A view of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Photo: Berthold Werner.

JNS.org – “A Portrait of Jewish Americans,” a report released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center, has found steady trends on support for Israel among American Jews, especially among the Orthodox and Jewish Republicans.

Emotional attachment to Israel has not decreased over the past decade.

“Overall, about seven-in-ten Jews surveyed say they feel either very attached (30%) or somewhat attached (39%) to Israel, essentially unchanged since 2000-2001,” the report said.

While the survey found that solid majorities of Jews across the denominational spectrum support Israel—Orthodox Jews 91 percent, Reform 71 percent, and Conservative 88 percent—it also said that Orthodox Jews “are more apt than members of other denominations to say they feel very emotionally attached to Israel,” due to the “deep attachment to Israel felt by modern Orthodox Jews.”

Despite the gridlock in Washington, DC over healthcare and other issues, there remains bipartisan support for Israel among American Jews. “Roughly two-thirds of Jewish Democrats (65%) and Independents (69%) say they feel at least somewhat attached to Israel,” the Pew survey said. Eighty-four percent of Jewish Republicans, meanwhile, say they feel an emotional attachment to Israel.

Additionally, Jewish Republicans (62 percent) and Orthodox Jews (61 percent) are more likely to support Israel’s efforts on the peace process than Democrats (32 percent), Reform (36 percent), or secular Jews (27 percent). Large majorities of Jews in all religious denominations and political affiliations (12 percent) are skeptical of Palestinian efforts towards peace.

Forty-percent of Jews believe that Israel was given to the Jewish people by God, including 84 percent of Orthodox Jews, which is comparable to the attitude among white Evangelicals (82 percent belief) on the same topic.