Overwhelming number of students in grades 11 and 12 “love” Israel and want to build a future here • Some 59% identify as right-wing, only 13% identify with the Left • 60% say soldier who shot a subdued terrorist in Hebron last month should not be tried.
A new poll of Israeli high-school students suggests they hold predominantly right-wing views
Israeli high school students have a strong patriotic sentiment, a recent Israel Hayom poll shows.
The poll was conducted by New Wave Research on behalf of Israel Hayom’s weekend political supplement between March 27 and March 30, using a random representative sample of 308 Jewish students currently in grades 11 and 12, with a maximum sampling error of 5.7%. The full results will be released on Friday.
The respondents were asked questions on a variety of issues, including current affairs. They were also asked general-knowledge questions and about their preferred recreational activities.
Some 85% said they loved Israel, and 89% said they saw their future in Israel. The popularity of the Israel Defense Force was also evident: 88% said they planned on enlisting, and more than 50% said they believed the IDF was the most moral military. Some 65% endorsed the saying, “It is good to die for our country,” attributed to Zionist icon Joseph Trumpeldor. Almost 60% said they subscribed to right-wing views, with 23% saying they were centrists. Only about 13% said they considered themselves left-wing.
What is behind Israeli youngsters’ great love of their homeland? The respondents said the best thing about our country was the sense that we are one big family and our tendency to close ranks in times of crisis. The biggest problem facing the nation, according to the survey, is the fragile security situation. The results demonstrated that teenagers are well versed on current events and have strong opinions on the issues. This should not come as a surprise, as 78% said they were interested in news.
Asked about a current controversy surrounding an IDF soldier who, last month, shot a Palestinian terrorist to death after the latter had already been subdued, 60% of Israeli high schoolers said the soldier should not face trial and only about 30% said he should prosecuted.
The recent controversies surrounding the conduct of Arab MKs have left an imprint on their views as well. Almost half, some 48%, said Israeli Arabs should not have Knesset representation or the right to vote. Some 52% said Israeli Arabs should not be stripped of this right.
Respondents were also asked about their views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which became a cardinal issue (to say the least) in Israeli politics long ago, well before the recent controversies. When asked, “In your opinion, what are the chances of reaching an agreement with the Palestinians?” pessimism abounded: Some 82% said there was zero chance or a very slim chance of that happening.
Anyone who thought teenagers no longer respected adults should take note: Some 75% said they hold their teachers in high regard or very high regard.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.