A majority of Israelis are in favor of using their tax money to support Diaspora Jewish communities, according to a recent poll by B'nai Brith. A plurality believes that the American Jewish community could do more to help Israel on the political front.
The survey of Israeli attitudes to Diaspora Jewry was conducted by the B'nai B'rith World Center in Jerusalem and will be presented on Wednesday at the Begin Heritage Center.
In total nearly 60 percent of Jewish Israelis support the State of Israel providing basic services like education, health care and food to Diaspora Jewish communities that are struggling due to the recent global economic situation. Among the youngest age bracket polled - 18-24 - support stood at a staggering 73 percent.
Also expressing overwhelming approval (around 70 percent) for such Jewish foreign aid were Ichud Leumi (National Union), Shas and Likud party voters. Kadima and Meretz party voters expressed much less support for the idea, at 49 percent and 37 percent respectively.
Thirty-six percent of those polled were against sending Israeli tax revenues to overseas Jewish communities.
Regarding the American Jewish community, 46 percent of Israeli Jews believe that American Jewish organizations are not doing enough to ease tensions between the Obama Administration and the Netanyahu government. Only 23 percent say the organizations are doing enough.
On the other hand, 57 percent of Israelis believe that American organizations that lobby the US government on Israel's behalf should always support the policies of the current Israeli government, whatever they may be. Just under one-third of those polled said such lobbying organizations should be free to openly oppose Israeli policies of which they disapprove.
Similarly, a majority of Israelis (53 percent) think that Diaspora Jewry should consider the opinions of Israelis when deciding issues such as who to vote for or which policies to support when those decisions can impact Israel's future. On the flip side, only 40 percent believe that Israelis should consider the opinions of Diaspora Jewry when deciding issues affecting Israel's future.
Israelis were somewhat contradictory in their approach to Diaspora religious movements. While 54 percent of those polled said they support equal status and funding in Israel for Reform and Conservative streams, most opposed incorporating two key elements of Reform policy into Israeli society. Thirty-six percent opposed the idea.
Fifty-seven percent of Israeli Jews support defining a natural-born Jew as "someone whose mother is Jewish," the traditional Halachic (Jewish legal) definition. Only 39 percent support the notion that "a Jew is someone whose mother or father is Jewish," the Reform position on the issue.
In addition, 49 percent of those polled insisted that only conversions performed by the Chief Rabbinate, currrently identified as an Orthodox institution, should be recognized by the State of Israel. Forty-four percent supported official recognition of Reform and Conservative conversions.
B'nai Brith World Center Director Alan Schneider noted, "Attitudes of Israelis towards the Jewish Diaspora are in constant flux and are impacted by events taking place in both communities, which this year is punctuated by reports in the media of a crisis in Israel-U.S. relations due to policy differences and issues pertaining to conversion and the status of non-Orthodox streams of Judaism. Our survey revealed that the Israeli-Diaspora relationship is very important to Israelis. The concern shown by Israelis for the well-being of the Diaspora and their consideration for the opinions voiced by Diaspora Jewry is unique."