Voice of the Jewish People Index - February 2025

Key Findings:

The survey explores American Jewish attitudes toward former President Trump’s proposal to relocate Gazans to other countries. The findings indicate that American Jews are generally less supportive of the plan than Jewish Israelis. Among American respondents, 29% view the proposal as immoral and unacceptable, while 28% say they would support it if it were practical. Meanwhile, 21% consider it a distraction, and 20% believe it is a practical solution that should be pursued. In contrast, Israeli Jews show significantly higher support, with 50% deeming the plan practical and worth advancing, and only 3% considering it immoral. Ideological differences play a role, with conservative American Jews more likely to support the proposal than their liberal counterparts.

The survey also examines reactions to Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. buy and own Gaza. A majority (59%) of respondents oppose such a move, 17% support it, and 24% say they need more information. Support for this idea is highest among conservatives but does not reach a majority in any ideological group. Among political affiliations, 42% of Trump voters support the idea, while 84% of Harris voters oppose it.

Additionally, the survey measures respondents’ perspectives on Israeli public opinion regarding Gaza. When presented with polling data showing that most Israelis support encouraging Gazans to relocate, 69% of American Jewish respondents reacted positively, either agreeing with or understanding the Israeli viewpoint. Conservative respondents were more likely to align with Israeli opinion, whereas liberals were more likely to find it troubling or unacceptable.

Confidence in Trump

The survey assessed confidence in Trump’s ability to handle four key areas: U.S.-Israel relations, antisemitism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Iran. As expected, conservative Jews show significantly higher confidence in Trump compared to liberal Jews. Confidence is highest in his handling of antisemitism and U.S.-Israel relations, while trust in his approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is lower.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: 45% of respondents express no confidence that Trump will handle it correctly, though confidence in him has risen from the previous month. Currently, 23% report having a great deal of confidence in his handling of the issue, up from 16% in the previous survey.

Iran: Opinions are split, with 28% expressing strong confidence in Trump’s ability to deal with Iran, 26% having a little confidence, and 36% having no confidence at all. Conservatives are more confident in Trump’s approach, while liberals, particularly strong liberals (70%), overwhelmingly distrust him.

U.S.-Israel Relations: Confidence in Trump’s handling of U.S.-Israel relations has dropped since last month. While 32% report having a lot of confidence, 41% now say they have no confidence, marking a significant increase from 27% in the previous survey.

U.S. Support for Israel

A majority (57%) of respondents believe the U.S. provides Israel with the right amount of support, while 18% think the U.S. supports Israel too much, and another 18% believe it does not support Israel enough. This marks a shift from the previous month, when a majority felt the U.S. was not providing sufficient support. The decline in conservative and centrist dissatisfaction suggests that Trump’s administration has influenced perceptions of U.S.-Israel relations.

On Israel’s closeness to the U.S. administration, 51% of respondents believe the Israeli government maintains the right level of proximity, while 39% think Israel is too close, and 3% say it is not close enough. Conservative, Orthodox, and ultra-Orthodox respondents largely approve of the current level of closeness, while Reform Jews and Harris voters are more likely to believe Israel is too closely aligned with the U.S.

Confidence in Israeli Victory in the War

The survey also assesses respondents' confidence in Israel’s success in the ongoing war. Overall, 14% of American Jewish respondents are totally certain that Israel is winning, while 17% are not sure at all. Confidence in an Israeli victory is higher among conservatives than liberals and also varies by religious stream. Compared to Jewish Israelis, American Jews exhibit slightly higher confidence in Israel’s success, with 15% expressing certainty that Israel is winning, compared to 9% of Jewish Israelis.

Views on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives

Conservative Jews have voiced strong criticism, arguing that these initiatives contribute to reverse discrimination and promote radical progressive views. Critics also contend that DEI programs often fail to address antisemitism or include Jewish concerns, particularly in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. The new administration is actively working to roll back or eliminate DEI policies.

Overall, the survey highlights the ideological and geographical divides in Jewish opinions on Trump’s policies, Israel, and broader political issues. American Jews, especially liberals, are less aligned with Israeli Jewish perspectives and show lower confidence in Trump’s leadership, whereas conservatives tend to be more supportive of his positions. 41% believe Jewish tradition obliges Jews to support DEI, 21% think Jewish tradition requires opposition to DEI, and 24% feel Jewish tradition has no relevance to DEI.

Liberal respondents are far more likely to see DEI as aligned with Jewish tradition. 82% of "strong liberals" and 53% of "leaning liberals" say Jewish tradition justifies supporting DEI. 53% of "strong conservatives" and 43% of "leaning conservatives" believe Jewish tradition calls for opposing DEI. Among political affiliations, 63% of Harris voters feel Jewish tradition supports DEI, 47% of Trump voters believe Jewish tradition opposes DEI, while 40% think Jewish tradition is irrelevant to the issue.

Jewish Views on Other Trump Policies

Opinions were also divided on whether Jewish tradition has a stance on Trump’s immigration policy. 51% say Jewish tradition requires opposition, 16% believe Jewish tradition supports it, 24% feel Jewish tradition has nothing to say about immigration. Liberals are significantly more likely to view Jewish tradition as opposing Trump's immigration policy. 87% of "strong liberals" and 69% of "leaning liberals" believe Jewish tradition mandates opposition. 68% of Reform Jews and 51% of Conservative Jews share this view. 51% of "strong conservatives" think Jewish tradition has no bearing on immigration policy.

Jewish perspectives on Trump’s tariff policies are more neutral. 59% say Jewish tradition has nothing to say about tariffs, 21% believe Jewish tradition requires opposing Trump's tariff policy, 6% think Jewish tradition supports it. Liberal respondents are more inclined to see Jewish tradition as opposing tariffs. 42% of "strong liberals" say Jewish tradition calls for opposition. Conservatives and religiously affiliated respondents are more likely to believe Jewish tradition is irrelevant to tariff policy.

Optimism About the Future

Optimism among liberals is declining — ”Strong liberals" (-0.7) and "leaning liberals" (-0.4) show decreasing optimism. Optimism among conservatives is rising —“Strong conservatives" (+0.7) and "leaning conservatives" (+0.4) have grown more optimistic.

By religious denomination, optimism has declined the most among Reform Jews (-0.8). Liberal respondents have become more pessimistic, Conservative respondents have become significantly more optimistic. The "strong liberal" cohort shows the highest increase in pessimism. Reform Jews are growing more pessimistic, while Conservative and Orthodox Jews are becoming more optimistic.