IDC survey shows 86% would rather live in Israel than anywhere else, even if Iran becomes nuclear.
By ANDREW TOBIN, JERUSALEM POST STAFFIran missiles 224.88(photo credit: AP)
Israelis have continued to display resilience and optimism in defiance of Palestinian terrorism, the Iranian threat, political uncertainty and occasional economic downturns, according to the 2008 Survey of Patriotism among Israeli Jews.
In the survey, published by the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Herzliya Inter-Disciplinary Center, 92 percent of those questioned said they were proud to be Jewish, while 90% said they considered themselves patriotic.
Eighty-five percent said they opposed dividing Jerusalem in exchange for peace with the Palestinians, while 92% said they would actively engage in a military battle for Israel.
Despite the threats Israel faces, 87% of those polled said they preferred being Israelis than citizens of any other country; 86% said they would prefer living in Israel, even if Iran acquires nuclear weapons.
Eighty-three percent expressed support for the hoisting of the flag on Independence Day, while 90% said they were enraged when people act contemptuously during the nationwide siren on Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel's Wars.
In 2003, the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago conducted the most comprehensive study of global nationalism in history.
It determined that America, with a similar level of citizenship satisfaction as Israel, was more patriotic than any other country in the world. This suggests that the people of Israel are currently among the international leaders in national pride.
