A majority of American Jews with strong ties to the Jewish community and Israel expressed a preference for Israel’s opposition parties to win the upcoming October elections, according to a recent poll conducted by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI). The survey, which targeted what it defined as “connected” U.S. Jews—those with relatively strong links to Jewish identity, community, or Israel—found that 54% favored the opposition’s victory, while 14% supported the current governing coalition. Another 24% felt it was not their place to express a preference, and 8% had no clear stance.

The poll also revealed a high level of engagement with the Israeli elections among respondents, with 78% reporting they were following election-related news either “very” or “somewhat” closely. Among the small subset of respondents holding Israeli citizenship and eligible to vote, interest was even more pronounced, with 92% tracking election coverage and 63% describing their attention as “very close.”

JPPI President Prof. Yedidia Stern emphasized the significance of these findings. He noted that Israel’s political developments carry practical implications for the status and perception of Jewish communities in the United States. Additionally, Israel remains a central element of identity for many American Jews. Stern pointed to JPPI research suggesting that the recent war has contributed to strengthening Jewish identity within a substantial portion of the community.

The poll’s results also reflected a notable political divide, mirroring respondents’ broader ideological orientations. Among self-identified strong conservatives, only 8% favored the opposition, while 56% supported the governing coalition. Among voters who supported former President Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, 43% backed the coalition, and the opposition’s support increased steadily as respondents’ political identification shifted leftward. Support for the opposition was 21% among those leaning conservative, 49% for centrists, 71% for those leaning liberal, and 78% among strong liberals. Among voters who selected Vice President Kamala Harris, 74% preferred an opposition win.

While the survey primarily covered “connected” American Jews and skewed Democratic—62% of respondents reported voting for Harris and 30% for Trump—JPPI cautioned that the findings should not be generalized to all American Jews. Prof. Stern acknowledged the limitation, suggesting that Jews less connected to the community might not differ significantly from the broader American public but noted that this remains uncertain.

The survey also included smaller samples from Jewish communities in Canada and the United Kingdom, where 49% and 57% respectively favored an opposition victory. However, JPPI advised caution in interpreting these results due to the limited respondent numbers from those countries.

Among U.S. respondents eligible to vote in Israeli elections, 55% supported the opposition, more than double the 26% who favored the coalition, further underscoring the division along political and personal lines within the Jewish diaspora regarding Israel’s upcoming election.