Jerusalem. Photo: Jeff Emanuel.

A new poll released in time for Jerusalem Day on Sunday revealed that a full 92% of Israeli Jews believe Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, and should remain that way permanently, Israeli daily Maariv reported.

Meanwhile, a small minority of Israeli Jews, 8% according to the same poll, disagreed with the notion that Jerusalem should be Israel’s capital, saying that the government should consider declaring Tel Aviv as the capital instead.

The survey, which was conducted by the Herzog Academic College, also explored the academic curricula in schools which relate to Jerusalem and the capital’s history.

The survey’s data showed that 48% of Israelis want the subject of Jerusalem to be taught during specially designated hours as part of the school curriculum. 24% said the subject only needs reinforcement when it comes to studying about Jerusalem Day, and 28% said the current education curriculum adequately addresses Jerusalem and its history.

Breaking down the survey’s results by level of the respondents’ religious observance, the poll showed that 80% of National Religious respondents said the curriculum should address the matter of Jerusalem more, compared to 34% of the secular public.

By locality, 72% of Jerusalem’s residents said the curriculum should emphasize the city more, compared with 46% of residents of the Gush Dan region, which includes Tel Aviv.

When asked if Jerusalem Day should be given the status of a national holiday in order to strengthen the status of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, 21% concurred, whereas 53% said it was not necessary, and 26% said they were satisfied with the current arrangement which includes limited school hours and devoting the day to field trips, tours and gatherings in the city.

Jerusalem Day commemorates the city’s reunification under Israeli rule by IDF forces during the Six Day War in 1967. While the day has lost much of its significance with the secular Israeli public, it still holds special meaning for the adherents of Religious Zionism in Israel.

In 1980, Israel’s Knesset passed the Jerusalem Law, which declared that the “complete and united” Jerusalem was Israel’s capital.