Israel Democracy Institute

Who goes to Uman for Rosh Hashanah? IDI releases new poll as holiday approaches

Uman, a city in central Ukraine, is the burial site of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810), the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement.

Jewish men pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman, ahead of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, October 1, 2024
 THE ZIONIST identity didn’t overcome the Jewish identity, nor did the opposite occur: An IDF soldier puts on tefillin.

National-religious men overrepresented in IDF reserves as haredim stay absent, IDI analysis finds

New York Times columnist Bret Stephens delivered the "State of World Jewry" talk at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, Feb. 1, 2026.

'Jewish terrorists': Pro-Israel columnist Bret Stephens speaks against West Bank settler violence

US VICE President JD Vance and President Donald Trump listen to Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House, April 23, 2026, during an earlier round of talks. Trump leads now; Vance and Rubio are next. Israel was in the room as an ambassador, not a principal.

Editor's Notes: Israel just met the America that comes after Trump - comment


Majority of Jewish Israelis opposed to demilitarized Palestinian state - survey

In a survey performed by the Israel Democracy Institute, Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel were asked a variety of questions about Israel's war with Hamas and what the future should look like.

Netanyahu and Abbas

Majority of Israelis prioritize hostage release over toppling Hamas - poll

Israelis who prioritize the rescue of hostages have clashed with Israelis who believe that the IDF completely removing Hamas from power should be the priority.

 THE RANSACKED home of Emily Tehila Damari in Kfar Aza bears a banner with her name, photo, and the words: ‘Kidnapped from her house! Bring her home today!’

Ultra-Orthodox women break through in tech education, report finds

“This change stems from deep processes in the perception of the role of women in ultra-Orthodox society and the quality of their professional training in the education and higher education system.”

Haredi women in the tech sector

Israeli optimism about the future on the rise despite war - poll

Since the October 7 attack, optimism about the country's future has been rising across the board for both Jews and Arabs.

 Optimistic about the future of democratic rule in Israel and about the future of national security, June 2022–November 2023 (total sample; %)

Release of hostages top war goal for Israeli Jews and Arabs - poll

A majority of the population supports amending the Nation-State Law to include the principle of full equality for non-Jewish citizens of the state.

 On a scale from 1 = not at all important to 5 = very important, rate the importance of each of the following goals for the war as 4 or 5 (Jewish sample and Arab sample; %)

On a tightrope: Israel’s Arab citizens and the war with Hamas - opinion

 Israeli President Isaac Herzog is seen meeting with Arab women at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, on June 25, 2023.

The war from an economic perspective - opinion

The current circumstances make it impossible to carry on business as usual on the economic front.

 FINANCE MINISTER Bezalel Smotrich attends a discussion on the state budget, at the Knesset Finance Committee, in July. The state budget for 2024 and the next few years must be fundamentally redrafted, say the writers.

Israeli faith in gov't at lowest in at least 20 years - poll

Only 20% of Israelis still have faith in the government compared to 28% in June with the majority of the dip coming from the Right.

 Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a plenum session in the Israeli parliament on October 16, 2023

Rocket firings reduce during Biden trip, soar towards Tel Aviv after

Northern border remains tense; IDI: 300,000 evacuated Israelis

 The ruins of a home directly hit by a Hamas rocket in Sderot, southern Israel, October 15, 2023

Nearly half of coalition voters say security worse under current gov't

The survey showed that 61% of the respondents answered that the situation today is worse compared to only 15% who answered that the situation is good.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir during a discussion and a vote at the assembly hall of the Knesset in Jerusalem. July 30, 2023