New data shows growing religious observance and increased belief in God, with a sharp rightward political shift, particularly among Jewish youth in Israel.
Has the war made Israeli society more traditional? This round of JPPI’s Israeli Society Index focused on that question, and it appears the rise in traditionalism in Israel is not merely a feeling but a fact.
The findings indicate a marked increase in the observance of tradition and belief in God, chiefly among young people as well as among traditional and religious Jews, alongside a shift to the right in political orientation. By contrast, among secular Jews there was a certain decline in both religious observance and belief.
The report was prepared against the backdrop of the extensive public discourse around observance of tradition in Israel, which is evident in the public sphere: controversy over laying tefillin near schools, the popularity of traditional songs, wearing religious symbols on IDF uniforms, and more.
The survey examined the beliefs, practices, and attitudes of Jews and Arabs in Israel, with special emphasis on the views of Jewish young adults ages 18–24, to whom a significant portion of the findings refer.
Rise in Religious Observance
According to the data, the wartime period has led to changes in Israelis’ observance of tradition. For many, the change has taken the form of engaging more frequently in religious practices. A quarter (27%) of respondents report an increase in observing religious customs. This trend is even more pronounced among Jewish youth 25 and under: one-third (33%) say they observe more traditions than in the past.
In the Arab public, about a quarter of respondents (23%) report strengthened observance of traditional customs during the war. The increase in Jewish traditional observance in the war’s wake is most evident among those who already described themselves as somewhat traditional or religious. The stronger the respondent’s religious identity, the higher the share reporting that they are observing more traditional practices.
As noted, the overall trend among Jewish society is especially sharp among youth up to age 25: Among young people who define themselves as “traditional, but not so religious,” there has been a very significant rise in observance—37% report an increase in religious practices. Among youth who are “traditional, somewhat religious,” the rise is even greater—51% report observing more religious customs due to the war. Practicing More Religious Customs 31% of Jews report that they are praying more since the war began. 20% report they are reading the Bible or Psalms (Tehillim) more often.
About one-tenth of Jews report increased practices such as going to synagogue (11%), lighting Shabbat candles (11%), laying tefillin (9%), and dressing more modestly (9%). Among Jewish youth, the “strengthening” is even more pronounced:
38% say they are praying more since the war, and 26% read the Bible more. 14% of Jewish youth report attending synagogue more, lighting Shabbat candles more often, and dressing more modestly.
Among “traditional, not so religious” Jews, nearly half (43%) report change —principally an increase in prayer (42%), reading the Bible or Psalms (23%), and lighting Shabbat candles (20%). Among the “traditional, somewhat religious” and among the religious, the share reporting increased observance is even higher: more than half pray more, and about 42% read the Bible or Psalms more. A similar pattern is evident in Arab society: increases in prayer (32%), modest dress (12%), and attending church/mosque (10%).
Greater Faith in God Than Before the War
A quarter of Jews (28%) and nearly forty percent of Arabs (37%) feel their faith in God has strengthened, while far smaller shares report a decline (Jews 9%; Arabs 4%). Among Jewish youth, the war’s impact on belief is greater than among Jewish adults overall: 35% say they believe in God more than they did before. Respondents were also asked about their perceptions of the level of faith among Israelis in social/familial circle. The general impression within Israeli society — perhaps also influenced by the public discourse — is that religious faith is “strengthening”:
49% of Jewish Israelis believe their friends and relatives have increased their faith to some degree 35% think the level of faith has remained the same Only 9% perceive a weakening
Among Jewish youth, the perception of change is stronger still: 58% say their peers have strengthened in faith, while a relatively low 25% think the situation has remained unchanged. Among Arabs, 52% believe those around them have strengthened in faith.
Political Identification — A Shift to the Right
In addition to questions about changes in religiosity, respondents were also asked about changes in their political self-identification. The data show that since the war began, Jews display a clear shift to the right.
Among Jewish Israelis, the share identifying as “hard right” rose from 11% to 19%, and the share identifying as “right” rose from 24% to 28%. The increase stems from a shift rightward among those who had before the war, identified as “moderate right” or “center.” This rightward shift is evident among Jewish youth across almost every political identification cohort:
Nearly half (45%) of those who say that before the war they would have described themselves as “moderate right,” and a majority (59%) of those who were “right leaning toward the center,” report having moved further right on the political spectrum. Even among those who identified as “center” or “moderate left,” a substantial share reports a shift right — 43% of centrists and 49% of those “left leaning toward the center.”
Even among those who identified as left or hard left, about half (50%) report a rightward shift. In the Arab sector there is stability, with virtually no change — center, left, and right have remained at approximately their previous shares.
Statement from the CEO of the Jewish People Policy Institute, Dr. Shuki Friedman:
“The data reflects what we sensed on the ground: many in Israel — especially among the young — feel that the war has connected them more deeply to tradition and to Jewish identity. Not necessarily in a halachic way, but in ways that are more salient in their lives and across the public sphere. When Sasson Shaulov’s hit song Tamid Ohev Oti ([God] Always Loves Me) — a religious song by a rabbi — gets tens of millions of plays on YouTube, it captures the spirit of the moment. Alongside this, Israelis, especially young people, have shifted to the right. Israel after the war is more traditional and more right-leaning. At this stage, it is impossible to know whether this is a passing trend, or a deeper and longer-term change.”
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The survey data was analyzed and weighted by voting pattern and religiosity to represent the views of Israel’s adult population. The JPPI Israeli Society Index is compiled by Shmuel Rosner and Noah Slepkov. Prof. David Steinberg serves as statistical consultant.