Dramatic shift: 58% of Arab Israelis now feel shared destiny with Jewish majority

TEL AVIV — As the Middle East grapples with ongoing conflict even amid the ceasefire, Arab citizens of Israel are showing increasing support for political integration and normalization with neighboring states. A new survey reveals that over 70% now favor Arab party participation in government coalitions, while more than half view potential Israeli-Saudi diplomatic relations positively—findings that suggest a significant shift in community attitudes.

The survey, conducted by the Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation at Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center, comes at a pivotal moment in Israeli history. “The war between Israel and Hamas is the longest in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” notes Dr. Arik Rudnitzky, Project Manager of the program. “Since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, this external conflict has affected attitudes and views within the Arab public, as well as relations between Arabs and Jews in Israel.”

Despite ongoing security challenges, with 65.8% of Arab citizens reporting weak personal security, the study reveals unexpected bright spots in Arab-Jewish relations. A majority (57.8%) of Arab respondents now feel that the war has created a bond between the two communities—a dramatic shift from November 2023, when 69.8% believed the war had weakened Arab-Jewish solidarity.

The survey shows that domestic concerns dominate the Arab public’s agenda, with crime and violence in Arab communities remaining the top priority (66.5%). This far outweighs other issues such as resolving the Palestinian conflict (10.9%) or regulating planning and construction in Arab communities (10.7%). Despite these challenges, 65.1% of respondents describe their economic situation as relatively good.

“Under the dark shadow cast by the war over all citizens of Israel, both Arabs and Jews, meaningful bright spots are emerging that could redefine the rules of the game in the post-war era,” Rudnitzky explains. This is reflected in the unprecedented 71.8% support for Arab party participation in future government coalitions, with nearly half (47.8%) willing to join any coalition, not just those led by center-left parties.

The study reveals evolving attitudes toward identity and citizenship. Israeli citizenship has become the most important component of personal identity for 33.9% of respondents, followed by religious affiliation (29.2%) and Arab identity (26.9%). Only 9% identified Palestinian identity as their primary marker. As Rudnitzky notes, “This does not mean that Arabs in Israel now ignore their Arab and Palestinian national identity, but it does form a clear statement from Arab citizens, signaling to both the authorities and the Jewish majority that they will willingly collaborate in the rebuilding of Israeli society and politics in the post-war era.”

Regarding regional politics, 53.4% view potential normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia as positive. Half of the respondents (49.2%) believe resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should not be a precondition for such an agreement. On the Palestinian issue itself, 48.7% believe a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders remains the most realistic path forward, though 61.9% see no immediate reconciliation on the horizon.

Electoral projections suggest a voter turnout of 53.3% among Arab citizens, similar to the November 2022 elections. Under current conditions, Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am would likely secure 5 and 4 Knesset seats respectively, while Balad would fall short of the electoral threshold. The data reveals interesting variations across voter groups, with Hadash-Ta’al voters showing stronger belief in Arab-Jewish partnership (63.2%) compared to Ra’am (52.0%) and Balad voters (58.6%).

These findings suggest that traditional assumptions about Arab-Jewish relations in Israel may need reassessment. With increasing support for political integration, growing identification with Israeli citizenship, and majority backing for regional normalization, the survey indicates that Arab citizens are charting a new course in their relationship with the state and its institutions.