Most Israelis believe country’s COVID policies damaged ties with diaspora – poll

Most Israelis expressed alarm over rising global antisemitism, and believe non-Israeli Jews should be granted exemptions from the blanket ban on foreigners.

By World Israel News Staff

A recent survey found that a majority of Israelis believe that Israel’s blanket ban on foreigners has worsened the country’s relationship with Diaspora Jews, Arutz Sheva reported Tuesday.

The poll of 500 Israeli adults, which was developed by World Likud and carried out by the Shiluv I2R Research Institute, found that 58 percent of Israelis think that the lockout policy has strained ties with Jews outside of Israel.

An additional 60 percent of respondents said that the Israeli government should grant special exemption for non-Israeli Jews to enter Israel during times when other foreigners would not be allowed into the country.

“The results of the survey emphasize that many Israelis are expressing solidarity with Diaspora Jews and think that we need to establish special circumstances for Jews who wish to visit Israel, especially in humanitarian cases,” said World Likud chair and former Israeli ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon in a statement.

“I call on the Minister of Health to urgently implement a plan that will allow Jews to visit Israel, even during the Corona period and under the necessary restrictions, thus preventing further damage to the unique connection Israel has with Diaspora Jewry.”

A staggering 80 percent of Israelis are concerned about global antisemitism, with 70 percent stating they believe Jews living in the diaspora are either not safe or only somewhat safe in their countries of residence.

61 percent of Israelis believe that antisemitism has become a bigger threat in the last five years, on the heels of May 2021’s Operation Guardian of the Walls clash which saw Jews attacked in Los Angeles, New York, London, and elsewhere by pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Danon attributed the war, along with “the spread of coronavirus are two of the most prominent explanations as to why antisemitic discourse has intensified on social media more than in the past.”

While 90 percent of Israelis believe each country’s leaders should work to fight antisemitism, a whopping 94 percent said that international organizations, including the U.N., should do more to combat Jew hatred.