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Are Israelis and US Jews no longer ‘brothers’?

Significant differences among Jews from Israel, the United States and France were uncovered on issues like anti-Semitism, the peace process and Russia in a recent survey.
People walk at the Jerusalem's city hall as the American and Israeli national flags hang on the municipality building in Jerusalem December 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RC121A0E97D0
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A recent comprehensive survey conducted among Jews in Israel, the United States and France sought to look at how Jews in these three countries define themselves and relate to external threats. The study was conducted for the American Jewish Committee, the oldest Jewish organization in the United States, and also assessed Jewish views on anti-Semitism, the peace process and the importance of the State of Israel. A thousand Israeli Jews, 1,006 American Jews and 771 French Jews from various socioeconomic, political and religious backgrounds were surveyed.

One cluster of questions focused on Jewish identity and the connection between Israel and the diaspora. In response to the question of whether you consider Israeli/American Jews brothers, 31% of Israeli respondents said yes, while only 13% of American respondents thought so. Among French Jews and Israeli Jews there was more correspondence: 31% of French respondents said they define Israeli Jews as brothers.

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