JERUSALEM (AP) 鈥� Israelis across political and religious lines are worried about the weakening connection with younger Jewish Americans 鈥� who, according to a , tend to consider to their Jewish identity than older adults.
鈥淚t鈥檚 extremely important to us,鈥� said Itai Nixon, who leads the diaspora department for Israel鈥檚 Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. 鈥淲e鈥檙e the state of the Jewish people, not just Israelis.鈥�
Lesley Sachs, who has protested the current Israeli government and chairs the Israel Movement for Progressive and Reform Judaism, also considers a close relationship with diaspora Jews a 鈥渟trategic asset鈥� for both Israel and Jews worldwide.
So she鈥檚 greatly concerned about diaspora Jews losing the sense that Israel can be a homeland for them, especially as targets them regardless of political and religious affiliations.
鈥淭hat was always really, really important that everybody around the world, especially after the Holocaust, knows that there is a country that will always take them,鈥� Sachs said in her synagogue in Tel Aviv. 鈥淭his is already a few generations after, and this is less prominent in their DNA. And I think that this is really a failure on the part of both Israel and world Jewry, that we have not managed to keep that prominent.鈥�
Since 2000, Taglit-Birthright Israel has brought a million Jewish young adults from the United States and elsewhere for a free 10-day 鈥渄iscovery鈥� tour of Israel. The organization鈥檚 CEO says it鈥檚 more necessary than ever to show what their connection to Israel could be like beyond controversial politics.
鈥淭hat really increases the importance of my job to expose people to what they give up on,鈥� said Gidi Mark. 鈥淲hat we give them is a mirror.鈥�
The staunch Israel-US relationship shows some cracks
Israel and the United States have long been staunch allies. U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel鈥檚 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week to discuss the they launched together five months ago.
鈥淭he United States is perceived as the best friend of Israel in the entire world, and that鈥檚 still the case,鈥� said Tamar Hermann, who directs the Israel Democracy Institute鈥檚 Viterbi Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research in Jerusalem.
Divisions over the ceasefire in the Iran war, however, have weakened Jewish Israelis鈥� belief that Trump prioritizes Israel鈥檚 security 鈥� from 64% in March to 26% in June 鈥� according to the center.
Amid diplomatic tensions, the role of Jewish Americans who historically lobbied for political, military and financial support for Israel gains new prominence, Israelis said. And that deepens the concern that many young progressive Americans, including Jews, now see supporting Israel in any way as irreconcilable with their worldview.
The decline in support for Israel has become particularly stark since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians in southern Israel, and abducted 251 others. Israel鈥檚 ensuing has killed more than 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry, which was part of the recently dissolved Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.
That in turn ignited , especially on college campuses.
鈥淗olocaust, refugees, the importance of Israel in times of need abroad, and the fact that Israel is a small country fighting for its existence 鈥� that鈥檚 history they read in a book,鈥� Sachs said of younger Jewish Americans. 鈥淭hey weren鈥檛 emotionally part of it in any way or any form. And so they look at their values and the things that they believe in. And they don鈥檛 see it in Israel.鈥�
Jewish Americans have complicated relationship with Israel
Only about 4 in 10 religious Jewish adults under 45 in the United States say that supporting Israel is 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� important for their Jewish identity, while about half of older religious Jewish adults do, according to the AP-NORC poll.
The survey of 1,022 Jewish adults 鈥� including people who identify as Jewish by religion and religiously unaffiliated people who identify as Jewish through culture, ethnicity or family background 鈥� also found that only about half of religious adults say Israel鈥檚 ongoing military operations in Gaza are justified. The number drops to 2 in 10 among Jewish adults without a religious affiliation.
At the same time, about 6 in 10 Jewish adults say prejudice in the United States today.
To many Israelis, make it all the more tragic 鈥� and dangerous 鈥� that young Jewish Americans do not see the state of Israel as a refuge or even an ally.
鈥淎ntisemitism sadly helps us to explain why a Jewish homeland is not a bad idea,鈥� said Asaf Zamir, a deputy mayor of Tel Aviv who served as consul general in New York. 鈥淥pposing the government is fine, but you cannot understand your history as a Jew without understanding the part of Israel in it.鈥�
Israel reaches out to secular and liberal Jews in North America
In order to promote deeper attachment between Israel and diaspora Jews, both the government and religious organizations are reinforcing exchange programs. For decades, young Israelis have traveled to Jewish summer camps across North America, and non-Israeli Jews get free trips to Israel.
鈥淭o see Israel and meet Israelis is the gold standard,鈥� Itai Nixon said of programs bringing teens to the country.
Taglit-Birthright鈥檚 Gidi Mark said that since 2023, with multiple wars, tour participants are fewer 鈥� and their reactions to touring Israel have also changed. He recalled one participant shouting 鈥淚srael! Israel!鈥� outside his hotel just because he felt safe to express himself.
鈥淭hese people don鈥檛 feel free to experience who they are in the places that they are coming from,鈥� Mark said.
These and other initiatives are focusing on secular Jews and adherents to . The largest branch of the religion in North America, it emphasizes progressive values such as social justice.
Orthodox Jews abroad tend to have stronger ties to Israel 鈥� and Orthodox Jews in Israel tend to see themselves as closer to diaspora Jews than do secular Israelis, Hermann said.
Within the Israeli Reform movement, which is a small part of Judaism in the country, there鈥檚 a push to send more young Israelis to the United States, including as camp counselors.
鈥淭hat kind of action is important, that one-on-one connection saying, 鈥榊ou know what, we believe in the same things you do. Really, we have the same ideology in general, and we feel we need to change Israel together,'” Sachs said. 鈥淲e need to be partners in making Israel the country that we all need.鈥�
Alma Edry, 18, is spending two months as a counselor at a progressive Jewish summer camp in Ontario with teens and young adults from Canada and the United States. She said her biggest surprise has been 鈥渢hat Israel is such a big deal for people outside the country.鈥�
鈥淢ost of their friends are anti-Israel,鈥� she said of the campers. 鈥淭his is their chance to celebrate their connection.鈥�
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