Ultra-Orthodox youth say they have no intention of joining the IDF or national service but are proud of being Israeli citizens and have a national-patriotic worldview, according to a survey conducted ahead of the Zionist Youth Congress, which opened Monday in Gush Etzion.

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The survey, commissioned by the Zionist Council in Israel, further revealed that further revealed that high school students are against Israeli concessions in Jerusalem and that if they could vote in the Knesset elections – there would be a tie between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett.

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The poll was conducted by the Midgam company among 501 members of Internet panel iPanel, who make up a representative national sample of the Hebrew-speaking Jewish population in the 15-18 age group.

Seventy percent of the youth see themselves as Zionist, but a breakdown according to religious definitions revealed that only 26% of haredi youth gave that answer. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said they define themselves as Israelis, including 68% of the haredim.

Seventy-six percent of Jewish Israeli youth, but only 13% of haredi respondents, plan on joining the IDF.

The level of identification with the saying "it's worthwhile dying for our country" is 6.4 on average (on a scale of 1 to 10). It is higher among the religious (7.9) and traditional (7.2) respondents than among seculars (5.4) and haredim (4.4).

If the Knesset elections were held today, and youth aged 15 to 18 were given the right to vote, 18% of them would have voted for the Likud led by Netanyahu and another 18% would have voted for the Bayit Yehudi party led by Bennett. Five percent would have supported Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid party and another 5% would have voted for right-wing party Otzma LeYisrael (Strength to Israel) led by former Knesset Members Aryeh Eldad and Michael Ben-Ari.

Two-thirds recite Kiddush prayer

Fifty-nine percent of the survey's respondents said they would prefer to purchase products made in Israel, 75% visited Jerusalem in the past six months (including 68% of seculars) and 16% in the past year, and 85% are against any concessions in the capital – even in return for true peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

As for high school students' Jewish identity level, the survey found that 60% make sure or try to eat in restaurants which have a kosher certificate. Ninety-two percent of the boys were called up to read from the Torah on their bar mitzvah (including 85% of seculars), and the families of 67% of the respondents recite the Kiddush prayer on Shabbat (only 31% among the secular public).

And where does the Jewish Israeli youth want to live in the future? Nearly 35% prefer central Israel, only 17% want to settle in the Negev or Galilee, 9% in Jerusalem, 5% in Judea and Samaria, 1% in Eilat and 12% abroad. Among the seculars, 41% prefer central Israel and 23% want to live abroad.

Socially involved

About two-thirds of the teenagers engaged in voluntary activity in the past, with a particularly high rate of 81% recorded in the religious sector, and some 55% volunteered in the past year outside the school system – including 73% of the religious youth, 72% of Judea and Samaria residents and 62% of girls.

Moreover, three of four teens are willing to donate money – most of them say they are ready to give 5% of their income (pocket money or salary). Among the seculars and residents of the Tel Aviv district there is a relatively small percentage of donors, and one-third of the Jewish Israeli youth are unwilling to donate any sum.

Yaakov Hagoel, head of the Department for Activities in Israel and Countering anti-Semitism of the World Zionist Organization, said in response to the survey results: "The vast majority of the youth are interested in establishing a life in Israel, and this year 1,000 teens will participate in a congress filled with Zionism. Our youth is showing an interest, and we are certain that Zionism is still alive and kicking among Israel's youth."

Davidi Perl, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council which is hosting the congress, said that "Gush Etzion is a piece in the cultural mosaic and the place of birth of the Jewish people. The congress will be attended by hundreds of teenagers from all around the country who will get to know Gush Etzion, its story and heritage, and in addition will learn about Israeli heroism from the days of our forefathers to this day and age."