Israelis feel more Jewish than ever but less responsible for diaspora communities, survey finds

While nearly three-quarters of respondents said Israel bears responsibility toward Jewish communities overseas, far fewer supported translating that responsibility into financial commitments.

By Debbie Weiss, The Algemeiner

A record number of Israeli Jews now define themselves first and foremost as Jews rather than Israelis, according to a new government-backed survey that also found that the overwhelming majority are proud of being Jewish and say their Jewish identity is meaningful to them.

The 2025 Diaspora Index, released by Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry, found that 57 percent of Jewish Israelis identify as Jewish before Israeli, a dramatic increase from 34 percent a year earlier and the highest figure recorded since the annual survey began a decade ago.

The findings emerge amid growing concern over widening political and cultural divides between Israel and Diaspora Jewish communities, particularly in the wake of the Gaza war and rising antisemitism worldwide.

Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States and historian Michael Oren said the figures reflect both the impact of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israeli society and the way Israel’s place in the world is increasingly understood through a Jewish lens.

“The dramatic increase in Jewish over Israeli identity in Israel reflects not only the prolonged trauma of Oct. 7 and the subsequent war but also the deepening sense that Israel is — and the world regards us as — the Jewish state,” Oren told The Algemeiner.

The survey suggests that strengthened Jewish self-identification extends beyond questions of nationality.

Nearly nine in ten respondents said they are proud to be Jewish and view their Jewish identity as an important part of their lives.

A similar proportion — 87 percent — said Judaism represents not only a religion but also a shared peoplehood rooted in common history and origins, a view endorsed by large majorities across Israeli society, including 82 percent of secular Jews.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the findings, describing ties between Israel and Jewish communities overseas as a core national value.

“The State of Israel sees its relationship with Jewish communities around the world as a value of the highest importance and an inseparable part of the nation’s identity,” Herzog said.

“It is our duty to continue nurturing this deep connection, strengthen the sense of mutual responsibility among all parts of the Jewish people, and pass on to future generations the importance of the bond between the State of Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.”

Naama Klar, director of the Koret International School for Jewish Peoplehood at ANU – Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, said the findings point to a similar post-Oct. 7 search for Jewish belonging among Israelis and Diaspora Jews, echoing Oren’s view that the war has deepened Jewish identity across borders.

“The research shows a significant increase in respondents’ identification with their Jewish identity compared to previous years,” Klar told The Algemeiner.

“Oct. 7 marked the beginning of a new era of global Jewish vulnerability, in which Jews around the world increasingly find themselves in the same boat,” she added.

Yet the survey also uncovered tensions in how Israelis view their relationship with Diaspora communities.

While nearly three-quarters of respondents said Israel bears responsibility toward Jewish communities overseas, far fewer supported translating that responsibility into financial commitments.

Only one in five said Israel should devote public funds to assisting Diaspora Jews, and just 22 percent said they would personally contribute money to strengthen Jewish identity abroad.

Klar argued that these findings reveal the persistence of older Israeli attitudes toward Diaspora life even as global events draw Jewish communities closer together.

“The enduring influence of the traditional Israeli mindset of ‘negation of the Diaspora’ continues to create gaps in understanding regarding our shared fate and mutual responsibility,” she said.

“We see this reflected in the decline of Israelis’ sense of responsibility and solidarity toward Jewish communities abroad, precisely at a moment when our destinies are more deeply entangled than ever before.”

The survey found overwhelming expectations of solidarity flowing in the opposite direction.

Almost all respondents — 94 percent — said they expect Jews living abroad to stand with Israel during wartime.

Concerns about the future of Jewish life outside Israel also featured prominently.

Two-thirds of respondents identified intermarriage and assimilation as major challenges facing the Jewish people, while more than half said the issue was a personal concern.

The index was released during Diaspora Week, an annual initiative organized by the ministry in partnership with the Jewish People Policy Institute.

The program, running from May 31 through June 6, is designed to strengthen connections between Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

As part of those efforts, the Israeli government recently approved approximately $30 million in funding for programs aimed at deepening Jewish identity and reinforcing ties to Israel among Diaspora Jews.