Israel’s war has significantly strengthened religious observance and conservative political views among young Israelis, according to a new survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute.
The study found 33% of Jewish Israelis ages 25 and under report observing more religious traditions since the war began, compared to 27% of the general Jewish population. Among young Jews who identify as “traditional, somewhat religious,” 51% said they’ve increased religious practices.
Prayer has risen most notably, with 38% of Jewish youth reporting they pray more frequently. Other increases include Bible reading (26%), synagogue attendance (14%) and Shabbat candle lighting (14%).
Faith has also strengthened, with 35% of young Jews saying they believe in God more than before the war, compared to 28% of Jewish adults overall.
Politically, the war has pushed Israelis rightward. The share of Jews identifying as “hard right” jumped from 11% to 19%, while those identifying as “right” increased from 24% to 28%. The shift spans the political spectrum, with even half of self-identified leftists reporting a rightward move.
The JPPI survey found an opposite pattern among secular Jews compared to the general trend in Jewish Israeli society. While many young and traditional Jews reported increased religious observance and belief since the war, secular Jews actually showed a decline in both religious practices and faith.
The survey also included Israel’s Arab population and found notable, though somewhat less pronounced, increases in religious practice since the outbreak of the war. About 23% of Arab respondents reported strengthenings in their observance of traditional customs during the conflict. Specific increases were recorded in prayer (32%), more modest dress (12%) and participation in religious services at churches or mosques (10%), while 37% of Arabs reported a strengthened faith in God—higher than the increase seen among Jewish respondents.
JPPI CEO Shuki Friedman noted it remains unclear whether these changes represent a temporary wartime phenomenon or a lasting transformation.
“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,” said Friedman.
“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,” he added.
