Nearly 75 per cent of Jewish Israelis believe that their government should not take Diaspora Jewish opinion into consideration when deciding on border changes. This was the result of the third annual 'Survey of Contemporary Israeli Attitudes Toward World Jewry' commissioned by the B'nai B'rith World Center in Jerusalem. The poll indicated that 20 per cent of Israelis polled believe the government should take Diaspora Jewish opinion into consideration when deciding on important matters.
According to the survey, 40 per cent of Jewish Israelis believe Diaspora Jews should continue to be allowed to legally fund political campaigns and personally support Israeli politicians, while 50 percent said such funding should be disallowed. Older respondents where more inclined than younger respondents to allow foreign campaign funding.
The B'nai B'rith World Center survey also tested public support for prime minister Ehud Olmert's recent announcement that he intended to perform a paradigm shift in the government's Israel-Diaspora policy, away from the promotion of mass immigration in favor of "strengthening Jewish education in Jewish communities, including the study of Hebrew, increasing awareness regarding Jewish culture and Heritage; instilling Jewish values; and deepening the links between world Jewish communities and the State of Israel." The poll found significant support for the prime minister's new policy, with 46 per cent of those polled saying they agreed with the new goals set out by Olmert while 38 per cent said that the main goal of the government in Israel-Diaspora relations should continue to be the promotion of aliyah.
