![\"image](\"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/jan-17-opinion-polls.17.Arguments-for-the-Sake-of-Heaven-cover.png\")
<\/a>Explaining the report\u2019s title, they note: \u201cOne of the noblest ideals in Judaism is \u2018arguments for the sake of heaven\u2019 \u2013 that disagreement and debate are in fact coveted and celebrated as long as the disagreement is \u2018for the sake of heaven,\u2019 meaning an argument that seeks to uncover truth.\u201d<\/p>\nThey call upon \u201cJewish communal leaders to uphold and support the variety of opinions and ideas held by Canadian Jews \u2013 and to foster arguments for the sake of heaven,\u201d and warn that \u201cCanadian political leaders must engage all of Canada\u2019s Jewish communities and not stereotype us based on a false monolith.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brym lists the poll\u2019s highlights, which include that \u201cCanadian Jews express stronger emotional attachment to Israel than in four previous surveys dating back to 2018. Specifically, 84% of Canada\u2019s Jews say they are \u2018very\u2019 or \u2018somewhat\u2019 emotionally attached to Israel [compared to 79% in 2018]. Ninety-four percent support the existence of Israel as a Jewish state.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brym notes, \u201cJust 3% say Israel lacks that right, while another 3% say they don\u2019t know or don\u2019t answer the question. Belief in Israel\u2019s right to exist does not vary significantly by gender, educational attainment, income or denomination. It does vary significantly by age and political party support. Ninety-eight percent of those over the age of 34 say Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state, compared to 81% of those under the age of 35. Ninety-seven percent of Conservative and Liberal party supporters say that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state. Some 79% of NDP supporters concur, although the number of NDP supporters in the sample is too small to provide a highly reliable estimate.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked \u201cDo you consider yourself a Zionist?\u201d however, 51% of respondents said yes, 15% claimed ambivalence, 27% said no and 7% said they didn\u2019t know, or didn\u2019t answer the question.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven their strong emotional attachment to Israel and their nearly universal belief that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state, one might be tempted to speculate that more Canadian Jews do not consider themselves Zionists because they confuse Zionism with certain policies of the Netanyahu government that they find objectionable,\u201d writes Brym. \u201cFuture research needs to probe this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked whether continued building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank helped, harmed or didn\u2019t make a difference to the security of Israel, 34% of respondents said it hurts Israel\u2019s security while 27% said it helps, 22% thought it made no difference and 18% didn\u2019t know or didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
Half of respondents favoured a two-state solution, while 25% wanted an Israeli state (the annexation of West Bank and Gaza), while 8% believe that \u201cthe best resolution to the conflict is a single, secular, binational state that favours equal rights for Jews and Palestinians.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen asked whether Canadian politicians should increase pressure on Israel and the Palestinians to engage in a meaningful peace process, 55% of Canadian Jews agree and 23% disagree,\u201d summarizes Brym. \u201cWhen asked whether politicians should sanction Jewish West Bank settlers who engage in acts of vigilante violence against Palestinian civilians, 35% of Canadian Jews agree and 41% disagree. When asked whether politicians should recognize a Palestinian state in the near future, 21% of Canadian Jews agree and 53% disagree. When asked whether Canadian politicians should impose an embargo on the arms trade with Israel, 69% of Canadian Jews say no and 10% say yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The survey also asked respondents to rank, in view of an upcoming federal election, their priorities among 11 different issues. From most to least important were cost of living, antisemitism, health care, housing, Israel-Palestine conflict, climate change and environment, crime and public safety, immigration, threats posed by China and Russia, discrimination against Indigenous people, and Islamophobia.<\/p>\n
The question was asked, \u201cWhich political party did you vote for in the last (2021) federal election?\u201d and also \u201cIf a Canadian federal election were held tomorrow, which party, if any, would you vote for?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAmong decided voters, support for the New Democratic Party remained steady at about 9% between 2021 and 2024,\u201d writes Brym. \u201cSupport for the Liberal party fell from 39% to 26%. And support for the Conservative party increased from 36% to 55%. These trends are similar to those in the general population, but the decline in Liberal support and increase in Conservative support is more pronounced among Jews.\u201d<\/p>\n