Crossroads23: Surveying Australian Jews on Israel explored the Australian Jewish community’s thoughts and feelings about Israel. The survey enabled Australian Jews to have their say in an international consultation project, Kol Ha’am – Voice of the People, a project initiated by the office of Israel’s president to seek Diaspora input on controversial changes in Israel.
Crossroads23 identified a strong baseline identification with Israel: 90% agree that it is important that the Australian Jewish community maintains close ties with Israel, 88% feel a high level of personal connectedness with Israel, and 86% agree that the existence of Israel is essential for the future of the Jewish people.
But it found deep concern about aspects of Israeli society with 77% thinking there is too much corruption, 85% thinking Orthodox Judaism has too much influence, and 64% worried about Israeli democracy.
Methodology
The survey produced by The Jewish Independent with Emeritus Professor Andrew Markus of Monash University achieved a cleaned data sample of 1080 self-selected respondents in the week 30 May 2023 – 6 June 2023. The response alone is an indication that members of the community feel strongly about Israel and want to express their opinions.
Strong attachment to Israel
Results from Crossroads23 survey undertaken in June 2023, reveal continuing strong attachment to Israel among Australian Jews but a sharp decline in support for Israel’s policies.
Australian Jews retain a strong baseline identification with Israel, with 90% agreeing that it is important that the Australian Jewish community maintains close ties with Israel.
But there is a widespread lack of faith in the country’s current policies, particularly its commitment to democracy. Only 14% of Australian Jews surveyed agree the proposed judicial reforms are good for Israel, 85% think Orthodox Judaism has too much influence, and 77% think there is too much corruption in Israel.
