New data reveals Israeli youth are adopting more religious practices, increasing prayer and belief in God, as right-wing political identification also rises.
The study found 33% of Jewish Israelis ages 25 and under report observing more religious traditions since the war began, compared to 27% of the general Jewish population. Among young Jews who identify as “traditional, somewhat religious,” 51% said they’ve increased religious practices.
Prayer has risen most notably, with 38% of Jewish youth reporting they pray more frequently. Other increases include Bible reading (26%), synagogue attendance (14%) and Shabbat candle lighting (14%).
Faith has also strengthened, with 35% of young Jews saying they believe in God more than before the war, compared to 28% of Jewish adults overall.
Politically, the war has pushed Israelis rightward. The share of Jews identifying as “hard right” jumped from 11% to 19%, while those identifying as “right” increased from 24% to 28%. The shift spans the political spectrum, with even half of self-identified leftists reporting a rightward move.
The survey also included Israel’s Arab population and found notable, though somewhat less pronounced, increases in religious practice since the outbreak of the war. About 23% of Arab respondents reported strengthenings in their observance of traditional customs during the conflict. Specific increases were recorded in prayer (32%), more modest dress (12%) and participation in religious services at churches or mosques (10%), while 37% of Arabs reported a strengthened faith in God—higher than the increase seen among Jewish respondents.
JPPI CEO Shuki Friedman noted it remains unclear whether these changes represent a temporary wartime phenomenon or a lasting transformation.
“The data reflects what we sensed on the ground: many in Israel — especially among the young — feel that the war has connected them more deeply to tradition and to Jewish identity. Not necessarily in a halachic way, but in ways that are more salient in their lives and across the public sphere,” said Friedman.
“Israel after the war is more traditional and more right-leaning. At this stage, it is impossible to know whether this is a passing trend, or a deeper and longer-term change,” he added.