73 percent of Israel’s Arabs “feel a sense of belonging” to the Jewish State.

The vast majority of Israel’s Arabs, 73 percent, feel a sense of belonging in the Jewish state and 60 percent are proud to be Israelis, according to a new poll commissioned by the Israel Hayom daily and conducted by the New Wave Research Institute.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents, 65 percent, define themselves as not religious, while 35 percent say they are religious. Almost half, Forty-six percent, identify as Israeli Arabs and 42 percent identify as Palestinian Arabs, while only 3 percent identify as Israelis.

Almost three-quarters of respondents, 73 percent, believe that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is about land, while 19 percent feel it is about religion.

A total of 60 percent of those surveyed say they are “very proud” or “fairly proud” to be Israeli, while 37 percent say they are “not proud.”

Most of the Israeli Arabs polled say they believe that Jews have historic and religious ties to Israel. Their widely held desire, expressed by 82 percent, is not to live under Palestinian rule, while 14 percent say they would want it.

The poll questioned 426 Arab Israelis ages 18 and up.

This high support for Israel among Israeli Arabs is consist with similar polls conducted in recent years.

Approximately 20 percent of Israel’s eight million citizens are Arabs.

Anyone living in Israel knows that Arabs are employed by and receive service at all government offices. They study at all universities, including Ariel University in Samaria, and serve as judges, doctors, IDF officers and parliamentarians.

They have a good reason to be proud to be Israeli.

By: JNS.org and United with Israel Staff