Overview
- The AP‑NORC poll, conducted June 11–17, 2026, surveyed 1,022 Jewish adults and found a clear generational split on whether support for Israel is 'extremely' or 'very' important to Jewish identity.
- Among religiously Jewish adults, about 4 in 10 under 45 say supporting Israel is central to their identity compared with roughly 7 in 10 older religious Jews who place similar importance on Israel.
- Younger religious Jews are more likely to emphasize practices such as marking Shabbat and keeping dietary laws and to frame Jewish identity through social‑justice values rather than political loyalty.
- Roughly three in ten religious Jewish adults under 45 say Israel committed genocide during the Gaza war, compared with about two in ten older Jewish adults, a claim the Israeli government strongly denies.
- The generational divide raises questions for synagogues, advocacy groups and political coalitions about how communal leaders balance criticism of Israeli policy, concerns about antisemitism, and the needs of younger members.