West and South: Israelis' perceptions of conflict

Historical material. Dates, proposals and invitations refer to the time of the original publication.

In the modern world, competition is intensifying between two global forces — the collective West (USA, EU countries, Japan, South Korea, etc.) and the Global South (BRICS countries — Asia, Africa and Latin America). Israel, located at the crossroads between Asia and Africa, is at the center of this conflict. Israel is traditionally considered a US stronghold in the Middle East. The United States provides significant security guarantees to Israel, and Israel in return limits its economic relations with countries in the Global South. On the other hand, many of Israel’s partners from the Arab world, such as the countries that signed the Abraham Accords, are members of the BRICS alliance, and at the same time cooperate with the United States.

Perceptions of conflict

The majority of Israelis are convinced of the existence of a conflict between the Collective West and the Global South: a total of almost 70% of respondents fully and strongly agree with this statement.

Answers to the conflict question

Sure there is a conflict	28.2%
Think there is a conflict	40.6%
Think there is no conflict	10.8%
Sure there is no conflict	0.8%
Don't know	19.6%

Gender differences

Moreover, men are 2 times more often unequivocally convinced of the presence of such a conflict (36.2% versus 19.8% of women).

Income and uncertainty

Those surveyed with above-average income levels are most convinced of the existence of this conflict. Accordingly, respondents with income levels below average report this less often, but are much more likely than others to find it difficult to answer this question (24% versus 13% in other groups).

Religiosity

Secular Israelis are more convinced of the existence of this conflict than religious Israelis, and, in principle, the belief in the conflict decreases as the degree of respondents religiosity increases.

Education and the conflict index

The values of the conflict index demonstrate that respondents with secondary education are less convinced of its existence than others.

* calculated as the difference between positive and negative responses

Identity and birthplace

The Jewish sector is more likely than the Arab sector to talk about the conflict (70% vs. 54% overall), and Israelis born in the former USSR are more likely to disagree than native Israelis (25% vs. 10%).

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Sources and images

Table 1. Do you think there is a conflict between the Collective West and the Global South? % Table 1.1. Do you think there is a conflict between the Collective West and the Global South? % / sex Table 1.2. Do you think there is a conflict between the collective West and the global South? %/level of material wealth Table 1.3. Is there a conflict between the collective West and the Global South? %/level of education Table 1.5. Do you think there is a conflict between the Collective West and the Global South? /national identity and country of birth % Original publication