A survey by Professors Faisal Azaiza and Rachel Hertz Lazarowitz at Haifa University showed mixed feelings among the Israeli public when it comes to the issue of integration.
Among the Jewish population, 69 percent support friendship with Arabs, 29 percent were strongly in favor of living in the same neighborhood and 23 percent moderately supported the idea; 54 percent said they had no Arab friends.
Among the Arab population, 19 percent moderately supported the idea of integrated neighborhoods, but 25 percent opposed the idea of Arabs living in Jewish neighborhoods. Six percent of Arab respondents objected to being friends with Jews, 19 percent said they have no Jewish friends and 50 percent have visited Jewish friends within the past two years.
A majority in each community (61 percent of Jews and 80 percent of Arabs) strongly support intergroup dialogue between Jewish and Arab youth; 44 percent in each community supports integrated high schools as well.