During this time of rising antisemitism worldwide, 28% of Israeli Jews ages 18-29 are either “very much” or “extremely” afraid for their personal safety as a Jew traveling abroad, according to a new survey released on Monday by the Ruderman Family Foundation.
Commissioned by the Foundation and conducted by Dialog, Israel’s leading human resources consulting agency, the poll surveyed more than 1,000 Israelis on the current state of antisemitism. The results — released at the Knesset during a special session of the Caucus for Israel-American Jewry Relations, an initiative established by the Foundation — revealed an inverse relationship between these travel-related concerns and respondents’ ages. Twenty-six percent of Israeli Jewish adults ages 30-39 reported fear over personal safety at the prospect of traveling abroad, compared to 21% of respondents ages 40-49, 23% of those ages 50-59, and 16% for those over 60.
For more than two decades, the Ruderman Family Foundation has undertaken multifaceted efforts to solidify Israel’s relationship with American Jewry. The Foundation’s Knesset Caucus for Israel-American Jewry Relations aims to not only strengthen Israeli relations with American Jewry but also elevate the concerns of American Jews within Israeli deliberations and aspirations. Monday’s special session was held with Caucus Co-Chairs MK Ruth Wasserman Lande (Blue and White) and MK Tzachi Hanegbi (Likud) along with Knesset Speaker MK Mickey Levy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs Dr. Nachman Shai.
Other participants included Ruderman Family Foundation President Jay Ruderman and Executive Director Shira Ruderman; and University of Haifa Rector Prof. Gur Alroey, director of the University’s Ruderman Program for American Jewish Studies.
“While the Foundation’s Knesset Caucus has traditionally worked to strengthen the Israel-American Jewry relationship by ensuring that elected officials in Israel are consistently and comprehensively informed of the defining issues that shape Jewish life in the U.S., our new survey powerfully shows that pressing American Jewish concerns such as rising antisemitism are in fact shared concerns for the Jewish communities on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world,” Jay Ruderman said. “Although Israelis live in a Jewish state, we should not and cannot assume that they are somehow immune from the threat of antisemitism. In turn, the shared nature of this threat can serve to unite American and Israeli Jews in efforts to combat it.”
In the survey, 21% of Israeli Jews ages 18-29 reported either experiencing antisemitism or knowing of someone who experienced antisemitism when traveling outside of Israel. Further, 17% of respondents ages 30-39, 7% ages 40-49, 15% ages 50-59, and 8% over 60 answered “yes” to the same question.
Similarly, 32% of Jews ages 18-29 are reluctant to reveal that they are Israeli when traveling abroad, compared to 35% of respondents ages 30-39, 27% ages 40-49, 23% ages 50-59, and 15% over 60.
When asked if they hide Jewish symbols on their person when traveling, 59% of Israelis said they would do so, with traditional Jews (69%) opting to do so the most and Orthodox Jews (31%) the least likely to eschew wearing religious garb while traveling.
Nearly two-thirds (62%) of all respondents agreed that Israel should intervene in vying to combat antisemitism around the world, employing tactics such as rescue missions, antisemitism training seminars, and disbursing aid to Jewish communities. Moreover, 38% think Israel is not adequately addressing the impact of antisemitism online. Only 5% Israelis believe the world is strongly working to combat antisemitism.
When it comes to their IDF service, meanwhile, more than half of Israelis say they are not afraid to fly abroad once they are discharged.
“Relations between Israel and American Jewry are a strategic asset for Israel and are not to be taken for granted,” Wasserman Lande said. “There is an importance in strengthening the acquaintance between Israelis and our brothers and sisters in the United States, with all the complexity that characterizes them - including the antisemitism they experience, the affiliation of many of them to the Conservative and Reform movements, interfaith marriage, their struggle with BDS movements on campuses and other places, and the distancing of many young Jews from Israel.”
Hanegbi added, "Ruth and I are pleased to host the opening meeting of the parliamentary caucus for strengthening the relations between Israel and the Jewish communities in the US. Members of Knesset from all parties have always led the strong and intimate bond between the Israeli political arena and the influential forces in American Jewry, and it is in this spirit that we intend to lead the caucus in addressing the demanding challenges of our time."
“The resilience of the Jewish people is in its unity. This Caucus, which I head alongside Tzachi Hanegbi from the Likud, illustrates that the issue crosses political affiliation, and transcends coalition-opposition differences,” Wasserman Lande added.
During Monday’s session, Knesset members were also presented with data from a previous Foundation-commissioned study conducted by the Mellman Group; a panel study which examined 2,500 Jewish American adults in December 2019 and the Fall of 2021. One thousand of the original respondents took part in the latter survey.
In data that has not yet been published, the U.S.-based study revealed that American Jews have a stronger sense of shared fate with each other than they do with Jews in Israel. When asked how much what happens to Jews in America would affect their lives, 82% responded either “a lot” or “some.” In contrast, only 55% feel any attachment to Israel. On the other hand, 73% of Israelis identify strongly when something happens to their Jewish brethren abroad.