Survey on Liberal Values in Israel

64% of Israelis Want a Jewish Prime Minister Only

A new poll commissioned by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Israel revealed that 64% of the general population of Israel supports legislation that would insure that only a Jew could be elected Prime Minister.

Surprisingly 31% of Arab Israelis also support this legislation.

A poll commissioned by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Israel and conducted by KEEVOON Research and Strategy, headed by Mitchell Barak, revealed that a clear majority of Israeli citizens support, or view positively, legislation that would guarantee that only a Jew can be elected Prime Minister of Israel.

The poll was a national representative sample of 609 respondents who were questioned in Hebrew, Russian, or Arabic. The poll, with a margin of error of + / – 4.1%, tested liberal and democratic values of Israelis and their application in real life situations.

For results, click here: Survey Liberal Values in Israel

A contradictory picture emerges from the survey. There is a very large gap between liberal and democratic values on the one hand (between 75-95%) and those same values applied on the other. This gap is most apparent on issues relating to rights of minorities.

Among the examples of conflicting results is the fact that the majority of the population (55%) supports enforcing the rights of Arab Israeli citizens, while 64% support legislation guaranteeing only a Jew can be elected Prime Minister. Additionally, 51% of the general population supports the notion that Arab Israelis should perform some type of national public service, (48% of Arab Israelis support it as well.)

Another interesting finding from the survey is that 77% of Israelis support equal treatment of all Israeli citizens without discrimination regardless of ethnic or religious background. In spite of that only 61% believe that Jews and Arabs should be treated equally with regard to budget allocation.

37% of Hebrew and Russian speaking Israelis feel that the Jewish character of Israel is more important than the democratic character. While a surprisingly low 47% of Arab Israelis feel that the democratic character of Israel is more important than the Jewish character. Additionally 97% feel that tolerance towards one another is important, while at the same time one-third (33%) of all sectors believe that Jews and Arabs should live in separate neighborhoods.

75% of Israelis (including 21% of Arab speakers) support removing any restrictions on the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shabak) when preventing terror attacks – even if it means violating a suspect’s civil and human rights. This clearly indicates the priority Israeli citizens give to national security over democratic principles.

When asked where Israel should invest most improving relations, 36% choose neighboring countries which was the greatest response.

89% of Israelis agreed with the statement of State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss that Government corruption is a danger to democracy and the rule of law and that “political corruption is like a cancer deep in the body of the State. This clearly indicates the importance that most Israelis feel towards the rule of law as one of the pillars of democracy.

Finally it is important to point out that between 64% – 70% of the population could not identify a political party or personality that represented liberal values like civil rights, equal opportunity, free market competition, pluralism, openness, and limited involvement of the State. 44% feel that a party representing these ideal is necessary and 56% would vote for it.

The representative of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Israel, Dr. Hans Georg Fleck, reflected on the results of the survey and said: “The conflicting results confirm that the Israeli public attaches supreme importance to liberal values and democratic institutions, even though they are unwilling to implement these values in specific areas. This seems to be as a result of the unique and difficult security situation in the region, which leads to an increased need for security and to “fortify democracy.” As a German Foundation for liberal policy we will continue to work in all sectors of Israeli society to increase awareness and implementation of liberal values. One cannot separate the application of these values from the freedom and responsibility of the individual, which should be perceived as an opportunity and not as a threat.We believe that a stable liberal democracy is an anchor of stability and a source of prosperity for Israel and the entire region.”