Majority of Israel’s Arab Citizens are ‘Proud’ to Be Israeli

Israeli Arabs, like Jews, are proud to be Israeli, survey shows. Surprised? Don’t be. It’s for very good reason…

Being an Israeli is a source of pride, the annual Democracy Index, presented Sunday by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), shows. A vast majority, 86% of Israeli Jews and 65% of Israeli Arabs, describe themselves as either very or quite proud to be citizens, the poll indicates.

The poll further shows that the national institution most trusted by Israelis – 88% – is the IDF.

The president and the Supreme Court are also trusted and respected by Israeli Jews, while Israeli Arabs say they have most confidence in the Supreme Court, followed by the police and then the president.

The institutions trusted least by citizens are the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) and the media. A vast majority of respondents believe politicians look out mainly for their own interests. A very small percentage of Israeli citizens, approximately 20%, believe that they can influence government policy.

The IDI is an extensive survey conducted annually, with 1,007 respondents participating and representing a cross section of Israeli society. The survey examines the institutional, procedural and perceptual aspects of Israeli democracy on a regular basis, providing a comprehensive and up-to-date portrait of the population.

Another poll recently commissioned by Channel 10 and conducted by the Statnet research institute, which is headed by Israeli Arab statistician Yousef Makladeh, shows that the vast majority of Arabs living in Israel, including Judea and Samaria, would much rather live under Israeli administration than under the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Anyone living in Israel would not be surprised by these findings, as it is well known that Arabs, as well as Jews, enjoy a high standard of living in the only free country in the Middle East. Arabs are employed by and receive service at all government offices. They study at all universities, including Ariel University in Samaria, and serve as judges, IDF officers and parliamentarians. Accusations of apartheid leveled against Israel are false and baseless.

By: Aryeh Savir
Staff Writer, United with Israel

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