Jewish Israelis oppose a Swiss-style ban on mosque minarets in the country, with opposition to the restriction highest among right-wing and haredi Jews, according to a poll conducted in late December and early January. Five hundred Israeli Jews were questioned by Jerusalem-based KEEVOON Research, for the US-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.
In November, a 57.5% majority of Swiss voters approved a referendum outlawing the construction of minarets, though the construction of mosques remains legal.
According to Mitchell Barak, director of KEEVOON, the new poll found that opposition to a minaret ban is strongest among religious and right-leaning Jews.
Respondents who considered themselves "national-religious" opposed such a ban by 72% to 16%, with 55% saying they were "strongly opposed". The ultra-Orthodox opposed the measure by 53% to 21%, with declining opposition among secular (42% to 29%) and "traditional" (36% to 31%) Jews.
The survey demonstrated that "when it comes to freedom of religion, Israelis are apparently much more tolerant than their Swiss counterparts," according to Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.
"There is a definite correlation between religious observance and tolerance towards Islam... The fact that less than one-third of all Israelis support banning minarets indicates that from the Israeli point of view, there is room for respectful coexistence between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs when it is based on religion and not politics."
Analysis of the results according to political affiliation showed a similar tendency among politically conservative Israeli Jews to support the Muslim position on the issue.
Thus, voters for the far-right National Union party opposed a Swiss-style measure by 92%, with 65% "strongly opposed" and just 8% expressing support.
Similarly, voters for right-wing Israel Beiteinu opposed a ban by 64% to 36%, and those who voted for Habayit Hayehudi, the successor to the National Religious Party, opposed it by 54% to 20%.
Among haredim, opposition was similarly high, with 68% of United Torah Judaism voters and 55% of Shas voters saying they would oppose aminaret ban, compared to 22% and 20%, respectively, who would support it.
Voters for left-wing Meretz also expressed strong opposition, with 66% saying they would vote against a ban.
It was in the three parties in the political center that opposition to a minaret ban was weakest. Labor, Kadima and Likud voters' opposition to such a ban was just 43%, 42% and 41%, respectively. In the case of the Likud, the number of voters supporting the measure was equal (41%) to the number opposing it, while Labor and Kadima voters' support for a ban was at 27% and 31%, respectively.
The margin of error was 4.5%.
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