World News
Israelis express concern over weakening ties with younger Jewish Americans
Polling reveals generational divides over support for Israel, prompting Israeli groups and officials to increase diaspora outreach.
The short version
- Survey data indicates younger Jewish Americans are significantly less likely than older generations to view backing Israel as vital to their Jewish identity.
- Israeli officials and civil society leaders express growing concern that shifting views could erode strategic diaspora support amid ongoing Middle East conflicts and rising antisemitism.
- Organizations such as Taglit-Birthright Israel and progressive religious groups are expanding exchange programs to engage secular and liberal North American Jews.
Key facts
- An AP-NORC survey of 1,022 Jewish adults found roughly 4 in 10 religious Jewish Americans under 45 consider supporting Israel extremely or very important to their identity, compared to about half of older religious Jewish adults.[Associated Press]
- The same AP-NORC poll showed about half of religious Jewish adults view Israel's military campaign in Gaza as justified, compared to 2 in 10 among religiously unaffiliated Jewish adults.[Associated Press]
- Approximately 60% of surveyed Jewish adults in the U.S. reported that antisemitic prejudice is an extremely or very serious domestic problem.[Associated Press]
- Polling from the Israel Democracy Institute showed the share of Jewish Israelis believing U.S. President Donald Trump prioritizes Israel's security fell from 64% in March to 26% in June amid ceasefire divisions.[Associated Press]
- Since 2000, Taglit-Birthright Israel has sent approximately one million young Jewish adults on 10-day educational tours to Israel.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- The long-term effectiveness of exchange and outreach programs in altering shifting political and cultural attitudes among progressive and secular diaspora youth remains unproven.[Associated Press]