 77% of Orthodox Jews hold a favorable opinion of Netanyahu’s leadership, while Conservative Jews are more evenly split in their assessment, although they still lean towards a positive view. Conversely, Reform Jews and those who do not identify with any specific branch of U.S. Judaism generally rate Netanyahu’s leadership as mediocre or unsatisfactory. Furthermore, the survey indicates that individuals with higher education levels tend to have a more critical perspective on Netanyahu’s performance.
Jews in the U.S. Are deeply polarized along partisan lines when asked about this in 2013, which was not questioned. Leaners and Republicans-in-eight say Netanyahu’s leadership has been good or excellent. On the other hand, leaners and Democrats Jewish seven-in-ten say Netanyahu’s leadership has been poor or fair.
Views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Most U.S. Jews (63%) say they think a way can be found for Israel and an independent Palestinian state to coexist peacefully.
It is possible to find a way for Palestinians and Israelis to coexist, regardless of any particular branch of American Judaism that those who identify as Reform Jews or Conservative Jews may align with. Those who follow a religion are generally more optimistic about the possibility of peaceful coexistence. However, two-thirds of Orthodox Jews do not believe that this is possible.
While a slim majority of Republicans may not think this can happen, Democrats, roughly seven-in-ten of whom are Jewish, believe that an independent Palestinian state and Israel could peacefully coexist.
More Jews in the U.S., Overall, are somewhat more likely to believe in a peaceful two-state solution to the possible conflict (55% vs. 63%).
In regards to the Palestinian endeavor, merely 12% of Jewish individuals in the United States have confidence in the genuine commitment of the Palestinian leadership towards achieving peace. Likewise, only one-third of U.S. Jews have faith in the Israeli government’s authentic attempt to reach a peaceful resolution with the Palestinians.
Jews by religion are about four times as likely to say the Israeli government is making a sincere effort toward peace as they are to say this about the Palestinian leadership (35% vs. 9%). Jews of no religion, by contrast, are almost as inclined to say the Palestinian leadership is sincerely seeking a peace settlement (19%) as they are to say the same about the Israeli government (25%).
Among the youngest cohort of U.S. Jews, the pattern is an exception to this, with 24% saying they think the Israeli government is making sincere efforts towards peace, while only 18% say the same about Palestinian leadership. However, among most age groups, U.S. Jews are more likely to say that the Israeli government is sincere in its peace efforts compared to what they say about Palestinians.
Two-thirds of Jews who are Democrats or lean Democratic compared to Palestinians think that the Israeli government is sincerely pursuing a peace settlement, while they say the Republican Party leans or Republicans are inclined towards.
The overall opinion on this question has not significantly changed from 2013 to 2020, as indicated by the fact that there has been a slight decrease in the percentage of Jewish respondents who sincerely view the Israeli government in a positive light, from 38% in 2013 to 33% in 2020. It should be noted that the results of 2013 and 2020 are not directly comparable in a straightforward manner, suggesting that there may be some complexities in the methodological differences between the two studies discussed in Appendix B. However, it can be cautiously concluded that there has been a slight increase in support for the notion that the Israeli government is sincere, as the rate of respondents who answered the question privately in writing or by phone was higher than those who answered via mail or online. This indicates that respondents are more likely to answer this question in a sincere manner when speaking to a person live on the phone, rather than answering by mail or online, which suggests that the context in which the question is asked may influence the sincerity of the government’s stance on the peace process.
One-in-ten U.S. Jews support the BDS movement, while 43% oppose it and 43% haven’t heard much about it
Approximately 30% of U.S. Jews, comprising 60% of Jews who identify with a religion and 42% of Jews with no religious affiliation, report being aware of the BDS movement, which stands for boycott, divestment, and sanctions. They indicate having heard at least “some” or “a lot” about it.
Among the Jews who are not associated with any division of American Judaism, less than half are aware of the movement. However, among those who are affiliated, 54% of Reform Jews, as well as seven-in-ten Conservative Jews and nearly eight-in-ten Orthodox Jews, claim to have some knowledge about the movement.
Jewish individuals who have the highest levels of education are more likely than others to be acquainted with the BDS movement.
Those who claimed to have little or no knowledge about BDS were not questioned further. Instead, a follow-up question was asked to individuals who reported being familiar with BDS to assess their level of support or opposition.
They declined to say whether they have heard about it or not. According to a survey, 44% of Jews in the U.S. Have heard about the BDS movement and support it, while only 10% oppose it. On the other hand, 43% of Jews in the U.S. Have at least heard about BDS, but do not support it.
Among different subgroups of Jews in the U.S., The ratio of opposition to support for the BDS movement is more pronounced among Jewish Republicans (with 58% opposed and 3% supportive) compared to Jewish Democrats (with 39% opposing and 13% supporting). In addition, there is a higher level of opposition to support for the BDS movement among Jews aged 65 and older (with 52% opposed and 7% supportive) compared to Jews aged 18 to 29 (with 34% opposing and 13% supporting).
70% of Orthodox Jews express opposition to BDS, with 65% strongly opposing it. Only 6% indicate awareness of the movement and express support, while the rest either haven’t heard about it or have chosen not to respond.
Among Jews of no religion, 18% say they support BDS, 22% oppose it, and most say they have not heard about it.
Those who are more likely to express support for the BDS movement are those who think that Netanyahu’s leadership has only been poor or fair and those who think that the Israeli government is not sincerely pursuing a peace deal with the Palestinians. The views of the BDS movement are also linked to assessments of Israel’s sincerity in the peace process by Jews in the U.S.
