ANNUAL ASSESSMENT of the Situation and Dynamics of the Jewish People 2019 | 5779
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ANNUAL ASSESSMENT of the Situation and Dynamics of the Jewish People 2019 | 5779 Global Trends and Policy Recommendations Integrated Anti-Semitism Index: Europe and the US Special Chapters: Jewish Creativity and Cultural Outputs PROJECT HEAD Shmuel Rosner CONTRIBUTORS Avinoam Bar-Yosef, Dan Feferman, Shlomo Fischer, Avi Gil, Inbal Hakman, Michael Herzog, Dov Maimon, Gitit Levy-Paz, Steven Popper, Uzi Rebhun, John Ruskay, Noah Slepkov, Adar Schiber, Rami Tal, Shalom Salomon Wald EDITOR Barry Geltman Copyright © The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) (Established by the Jewish Agency for Israel) Ltd. (CC) Jerusalem 2019/5779 JPPI, Givat Ram Campus, P.O.B 39156, Jerusalem 9139101, Israel Telephone: 972-2-5633356 | Fax: 972-2-5635040 | www.jppi.org.il All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without express written permission from the publisher. Printed and Distributed by the Jewish People Policy Institute Graphic Design: Lotte Design ISBN 978-965-7549-25-4 Table of Contents Foreword – Stuart Eizenstat and Dennis Ross 5 Policy Recommendations 9 TRENDS Integrated Assessment of the Status of the Jewish People 15 Geopolitics 17 Demography 21 Identity and Identification 23 Community Bonds 23 Material Resources 27 IN-DEPTH ANALYSES The Geopolitical Arena 33 The Intra-Jewish Arena 49 INDICES Jewish Demography 65 Israeli Society 75 Integrated Index: Israel-Diaspora Relations 81 Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Anti-Semitism Index 103 Part One: Anti-Semitism in Europe Affects the Day-to-Day Life of Jews 108 Part Two: Anti-Semitism in the United States 114 Part Three: Directions for Action 118 JPPI REPORTS Israeli Jews: Tradition and Nationality 125 The Orthodox Jewish Community in America: Facilitating Civic and Political Engagement From the Margins to the Mainstream 131 Millennial American Jews and the Reorientation of the Jewish Middle 139 Striking an Improved Balance Between Religion and State in Israel 147 Reform and Conservative Jews in Israel: New Data 151 CULTURAL CURRENCY Intimacy in an Era of Distancing: Literature, Television, Film, Theater, Art 157 The Basic Conditions of Jewish Life: Religion, Theology, Philosophy, Sociology, History 169 Foreword by Stuart Eizenstat and Dennis Ross This is the 15th year the Jewish People Policy Bonds, Identity and Identification, Material Institute (JPPI) has published its Annual Resources and Demography. Anti-Semitism Assessment. Every year, JPPI’s Annual is no longer a secondary concern but has Assessment seeks to offer a snapshot of significant impact on Israel and the Jewish the state of world Jewry. The gauges used to people worldwide. evaluate how world Jewry is doing year-to-year As the Integrated Anti-Semitism Index are largely unchanged this year, with one critical describes, the sheer number of anti-Semitic exception, Community bonds. We are including incidents has risen around the world, including for the first year an expanded version of the in the United States. The FBI reported that Jews yearly Integrated index on Anti-Semitism. are the most targeted religion-based group by The integrative index examines the threat to Jews hate crimes, although Jews comprise less than in different countries, by tracking anti-Semitic two percent of the American population. Most incidents, the public’s attitude toward Jews, of the more violent anti-Semitic attacks in the and the feelings of the local Jewish community, US seem unrelated to Israeli policies, although which also express that community’s trust in on college campuses the insidious, if non- the local government’s ability and desire to violent, BDS movement feeds on overblown protect them. Anti-Semitism is rising by every portrayals of Israeli policies. This has taken a metric and can potentially affect each of the toll on American Jews: nearly three-quarters of other measures we weigh every year in the American Jews polled felt less secure than they Assessment: Geopolitics, Inter-Communal did two years ago. THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE 5 On the other hand, the rate of those in North population in the continent, and the far left America who hold anti-Semitic views is not and far right on the political spectrum. high nor is it growing. An ADL survey shows At both ideological extremes, the falsehood that only 14 percent of Americans hold anti- resonates that Jews control the financial and Semitic views while over half of Americans are political strings of the world. Jeremey Corbin concerned with anti-Semitic violence. A recent the leader of the British Labour Party regards Gallup poll indicates that over 90 percent of Hamas and Hezbollah as friends, leading eight Americans would not hesitate to vote for a Jew Labour members of parliament to leave their As President, while another study showed that party. Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of Jews are the most admired religious group in the UK, has called Corbin an “existential threat” the US above Catholics, Evangelicals and other to British Jews. religious groups. Clearly, the rise in anti-Semitism affects Israel– Why the disconnect between record high the state of the Jewish people–insofar as it numbers of anti-Semitic incidents and record- takes on a greater responsibility both to focus high acceptance of Jews in the US? There is a on protection of Jews in the Diaspora and the direct connection between this phenomenon relations Israel has with a number of different and the weakening of globalization and the states. Managing these important foreign rise in populist nationalism. Around the globe, relations demands navigating a relatively new a hard-core minority of populist nationalists reality: many of the new populist leaders in enjoys increased exposure in "marginalizing the countries like Hungary, Italy, Poland and other other” in society. The extremists among these places may create an environment unfriendly at times turn to violence, verbal or physical, to the immigrant and to “the other,” which can including against Jews. Alongside these, encourage a rise in anti-Semitism, but tend to worrying trends of anti-Semitism from the be supportive of the State of Israel. other side of the political spectrum abound. The dilemma the Israeli government faces is Left-wing groups in Europe, including complicated. Strong relations and support Muslim migrant populations, also identify an for Israel in the international arena has clear opportunity to advance their own anti-Semitic value. But it comes with a price: when this rhetoric. The anti-Semitism in Europe is entirely support comes from populist governments or more threatening than that in the US. Across leaders, it actually tends to exacerbate growing Europe, anti-Semitism is rising and sentiment tensions between the Israeli government and against Israel along with it. The sources are a the Diaspora. On the one hand, embracing dangerous combination of a radical minority authoritarian leaders like Orban of Hungary of the increasingly large Muslim migrant raises the question of whether the government 6 THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE of Israel will itself standup against anti-Semitism the United States with too close an embrace when it is diplomatically inconvenient. Drawing of the president–especially younger Jews. close to such leaders signals that the rightward Moreover, as recent polling shows, such turn of the Israeli public and could also signal a attitudes are no longer limited only to younger departure from such core values as tolerance, Jews but are affecting the importance of kindness, respect for the other–which define Israel in the eyes of many older members the essence of Jewish values for many in the of the American Jewish community as well. Diaspora. All this helps explain why the gauge on inter- Nowhere is this dilemma more acute than in communal bonds is slightly more negative this the relationship of the Government of Israel year than last, even at a time when the rise of with President Trump. America is Israel’s most anti-Semitism should foster greater solidarity important and indeed only true ally. And, within the Diaspora. This seems to be a paradox, Donald Trump’s friendship toward Israel has but the factors noted above help to explain why led to impressive results: declaring Jerusalem the measure is more negative this year than last. Israel’s capital, moving the American embassy, Other measures in the Annual Assessment recognizing Israeli sovereignty in the Golan remain largely the same. In the instance of Heights, providing unlimited support in the geopolitics, the picture is mixed with offsetting United Nations, consistently backing Israel’s realities. Yes, Israel’s Sunni Arab neighbors right of self-defense in Gaza and elsewhere, and have drawn closer to Israel, because they calling out the threat that Iran represents to share common perceptions of threats from Israel and the region. However, like other Iran. However, another factor is driving key populist leaders, President Trump also Arab leaders to improve relations with Israel: raises problems for Israel in America. He is the perception that the United States is a polarizing figure in the United States and withdrawing from the region and is not keen to identifying with him so publicly has served live up to commitments. to alienate most Democrats and a significant majority of American Jewry from Israel. It is geopolitically beneficial that Arab leaders Certainly, any Israeli leader and government see the value of close cooperation with Israel. would need to have good relations with any It is, however, worrying that one of the reasons American president. However, the long-term driving this is the sense that the US is with interest of Israel demands strong relations with drawing or wants less and less to do in the region. the entire American political spectrum. The As Russia and China become more involved Israeli government runs the risk of alienating in the region, especially as the US retrenches, a significant part of the Jewish community in Israel will face more challenges.