75 Percent of Israeli Jews Oppose Intermarriage, New Poll Says

[Purveyor]

Data Comes After Protest of Israeli-Arab and Jewish-Born Woman Wedding

By JTA
Published August 22, 2014.

Three-quarters of Israeli Jews and nearly two-thirds of Israeli Arabs would not marry someone from a different religion, according to a poll.

Conducted by Haaretz and the Dialog company on Tuesday and Wednesday, the poll found that opposition to interfaith relationships was highest among haredi Orthodox Jews, at 95 percent. But 88 percent of traditional and religious Jews, as well as 64 percent of secular Jews, also opposed inter-dating.

Seventy-one percent of Muslim Israeli Arabs opposed interfaith relationships, but only half of Christian Israeli Arabs were opposed.

Across religious denominations, Israeli Jews would be much more opposed to their relatives marrying Arabs than they would be to relatives marrying non-Arab non-Jews. Only a third of secular Jewish Israelis would be opposed to a relative marrying an American or European Christian, but a majority would oppose a relative marrying an Arab. Seventy-two percent of Israeli Jews overall would be opposed to a relative marrying an Arab.

Opposition to intermarriage was lowest among immigrants from the former Soviet Union. More than half would avoid having a relationship with a non-Jew, but if they were to fall in love with a non-Jew, only 35 percent would insist their spouse convert.

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/204522/-percent-of-israeli-jews-oppose-intermarriage-ne/#ixzz3BGrOzfQm

[Purveyor]

1. Related: Where Is Bibi’s 'Mazel Tov' for Mahmoud and Morel?

(Haaretz) — To disrupt a wedding celebration and spoil the joy of two young people joining their lives together, one needs a very good reason. Racism clearly does not qualify.

There’s an easy way for even the most tribal and anti-assimilationist Jew to grasp the utter unacceptability of the behavior of the controversial Israeli organization Lehava. The group put out a public call for demonstrators to disrupt the scheduled wedding party of a young Jaffa couple — Mahmoud Mansour, a Muslim man, and Morel Malka, a Jewish woman who converted to Islam for her marriage — telling them to bring signs and loudspeakers to register their disapproval.

All one needs to do is imagine how Jews around the world would react if something similar took place in Europe — let’s say, in Germany. What if a neo-Nazi group took to Facebook to assemble crowds to wave signs and scream slogans to disturb a party celebrating the union of a Jewish man and a bride who had converted to Judaism and send a message that their union is an “abomination?”

No matter what one’s personal opinion is on conversion or intermarriage, such ugliness is both vile and dangerous.

Read more: http://blogs.forward.com/forward-thinking/204252/where-is-bibi-s-mazel-tov-for-mahmoud-and-morel/?#ixzz3BGrr8SBf

[nomorenomore08]

5. That is absolutely disgusting.

The worst kind of racism, more often than not, is that based in religious fundamentalism. Think Christian Identity (e.g. KKK).

[Xipe Totec]

2. Who the fuck asked them and why?

Stupid question.

[JI7]

3. these questions are often asked and i think it's a good way of getting

an idea of how many people view certain things.

the poll on muslims in europe and their view on gay rights was interesting. while many opposed it it showed that France had the largest number of muslims supporting gay rights.

[Xipe Totec]

4. The only opinions that matter in these cases are the bride and groom

Everybody else can stuff their opinions in the dark place where they belong.

[JI7]

6. you don't think a society that is more open to marriage outside would be more accepting

and better towards others ?

[Warren DeMontague]

7. That number seems a little high to me.

I wonder where the poll was centered geographically- Tel Aviv is pretty different from Jerusalem.