A survey conducted on the occasion of the upcoming Zionist Youth Congress which will be hosted in Gush Etzion shows that 70% of Israeli youths view themselves as Zionists. The survey was conducted by Midgam, Dr. Mina Tzemach).
An analysis of the data published on Ynet shows that only 26% of young chareidim view themselves as Zionists.
Do you consider yourself an Israeli?
89% yes (includes 68% chareidim).
Do you plan to serve in the IDF?
76% yes (including only 13% chareidim)
The poll also probed the political identity of the youths.
If elections were held today, whom would you vote for?
18% Likud led by Binyamin Netanyahu
18% Bayit Yehudi led by Naftali Bennett
5% Yesh Atid headed by Yair Lapid
The poll adds the Otzma Yisrael right-wing party headed by Dr. Michael Ben-Ari and Prof. Aryeh Eldad is particularly popular among today’s youth.
Other interesting statistics includes;
· 59% of the respondents prefer to buy products made in Israel.
· 75% have visited Yerushalayim in the past half year
· 85% are unwilling to make any compromise concerning Israel controlling undivided Jerusalem, even for “true peace” with the PA
· Most youths only eat in kosher restaurants
· 92% of the respondents got an aliyah to the Torah on their Bar Mitzvah
· 67% of their families make kiddush on Shabbos
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
Thirty-three years ago, all I wanted in Israel was the door marked EXIT. Having lived on three continents, Israel is unique in being the most anti-Semitic country in post-WWII times.
Interesting statistics. It seems the state’s anti-religious founders have mostly failed to wipe out yiddishkeit in Israel.
The ONLY way we can possibly know what to make of this survey, is to read what Kuperman, Katan and Chachom have to say about it.
They are the real gedolim who are willing to sacrifice their time learning Torah so that we fools can know what is going on in Israel.
A third of hareidi appear to be hard core anti-zionist (i.e. do not identify themselves as Israeli). About a sixth appear to be “hardal” (those who wish to serve in the IDF). That leaves a middle of one half (presumably supporters of the three hareidi parties that see themselves as Israeli, but don’t see it as a mitsva to serve in the IDF, including a sixth who are zionists but don’t want to serve in the army). Based on who conducted the poll, I’ll suspect that the anti-zionists are underrepresented, and the pro-IDF are probably overrepresented.
One problem with secular social scientists studying frum Jews is they don’t know how to ask questions, or how to check if there answers and sampling are correct. If most Israeli youth eat only in kosher restaurants, for example, then the treff restaurant industry should be failing and in fact it is expanding. The political preferences expressed in the poll are so different than election results as to suggest sampling error.
Do you plan to serve in the IDF?
76% yes (including only 13% chareidim)
what a shandha only 13% willing to help the country they live in.
exactly, that’s why the new
law won’t force anyone to leave yeshiva and do the army or national service.
They consider Nahal Haredi also Haredim when in actuality there are no more than about 5% Haredim. In other words less than 5% plan to serve.
After the recent shmad actions and debates even less Chareidim will serve in the IDF than previously volunteered, even though the zionists goal was to induct more. It will backfire and have been counterproductive for them. And more Chareidim now are staunchly anti-Zionism.