This query was not posed in 2013.
One-in-three Jews believe God gave the land that is now Israel to the Jewish people
Roughly one-third of U.S. Jews say they believe God gave the land that is now Israel to the Jewish people, while 42% do not believe Israel was literally given by God to the Jews, and one-quarter of U.S. Jews say they do not believe in God or a higher power. Belief that God gave Israel to the Jewish people is much more common among Jews by religion than among Jews of no religion, but it is a minority opinion among both groups.
However, almost 87% of Orthodox Jews believe that the land of Israel was given to the Jewish people by God.
The Jewish community maintains the belief that the land of Israel was bestowed upon them by God, whereas a smaller number of Reform Jews and individuals not affiliated with any specific branch of U.S. Judaism have differing opinions on this matter. The stance among Conservative Jews is also divided on this issue.
The survey results from 2013 are not comparable to this question because there is a belief among people who don’t believe in any higher power or God that there is a higher power or God in a lower share of the universe, due to a change in the wording of the question about belief in God.
Sidebar: Discussing Israel from the pulpit can be a challenge for America’s rabbis
The 2020 survey conducted by Pew Research on Jewish Americans revealed that congregations in America are less unified on the subject of Israel when compared to previous years. This is primarily due to the fact that it is now more challenging to discuss Israel from the synagogue pulpits, as indicated by in-depth interviews with two dozen rabbis.
The rabbis mentioned that they make an effort to choose their words carefully in order to not unintentionally or unnecessarily alienate people in their congregations, knowing that both staunch supporters and persistent critics of the Israeli government can be found among them. The rabbis also mentioned that they consider how they approach the topic in their sermons. Many rabbis stated that their synagogues include more critics of the Israeli government than they did in the past.
Rabbi Aaron Alexander of Congregation Adas Israel in Washington, D.C., Stated that there are extremely influential factions which encompass both extreme left and extreme right ideologies, including members from his Conservative synagogue. He mentioned that congregants further divide when discussing certain topics, but he clarified that he does not endorse such divisions.
He expressed, “With a profound fervor, they hold the same convictions as others. It’s a matter that, within the Jewish society, has transformed into the identity of Israel, whether advantageous or disadvantageous. We cautiously introduce divisive subjects, aiming to divide individuals, a tool that can easily splinter or disrupt the community.”
“Rabbi Ron Fish, while referring to the ritual recitation of prayers, emphasized that it holds great significance in shaping their identity. At Temple Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Sharon, Massachusetts, where he serves as an officiant, the prayer for the state of Israel is incorporated into our tefilah on a daily basis. Many members of our congregation have connections to Israel through their residences or their children and grandchildren.”
“He expressed that their perspectives and interpretations of the challenges have never been expressed, as they perceive themselves to be excluded from the synagogue community,” he stated. He also mentioned that the synagogue community consists of young adults – including the adult offspring of longstanding members – who passionately criticize the present Israeli government.
Included feel don’t people younger these that bother it said he “included feel don’t people younger these that bother it said he,” that about concerned’m I,” said he. … Time to time of members some by back pushed been’ve I but, voice it give to try I “said he. … Order highest the of threat current and vital as world Muslim the of much in-Semitism anti identifying and Authority Palestinian the mistrusting always deal Iran the opposing means Israel supporting view point their from clear very are, right the it call let’s on people The.” Community Jewish the toOutput: He stated, “I am concerned about these younger people who don’t feel included and are bothered by it.” He also mentioned, “I have been pushed back by some members from time to time, but I try to give voice to it.” It is very clear from their view point that they consistently mistrust the Palestinian Authority, oppose Iran, and support Israel, which they see as the highest current threat and a vital issue in the Muslim world. Let’s call on the Jewish community to support these people.
The survey conducted in 2020 reveals that the majority of Orthodox Jews in the United States feel a strong attachment to Israel and believe that the efforts of the Israeli government for peace are sincere. They also express a positive view of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership.
Many members of our community in Israel have second homes, and whether anything happens politically or socially in Israel has a very significant effect on our population. We have lots of families living there. We have tremendous support for Israel in terms of the government. Rabbi Yisrael Gelb, who served as the executive director of Agudath Israel, an Orthodox organization in California from 2018 to 2020, said that if the Orthodox community does not support Netanyahu’s unilateral actions, they enjoy very significant support.
Still, several of the Orthodox rabbis interviewed by Pew Research Center said their congregants include critics of the Israeli government as well.
Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld of The National Synagogue, a Modern Orthodox congregation in Washington, D.C., Said that the congregation donates food to a bank in Israel, which is a good cause that brings together as many people as possible. “We have people on the left and right of the political spectrum in Washington, but we are very strong supporters of Israel,” Rabbi Herzfeld said.
Some rabbis expressed that they perceive a portion of their responsibility as acquainting congregants with various perspectives.
I see my role as helping people to appreciate different perspectives, even if they may not agree with them. If we have had people speak from a conservative perspective in the past, I have seen those who view it as an affront to what is really happening. She said that if we have had people speak from a liberal perspective, we should see it as an affront to what is really happening. Rabbi Enid Lader, who has called herself a supporter of Israel, has big questions about human rights and what is happening there. She is from the Reform congregation Temple Beth Israel in Cleveland, Ohio.
The rabbis declared that despite the presence of Israel’s critics within their congregations, they generally support Israel’s legitimacy as a Jewish nation.