2018 AJC Survey of American and Israeli Jewish Public Opinion

Key Findings:

In 2018, the AJC conducted surveys in order to better understand the attitudes of American and Israeli Jews, revealing differences of opinion between the world’s two largest Jewish communities on President Trump, U.S.-Israel relations, and Israel’s security and peace process policies.

The views of Israeli and American Jews are strongly shaped by religious denominational identification. The more observant they are on the denominational spectrum, the stronger their Jewish identity and attachment to Israel, the higher their skepticism about prospects for peace with the Palestinians, and the weaker their support for religious pluralism in Israel. 

In the survey of American Jews, political affiliation also plays a major role. The majority who identify with the Democratic Party and voted for Hillary Clinton are less attached to Israel, more weakly identified with the Jewish people, and more favorable to religious pluralism than the minority who are Republicans and report that they voted for Donald Trump.

These comparative surveys of Israeli and American Jews reveal a gap between American Jews and Israelis regarding President Trump’s approach to Israel. Specifically, 77% of Israeli Jews approve of how the president is handling U.S.-Israel relations, while 34% of American Jews do.

Regarding the peace process, 68%, of Israeli Jews say it is not appropriate for American Jews to try to influence Israeli policy on such issues as national security and peace negotiations with the Palestinians, and 25% say it is appropriate. A majority of U.S. Jews, 53%, say it is appropriate and 43% say it is not. 

Israeli and American Jews also differ on the handling of settlements in the context of a peace agreement with the Palestinians. 35% of American Jews and 54% of Israelis say Israel should not be willing to dismantle any of the settlements.

American and Israeli Jews hold more similar views regarding the importance of the American Jewish community and the State of Israel for the future of the Jewish people. 78% of Israelis and 69% of American Jews agree that a thriving Diaspora is vital for the future of the Jewish people and 79% of American Jews and 87% of Israelis agree that a thriving State of Israel is vital for the long-term future of the Jewish people.