31% of U.S. Jews don’t see Israeli Jews as part of their family, poll finds

American Jews are more dovish than their Israeli brethren, significantly less enamored with President Donald Trump, more supportive of religious pluralism than Israeli Jews, and less likely to see their co-religionists as part of their family.

These are the latest findings of a survey consisting of two separate polls of American Jewry and Israeli Jews conducted for the American Jewish Committee in April and May and published on  Sunday morning ahead of the opening of the AJC Global Forum in Jerusalem.

Opinion regarding President Donald Trump’s handling of US-Israel relations is sharply divided, with fully 77 percent of Israeli Jews approving of efforts so far compared to just 44% of American Jews.

And 85% of Israeli Jews supported Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move its embassy there, compared to 46% of US Jews.

There were also clear differences in approaches to peace with the Palestinians, and how to go about it.

Some 68% of Israeli Jews said it is not appropriate for American Jews to attempt to influence Israeli policy on issues of national security and peace negotiations, while only 43% of American Jews had the same opinion, and a majority, 53%, said it was appropriate.

American Jews were also more likely to support dismantling settlements in the West Bank for peace, with a majority of Israelis, 54%, saying that Israel should not dismantle any settlements compared to 35% of US Jews.

Asked about their opinions in current circumstances on a two-state solution through the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state in the West Bank, 51% of US Jews were favor compared to 44% of Israelis favor.

And divides are also clear and significant on attitudes to Jewish life in the Jewish state. An overwhelming majority, 80% of American Jews want progressive Jewish weddings, divorces, and conversions to be recognized by the State of Israel, compared to 49% of Israelis.

The encumbered issue of prayer rights and access at the Western Wall also underlined divides, with 73% of American Jews said a mixed gender prayer area should be established at the site, compared to 42% of Israels who were in favor and plurality of 48% who are opposed.

US Jews were also slightly but significantly less likely to see Israeli Jews as close family, with only 12% saying they viewed Israeli Jews as siblings, compared to 28% of Israeli Jews who said they see American Jews as their siblings.

And Some 31% of American Jews said they did not consider Israeli Jews as part of their family at all, compared to 22% of Israeli Jews who felt similarly about US Jews.

AJC CEO David Harris noted that the main factor for predicting how both US and Israeli Jews  responded to the polls was how they identify religiously.

“The more observant they are on the denominational spectrum, their Jewish identity and attachment to Israel is stronger; skepticism about prospects for peace with the Palestinians higher; and support for religious pluralism in Israel weaker,” said Harris.

He also noted that American Jews who identify with the Democratic Party and voted for Hillary Clinton “are less attached to Israel, more weakly identified with the Jewish people, and more favorable to religious pluralism” than the minority of US Jews who are Republicans and voted for Trump.”

AJC’s 2018 Survey of Israeli Jewish Opinion, conducted by Geocartography, is based on telephone interviews carried out in May with a national sample of 1,000 Jews over age 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1%.

AJC’s 2018 Survey of American Jewish Opinion, conducted by SSRS, is based on telephone interviews carried out April 18-May 10 with a national sample of 1,001 Jews over age 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.9%.