Digital Library
2019 AJC Surveys of Jewish Public Opinion in the US, Israel and France
Topic:
Antisemitism & Antizionism, Israel Literacy, Jewish Diaspora & Interfaith Relations
Principal Investigators:
SSRS , Ifop International Research Group (France), Geocartography Knowledge Group (Israel)
Study Date:
2019
Source:
American Jewish Committee (AJC)
Key Findings:
In 2019, the AJC conducted concurrent surveys of the attitudes of Jews in France, Israel, and the United States, the three largest Jewish communities in the world.
The surveys explore Jewish identity. 59% of the American sample, 43% of the French and 51% of the Israelis agree that being Jewish is a matter of ethnicity and culture. This is compared to 24% of the Americans, 25% of the French, and 24% of the Israelis consider Jewish identity a matter of religion.
Israeli Jews are more Jewishly identified. Although majorities in all three countries consider being Jewish important in their lives, a gap emerges over whether being Jewish is very important: Eight out of every ten Israeli Jews thinks so, compared to 41% of the Americans and 33% of the French.
In France, Jewish identity appears stronger among those identifying as 'of Jewish faith' than among those 'of Jewish culture.' 80% of Jews of faith consider being Jewish “important” in their lives, while 57% of Jews of culture do. A similar gap exists with respect to the importance of caring about Israel—72% of those professing Jewish faith think it important, as compared to 52% of cultural Jews.
Majorities across the board agree on the importance of Israel. Yet 50% of the Israelis agree strongly that living in Israel is an important part of their being Jews, while 38% of the Americans and 27% of the French agree strongly that caring about Israel is an important part of their being Jews. Furthermore, 91%, of Israeli Jews believe a thriving State of Israel is vital for the long-term future of the Jewish people, compared to 72% of Americans and 53% of French.
The data reveals that French Jews appear more connected to Israel than American Jews. 57% of French see Israelis as either siblings or first cousins when asked to use the metaphor of a family to describe how they view Israelis, while 28% of Americans gave one of those responses. French Jews have also visited Israel more than American Jews.
Regarding antisemitism, the survey of Jews in France shows that 58%, have experienced anti-Semitism in France, and 56% do not feel that France is effectively handling the issue.
Israeli and American Jews diverge over U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies. Regarding Trump’s handling of U.S.-Israel relations, 79% of Israelis approve, while 37% of Americans approve. Additionally, 88% of Israeli Jews support the administration’s recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, compared to 50% of American Jews.
Methodology:
AJC’s 2019 Survey of American Jewish Opinion, conducted by SSRS, is based on telephone interviews carried out April 10-May 7 with a national sample of 1,006 Jews over age 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.1%.
AJC’s 2019 Survey of French Jews, conducted by Ifop, is based on telephone and face-to-face interviews carried out March 11 – May 2, with a national sample of 771 Jews over age 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.1%.
AJC’s Survey of Israeli Jews, conducted by Geocartography, is based on telephone interviews carried out April 10 to 17, with a national sample of 1,000 Jews over age 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1%.