Most Israelis back government's policy on Ukraine-Russia war - survey

Where Israelis start to disagree on open immigration for Ukrainian refugees is when looking into their political beliefs.

 Ukrainian Jewish refugees arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport, March 6, 2022.  (photo credit: HADAS PARUSH)
Ukrainian Jewish refugees arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport, March 6, 2022.
(photo credit: HADAS PARUSH)

Approximately 60% of Israelis support Israel's decision to not fully join the West's sanctions against Russia, while 32% disagree, according to a survey that was published on Friday by The Israel Democracy Institute.

One of the main findings of the survey is that two-thirds of people involved in the process, which included native Israelis and immigrants from the former Soviet Union, believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is directly responsible for the ongoing war. 

Furthermore, almost half of all participants in the survey (44%) support taking in refugees regardless of whether they're Jews or not.   

Where Israelis start to disagree on open immigration is when looking into their political beliefs, which is supported by nearly three-quarters of Israeli leftists, 60% of centrists and 31% on the right. Open immigration is supported by mostly secular Jews and opposed mostly by the ultra-Orthodox.

Nearly 4 of 5 Jewish-Israelis think Israel should cut bureaucracy for Jews that want to make aliyah from Ukraine. A third of Arab-Israelis think the bureaucracy should be reduced for Ukrainian and Russian Jews. More than three-quarters of Jewish-Israelis say Israel should prioritize humanitarian aid for Jews, while almost half say the amount being provided is enough. 23% say it's not enough aid while 12% say it's too much.

 Ukrainian Jewish refugees arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport, March 6, 2022.  (credit: HADAS PARUSH)
Ukrainian Jewish refugees arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport, March 6, 2022. (credit: HADAS PARUSH)

44% of Israelis believe that it would be better if Western countries assisted Ukraine militarily rather than implementing sanctions, while 43% disagree. 22% say they support transferring military equipment to Ukraine. However, only 3 of 10 Israelis think the mediation efforts will help end the war, while the other 7 disagree or are unsure.

Nearly 9 of 10 Israelis say that the Russia-Ukraine war teaches Israel that it cannot rely on international aid and can only count on itself.