Strategic Assessment

New opinion polls among Arab citizens in Israel conducted by the Statnet Institute add to existing research and shed light on telling trends in the attitudes of the Arab community in Israel. Polls show that on a personal level, Arabs in Israel have multi-faceted identities, with their religion, ethnicity, sectarian identity, Israeli identity, and Palestinian identity all playing a role. Polls also demonstrate that Arab citizens feel discrimination on a societal and institutional level. In addition, religious-sectarian affiliation is correlated with attitudes toward the state, personal identity, opinions on discrimination, and voting patterns. Those issues must be taken into account by policymakers as they examine the relationship between Jewish and Arab citizens and its ramifications for state security.