600,000 American Jews considering immigrating to Israel – poll

Despite terrorism and threats from Iran, American Jews overwhelmingly believe Israel is the safest place in the world for Jews, with antisemitism fueling rise in interest in immigrating to Israel.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Some 600,000 American Jews are currently considering making Aliyah to Israel, a new poll shows, while another 900,000 say they may consider immigrating to Israel at some point in the future.

On Tuesday, the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) released the results of its latest survey of American Jews, polling Jews in the United States regarding their views on Aliyah, or immigration to Israel.

The survey found that more than two-thirds (68%) of American Jews believe that the State of Israel is the safest place in the world for Jews to live, an increase of 5 points compared to last year, despite fears of a possible war between Israel and Iran.

Orthodox Jews were most likely to say they believe Israel is the safest country in the world for Jews, with 91% agreeing with that claim, while ultra-Orthodox Jews were slightly less likely (78%) than other Orthodox Jews. Reform Jews were least likely to agree with the claim (62%), followed by unaffiliated Jews (64%) and Conservative Jews (74%).

Of the estimated 7.5 million Jews living in the United States – according to a 2021 JPPI report – 8%, or 600,000 people, are currently considering making Aliyah to Israel.

While only a minority of respondents indicated they are likely to consider moving to Israel, the vast majority said they would contemplate the move under certain circumstances.

Twelve percent said they might consider moving to Israel at some point in the future, while 35% said they would consider it “under certain circumstances,” with a further 27% saying they would consider it under “extreme circumstances.” Just 13% said they would never contemplate moving to Israel.

Orthodox Jews were far more likely than others to say they are currently considering moving to Israel.

More than one-third (36%) of ultra-Orthodox Jews are currently considering immigrating to Israel, compared to 18% of Orthodox respondents.

Forty percent of American Jews say that antisemitism is the primary reason they would consider Aliyah, a similar figure to polls of Canadian and British Jews.

The vast majority of Jews in the United States (84%), Canada (88%), and Britain (77%) said they had personal connections to someone who immigrated to Israel.

“The findings of the Jewish Peoplehood Index show that Israel, the nation-state of the Jewish people, is perceived by most Jews worldwide as the safest place for Jews,” said JPPI Director-General Dr. Shuki Friedman.

“Rising antisemitism strengthens the connection to Israel and thoughts about Aliyah, and personal networks—family, friends, and community—are the main drivers shaping Aliyah consciousness.”

“The fact that nearly every Jew personally knows someone who has made Aliyah and is satisfied with the move underscores the depth of the connection to Israel and the potential inherent in it. For the Israeli government, this represents a strategic opportunity: there is broad potential for Aliyah from the United States and other affluent countries, awaiting the right circumstances.”

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