I would like to repeat the gist of a conversation I overheard at work- a place filled with university educated people who tend to lean to the left politically and have very little to do with religion. One mentioned a talk she went to where the speaker said that if you want to know whether a person was a leftist or a rightist, ask them if they define themselves as Israeli or as Jewish first. The rightist answer Jewish. It is telling that the right has dominated to government in the recent past. A Dati Leumi (RZ) women then gave her opinion that the leftist don’t think of themselves as Jewish at all. The others sitting around the table- all secular, Chilonim. strongly disagreed and resented that conclusion. They said that although they would identify as Israeli first, they are proud to be Jewish as well.
To me (who remained quiet during this conversation) that was very encouraging- even those who seem the furthest from their heritage still want to be Jewish and have that connection. I think this is the attitude that MrSL613 is referring to.
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