Israelis More Optimistic About Nation's Future Ahead of Rosh Hashanah

A new survey indicates a rise in optimism among Israelis regarding the country's trajectory as Rosh Hashanah approaches. According to the JPPI Index for Israeli Society, 35% of all Israelis and 43% of Jewish Israelis believe the nation is improving and heading in a positive direction. This marks an increase from last year, when only 30% of the general population and 36% of Jewish Israelis held this view.

Concurrently, the percentage of Israelis who feel the country is in continuous decline has shrunk. This figure dropped from 38% to 30% overall, and from 34% to 24% among Jewish respondents. Politically, 76% of those identifying with the right wing believe Israel is on an upward trend, compared to 68% last year. Those identifying as center-right saw a jump in optimism from 32% to 42%.

While significant changes were not observed in the political center, and few on the left expressed such optimism, a notable shift occurred within the center and left-leaning groups. The proportion of respondents in these groups who believed the decline would continue decreased, with most now adopting the stance that while Israel is declining, they expect things to improve.

Economically, the number of Israelis describing the past year as "bad" fell from 35% to 30%, while those calling it "good" rose from 11% to 18%. Security perceptions remained largely unchanged, with 37% deeming the year "bad" (compared to 36% last year), though half of Jewish respondents considered it good or fair. Socially, however, the situation appears bleak, with 52% calling the year "bad" and only 4% "good," mirroring last year's figures. The ideological gap on social issues widened, with only 25% of those on the right calling the social year bad, versus 86% of those on the center-left.

Regarding the global situation, 49% of Israelis believe the world is in a worsening state, with only 12% seeing improvement, similar to the previous year. The gap between perceptions of Israel's situation and the world's has widened. Dr. Shuki Friedman, CEO of the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), commented that while optimism for Israel's future is present, the dire social situation requires attention. He expressed hope for a year of healing internal divisions.