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The findings of the City University survey on British-Jewish attitudes to Israel will no doubt be talked and argued about over Friday night tables, Saturday morning kiddush and elsewhere over the next few days.
While some of the headline stats will attract attention – massive opposition to settlement expansion and concern at the Israeli government’s stance on peace - the report overall presents a more complex and nuanced picture of British Jew’s relationship with Israel.
One striking trend is the relationship between religious affiliation and dovishness. It is not new – as the authors of the report note, it was reported on by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research 20 years ago. But the latest figures present it in more depth.
According to the new survey, “the percentage support of dovish positions is two to three times higher among non-members [of synagogues] and members of Reform, Liberal and Masorti synagogues than among strictly Orthodox synagogues.”
While 55 per cent of Reform, Liberal and Masorti Jews (RLM) believe Israel is an “occupying power” on the West Bank, only 28 per cent of strictly Orthodox share that view. The figure for central Orthodox is 47 per cent.
Nearly half of RLM Jews – 49 per cent – say that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians has weakened their attachment to the country, but only 22 per cent of central Orthodox and 15 per cent of strictly Orthodox feel the same.
Most RLMs – 79 per cent – and central Orthodox – 68 per cent – disagree with the idea that the Palestinians have no legitimate claim to a land of their own; but fewer than half of strictly Orthodox – 47 per cent.
While British Jews overall believe that Israel should trade land for peace, the majority of strictly Orthodox members were against.
The survey also notes that “there is a strong tendency among strictly Orthodox synagogue members to see external criticism of Israel as being driven by prejudice and/or by failures on Israel’s part to explain its case, rather than by flaws or perceived flaws in Israel’s conduct or policies.”
There are, of course, different ways of reading these divergences. You could say the more observant are more loyal to the Jewish people and the less observant more detached; or that the more observant are more insular and the less observant are broader minded.
But differences of opinion of Israel run the risk of sharpening religious polarisation.
The Attitudes of British Jews Towards Israel” can be read here
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