2009 Annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion

The data reported here are from the 2009 Annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion, sponsored by the American Jewish Committee. Among the topics covered in the present survey are U.S.-Israel relations, the Arab-Israel conflict, and the Iran nuclear threat. Many of the questions appearing in the survey are new; others are drawn from previous American Jewish Committee surveys, including various Annual Surveys of American Jewish Opinion carried out between 1979 and 2008.

The 2009 survey was conducted for the American Jewish Committee by Synovate (formerly Market Facts), a leading research organization. Respondents were interviewed by telephone between August 30 – September 17, 2009; no interviews took place on the Sabbath. The sample consisted of 800 self-identifying Jewish respondents selected from the Synovate consumer mail panel. The respondents are representative of the United States adult Jewish population on a variety of measures.The margin of error for the sample as a whole is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

A. US-Israel Relations

1. How would you characterize relations between Israel and the United States today? Are they very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative, or very negative?

Very positive		11
Somewhat positive		70
Somewhat negative		13
Very negative		2
Not sure		3

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the Obama Administration’s handling of US-Israel relations?

Approve		54
Disapprove		32
Not sure		14

3. Do you approve or disapprove of the Netanyahu government’s handling of Israel-US relations?

Approve		59
Disapprove		23
Not sure		17

4. Do you agree or disagree with the Obama Administration’s call for a stop to all new Israeli settlement construction?

Agree		41
Disagree		51
Not sure		8

B. Arab-Israel Conflict

5. As compared with one year ago, are you more optimistic about the chance for a lasting peace between Israel and the Arabs, less optimistic, or do you think the chance for a lasting peace is about the same as it was one year ago?

More optimistic		12
Less optimistic		23
Same as one year ago		65
Not sure		1

6. In the current situation, do you favor or oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state?

Favor		49
Oppose		41
Not sure		1

7. In the framework of a permanent peace with the Palestinians, should Israel be willing to compromise on the status of Jerusalem as a united city under Israeli jurisdiction?

Yes		37
No		58
Not sure		6

8. As part of a permanent settlement with the Palestinians, should Israel be willing to dismantle all, some, or none of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank?

All		8
Some		52
None		37
Not sure		2

9. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “The goal of the Arabs is not the return of occupied territories but rather the destruction of Israel.”

Agree		75
Disagree		19
Not sure		5

10. Do you think there will or will not come a time when Israel and its Arab neighbors will be able to settle their differences and live in peace?

Will		43
Will not		51
Not sure		6

11. Do you think that Israel can or cannot achieve peace with a Hamas-led Palestinian government?

Can		17
Cannot		79
Not sure		4

12. Should the Palestinians be required or not be required to recognize Israel as a Jewish state in a final peace agreement?

Required		94
Not required		5
Not sure		2

C. International Issues

13. Do you approve or disapprove of the Obama Administration’s handling of the Iran nuclear issue?

Approve		49
Disapprove		35
Not sure		15

14. Would you support or oppose the United States taking military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons?

Support		56
Oppose		36
Not sure		7

15. Would you support or oppose Israel taking military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons?

Support		66
Oppose		28
Not sure		5

16. Do you think that anti-Semitism around the world is currently a very serious problem, somewhat of a problem, or not a problem at all?

Very Serious problem		56
Somewhat of a problem		43
Not a problem at all		1
Not sure		1

17. Looking ahead over the next several years, do you think that anti-Semitism around the world will increase greatly, increase somewhat, remain the same, decrease somewhat, or decrease greatly?

Increase greatly		15
Increase somewhat		30
Remain the same		42
Decrease somewhat		9
Decrease greatly		1
Not sure		2

D. Background Factors

18. In politics as of today, do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent?

Republican		16
Democrat		53
Independent		30
Not sure		1

19. Do you think of yourself as . . .

Orthodox		9
Conservative		24
Reconstructionist		2
Reform		27
Just Jewish		36
Not sure		1

20. How important would you say being Jewish is in your own life?

Very important		51
Fairly important		33
Not very important		15
Not sure		1

21. How close do you feel to Israel?

Very close		28
Fairly close		41
Fairly distant		22
Very distant		8
Not sure		1