Survey: Tiny fraction of Jewish Israelis want their kids to serve in elite combat units

A survey finds that a very small percentage of Jewish Israelis want their children to serve in elite combat units in the IDF.

The Israel Democracy Institute survey finds that only 3% of women and 9% of men would like to see their children in such units. The numbers are even lower for regular combat units, like the infantry or armored corps, with 2% of women and 5% of men supporting such a move.

However, there is widespread support for having their children serve in elite technological units like the IDF’s vaunted Unit 8200, with 45% for men, 44% for women in favor.

The survey found that  22% of women and 11% of men would prefer that their children did not serve at all.

However, there was wide support for opening up all combat roles for women, with 54% of Jewish Israelis thinking that elite combat units should be open to women, while 35% disagree.

The survey was carried out on September 15–19, 2022, with 805 men and women interviewed in Hebrew, constituting a nationally representative sample of the adult population in Israel aged 18 and over. The maximum sampling error was ±3.52%.