Breastfeeding in public
Are you a nursing mother living or visiting Israel? Here's what you should know before breastfeeding your baby in public
A recent poll indicates that majority of Israelis are in favor of breastfeeding in public. Yet, there are some surprising results: 60.4 percent of young residents of Tel Aviv (ages 18 to 24) find the sight of a nursing mother offensive; a percentage close to that of objectors in the haredi community, 69.3 percent.
In general, the Tel Aviv area which is considered the most modern and liberal in the country, has the smallest percentage of supporters (40.6 percent) close to the percentage (44 percent) of Jerusalemites who find nothing wrong with it.
Country-wide, 48.3 percent of Israelis support breastfeeding in public, while 44.5 percent oppose it. Surprisingly, more women (46.2%) oppose it than men (42.8%). The best place to breastfeed in public is the Sharon region where 59.3 percent of the population supports it. Residents of Haifa and the north region are also tolerant: 60 percent support breastfeeding in public.
The poll was commissioned by “Forum Media” right before launching its parents’ guide, “Secrets of Parenthood”, and was conducted by the research institute “Market Watch”, among 499 participants, men and women over the age of 18 who represent the average adult population in Jewish cities in Israel.
Among people over the age of 25 the number of supporters is higher than those who oppose it. Non-observant people support it in higher numbers: 55.4 percent compares to 35.8 percent opposing. Not unexpected, opposition is higher in the Haredi sector: 69.3 percent compares to 24.1 percent.
However, overall, the religious sector demonstrates tolerance to the issue: 46 percent are in favor while 47.8 percent are against breastfeeding in public.
The poll also reveals that the higher the education level among the polled, the higher the support: 59.3 percent of people with academic background are in favor whereas 32.4 percent are against. Income level also plays a role on this issue: people earning much less than the average income are likely to against breastfeeding in public, about 56 percent, compares to 38 percent in favor. Among people with higher income than average, 64 percent are in favor, while 31.4 percent are against breastfeeding in public.
