About half of Israeli haredim believe that the protests against the government’s planned judicial reforms has harmed the integration of the haredi community into Israeli society, according to a survey conducted by the Haredi Institute for Public Affairs. The survey was conducted ahead of a conference on haredi views on the judicial reforms.
49% of respondents said that the judicial reforms and the public uproar that accompanied them had a negative effect on haredi integration, compared to 42% who said it did not have any effect, positive or negative. Nine percent said that it actually had a positive effect.
In addition, the survey found that 42% of the haredi public is in favor of increasing the involvement of haredim in Israeli society, 36% are in favor of the haredi community continuing to conduct itself as it has done until now – while 22% want to increase haredi separation from secular society.
Among the ‘Lithuanian’ non-hasidic haredi community, 39% favor increased separation from secular society, 36% favor continuing the current situation, and 25% favor further integrating into Israeli society. Among the hasidic community, 27% favor increased separation, 46% favor the current situation, and 27% favor increased integration. Among the Sephardic haredi community, 15% favor increased separation, 36% support the continuation of the current situation, while 49% favor increased integration.
The poll found that 79% of haredim see unity as an important value for Israeli society, while 74% say it is important how they are viewed by the secular community in Israel.
58% of respondents said that the general attitude towards haredim in Israeli society since the formation of the current government. 30% said that the attitudes have remained unchanged, and 11% said that the relationship has been improved.

According to the survey, 72% of haredim have not personally experienced hostility aimed at them for being haredi since the establishment of the government, compared to 28% who stated that they had experienced hostility on a personal level.
The poll found that passing the judicial reforms is the most important issue for the haredi community, with 42% of respondents ranking it as the most important issue. The cost of living ranked second with 32% calling it the most important issue, followed by the Draft Law (13%), the housing crisis (5%), and other issues such as personal security and free preschool education.
When asked what effect the protests against the judicial reforms had on their support for the haredi parties automatically joining right-wing governments, 53% responded that their support had only grown as a result, 22% said that their support had diminished, and 25% said that their position was unchanged.
The survey was conducted by the Direct Polls institute.