Most American Jews support Israel, but just over a third identify as ‘Zionist’

The findings suggest that many American Jews support Israel’s existence while distancing themselves from the label “Zionist,” reflecting sharp disagreement over what the term means.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Only 37% of American Jews describe themselves as Zionist, yet 88% say Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state, according to a new survey by the Jewish Federations of North America.

The findings suggest that many American Jews support Israel’s existence while distancing themselves from the label “Zionist,” reflecting sharp disagreement over what the term means.

Among respondents who identify as anti-Zionist, about 80% said Zionism entails supporting any action taken by Israel, while only around 15% of self-identified Zionists agreed with that definition.

The survey, conducted in March 2025 by the research firm Burson, included responses from more than 1,800 Jewish participants and over 4,100 total respondents.

It is part of a series of post–October 7 studies commissioned by JFNA to assess trends in Jewish engagement and attitudes.

More than 70% of Jewish respondents said they feel emotionally connected to Israel, and 60% said Israel makes them proud to be Jewish. At the same time, nearly 70% said they sometimes struggle to support actions taken by Israel or its government.

Seven percent of respondents said they were anti-Zionist, 8% said they were non-Zionist, 18% were unsure, and 30% said none of the labels applied to them. The highest rate of self-identified Zionists was among Jews aged 35 to 44, while 14% of those aged 18 to 34 described themselves as anti-Zionist.

Mimi Kravetz, JFNA’s chief impact officer, told the Jerusalem Post that misreading the data could lead to harmful conclusions.

“If we misread the trend about ‘Zionism’ to mean that large numbers of Jews, especially young Jews, are turning against the existence of Israel itself, we will draw the wrong conclusions and take the wrong actions,” she wrote. She warned against reacting with anger when dialogue is needed.

Survey responses also showed confusion over what Zionism represents. Thirty-six percent said it means only the Jewish people’s right to a state, while others associated it with support for Israeli policy in the Judea and Samaria and Gaza or unconditional backing of the government.