The IDSF index, which was published in recent months, presented a fairly grim picture with regards to Israeli Arabs, personal security and governance: In the first part we published, the findings of the survey revealed that there is a general and synchronized campaign conducted by Arabs in Israel, Gaza and the PA against the idea of a sovereign Jewish state in the Land of Israel. In the second part we published, the findings of the survey revealed that that same Arab campaign is challenging Israel’s sovereignty and governance throughout the state and undermines the sense of personal security of Israeli citizens. The challenges are many and complicated, and we are already vigorously working in the field to change the situation, among other things, by establishing a National Guard.
In the third and final part of the summary of the IDSF Index survey, we will present the half glass that is full, which is the faith in the righteousness of our path. In the previous parts, we analyzed the answers to the survey with an overall view that included the entire Israeli public (both Jews and Arabs). In the part before you, we will focus upon the Jewish public.
The survey was conducted by our Research Department, with the statistical support of Dr. Haggai Elkayam. The sample was taken from 1,068 respondents among the adult population in Israel that uses the Internet. For the Jewish sample (808 respondents) the sample’s maximum margin for error is ±3.45% with a probability of 95%.
Religion, History and Law: This is My Home, I was Born Here
The fact that most of the Arab sector believes that the Jewish people has no right to a sovereign state in the Land of Israel reflects well known trends that have existed for some time, although the scope had managed to surprise us. But where does the Jewish public stand with regards to faith in the Jewish people’s right to a sovereign state in the Land of Israel?
In a manner that crosses political sectors, genders and religious beliefs we believe in the righteousness of our path. 91% of the Jewish public believes that the Jewish people has a historic right to a sovereign state in the Land of Israel and 90% of the Jewish public believes that the Jewish people has a legal-international right to a Jewish state in the Land of Israel; 72% of the public believes that the Jewish people has a religious right to a sovereign state in the Land of Israel.
Nor did we stop there; rather we asked if the Jewish people’s right to a Jewish and democratic state in the Land of Israel supersedes the rights of other peoples, and even here we received an overwhelming response: 79% of the public believes that the Jewish people’s right to a sovereign state does indeed supersede the rights of other peoples. What is the place of such a state? Here too there is no dispute: 90% of the Jewish public believes that the State of Israel must reside specifically in the Land of Israel.
The data is encouraging. IA significant majority of the Jewish public, whether it belongs to the right wing or the left wing, believes that we need to be here. The justifications might be diverse and might come from differing perspectives, but the conclusion is clear: the place of the Jewish people is in the Land of Israel, in a sovereign, Jewish and democratic state.
The IDSF Index: If necessary, we will go out to protect our home
At the end of February 2022, the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out, with the invasion of Russian forces into Ukraine that invaded it from the north, east and south. Stories and testimonials coming from Eastern Europe describe Ukrainian citizens who were willing, sometimes quite literally, to grab a weapon and go out into the streets to fight against the Russian forces and protect their home.
It is somewhat difficult to avoid thinking about the question what would happen in such a situation in Israel. We therefore asked the public what they would do in the event a hostile state were to invade Israel, much like the situation in Ukraine. It turns out that faith in the righteousness of our path is not only theoretical: 86% of the Jewish public would join the war effort in any way possible in order to defend the state of Israel.
This figure correlates with the fact that 74% of the Jewish public believes that a National Guard should be established in Israel, and that 54% is willing to enlist in it in practice. This figure had greatly encouraged us when we began to operate in the field to establish a National Guard comprised of volunteers from the IDSF Movement, reservists and Magav soldiers. The results of the survey reflected the reality in the field: The response in the field was high, with thousands of volunteers having already contacted us with a request to be part of the National Guard.
But it is Not Enough: The desire to strengthen the national ethos
Brigadier General (Res.) Amir Avivi, the CEO and Founder of the IDSF, said it best: “Without a national ethos, that permeates throughout the general public, no army can prevail. An airplane, submarine or division of tanks cannot compensate for the absence of righteousness of the path, the absence of a national vision and the absence of national aspirations”.
So yes, the data does indicate that there is faith in the righteousness of our path, there is faith that the Jewish people’s national home must reside in the land of Israel and there is a great deal of willingness on the part of significant portions of the Jewish public to actively defend their home on a crucial day. But is this enough or is there more to be done?
It turns out that the Jewish public is thirsty for more. More Zionism, more national ethos and more substantiation of the righteousness of the path: 77% of the entire Jewish public believes that the Israeli educational system should integrate more lessons dealing with Zionism. Even in this area we are operating in the field, in lectures that we conduct in various educational institutions throughout Israel, and in the curriculum we have constructed for high schools: “Limits of Consent”.
We may summarize and say that the data before you raise a picture that can encourage us and ignite a spark of hope: while there is quite a lot of background noise from various directions, the foundation we are standing up on is firm and strong. This foundation is important, perhaps even the most important part, in order to withstand the currents that crash upon us from these or other external sources.
The following survey in “the IDSF Index” is already under way, and it deals with the issue of the national-social resilience of the Israeli public, both in terms of our forces on the front and in terms of the preparation of the home front.
Brigadier General (Res.) Amir Avivi: “We have a smart people who know what is right“
The CEO and founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, Brigadier General (Res.) Amir Avivi, summarizes the findings of the third part of the index as follows: “We have a smart people, with good senses, who are confident in the rightness of the way, and know how to read reality as it is. The data that emerges from the survey shows exactly that. At the same time, the data indicate that the Israeli education system does not deal sufficiently with the Zionist ethos, and the people demand more from it. The IDSF lends a hand in this area of education as well, with hundreds of lectures in the formal and informal education systems, and with a dedicated program for high schools, “Limits of Consent”, behind which stands Col. (Res.) Itzik Ronen.”
