Arabs Feel They are Part of Israel

Israel’s opponents claim that it is a racist state with an “apartheid” system that oppresses the local Arabs. But Israel’s supporters say that claim does not match the facts in the country.

Just this week, the annual survey published for Israel’s Independence Day indicates that a substantial majority of Arab citizens now feel that they belong in the Jewish State of Israel.

The survey was conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute and found that 77 percent of Arab citizens feel that they are part of the nation.

Indeed, this year’s survey shows the percentage of people expressing a shared fate with the State of Israel has surged among ultra-Orthodox Jews as well as Arab Israelis – both groups that are often side-lined.

The Times of Israel reports that these two communities have historically had a ‘rocky relationship’ with Israel’s secular Jewish establishment, and normally have the least sense of solidarity with their state’s leadership and institutions.

In overall terms, the survey published by the Guttman Centre for Public Opinion and Policy Research showed 92.5 percent of Jewish-Israelis and 77 percent of Arab-Israelis feel they are part of Israel and its problems.

Between 2014 and 2019 the percentage of Jewish Israelis who felt part of the state and shared in its problems was between 83 and 87. Among Arab Israelis the percentage was between 35 and 62.

So this year’s figures of 92.5 and 77 percent represent a significant increase.

Analysis of the results does not just show Israelis feeling an increased sense of belonging to their country, but also indicates that most Israelis believe their country has achieved more successes than it has endured failures.