Newly released data from the Jewish Federations of North America’s national survey suggests that declining identification with the term “Zionist” among American Jews should not be interpreted as opposition to Israel’s existence.
The findings come from JFNA’s “Survey of Jewish Life Since Oct. 7,” which was conducted March 5-25, 2025, and has been released in stages. The data, published on Feb. 5, focuses on attitudes toward Israel, Zionism and Jewish identity.
While only 37% of respondents said they identify as Zionists, 88% affirmed that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state.
“It’s easy to draw incorrect conclusions from the data, so let’s be clear: the falling identification with the word ‘Zionism’ does not mean large numbers of Jews are turning against the existence of Israel itself,” Mimi Kravetz, chief impact and growth officer at JFNA, told JNS. “That’s even true among younger Jews.”
Among respondents between the ages of 18 and 34, 76% said Israel has the right to exist, despite comparatively low levels of Zionist self-identification within that cohort.
The survey also suggests that perceptions of the term “Zionism” beyond its traditional definition play a significant role. Respondents who said that they were not Zionists often associated the word with ideas such as unconditional support for Israeli government actions, the ideology of Israel’s ruling class or specific territorial claims, as opposed to its traditional definition as support for Jewish self-determination in Israel.
At the same time, the survey found that overall emotional attachment to Israel remains high, as 71% of Jewish respondents said they feel emotionally attached to Israel, compared to 58% in 2020. Additionally, 60% said that Israel makes them proud to be Jewish.
