A recently released poll found that English-speaking Israelis, known in Israel as Anglos, seek to organize politically and press issues of concern to them with decision-makers in Israel.
The poll, Israel National Survey of Anglos in Israel, which was undertaken by the Anglo Vision, an initiative to unify the Anglo community around certain policies to become a significant political force, found that 75 percent said they identify as part of the Anglo or English-speaking community, and more than 50 percent believe that the community should organize itself in a manner similar to the Russian-speaking, Ethiopian or Druze communities in order to promote policies that benefit their communities.
While half of those surveyed define themselves as right-wing (49 percent), with a quarter defining themselves as a centrist (25 percent) and another quarter left-wing (22 percent), the majority say they would vote along the lines of specific policies rather than ideology and would thus support a party which takes their issues seriously.
The poll—undertaken by Stephen Miller, founder of 202 Strategies, who has worked with political leaders in Israel and around the world—had a margin of error of 4.77 percent.
On Dec. 29, David Fine, found of the Anglo Vision, wrote to the leaders of every Israeli political party to explain why they should take the Anglo community seriously, explaining that it could represent many Knesset seats in the upcoming elections.
Some of these issues that Fine called on politicians to include in their party manifestos are: making aliyah a national priority, making the political system more representative with greater accountability, career training and professional integration for new immigrants, absorption counseling, fighting BDS and having a small number of Sundays off throughout a calendar year.
“Our poll demonstrates that Anglos vote more on issues and policy, rather than ideology—meaning that although Anglos come from across the political spectrum, they will vote for parties that care about what they care about regardless of their position on issues of diplomacy or security,” wrote Fine to the political leaders. “We request that you include some of our community’s issues on the agenda of your party and place an English-speaking Israeli in a realistic position on your party slate for the next elections who would be able to implement them.”
Referencing the political roles of Russian-speaking, Ethiopian and Druze communities in Israel, Fine wrote: “While countless individual Anglos have made significant contributions to the State of Israel throughout the decades, this is the first time that Anglos have come together to say to our political leaders that we want to play a role and contribute as a community, like others that have achieved important things for this country.”
