Poll: What will cause Jerusalem’s 3rd destruction?
Tisha B'Av survey reveals biggest fear amongst members of all Jewish denominations is division of city into capital of two nations
Jews in Israel on Sunday lamented the destruction of the First and Second Temples at the Western Wall plaza and synagogues across the country. The Third Temple has not been built yet and there are people who are already concerned with the next destruction.
A survey conducted for Ynet’s Jewish section and the Gesher Organization for Tisha B'Av listed a wide-range of the most dangerous potential situations in which an additional destruction can occur in Jerusalem.
In the first place: Dividing the city and turning it into a joint capital for the Israeli and Palestinian nations. Twenty percent of the participants said that nothing will endanger the strong and flourishing city of Jerusalem.
This conjoined Ynet-Gesher survey conducted by the Mutagim Institute included 500 interviewees representing all parts of the Jewish, adult, Hebrew-speaking population in Israel.
Participants of the survey were asked the following question: “On Tisha B'Av, we mourn the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. What in your opinion is the greatest danger for another destruction of the city?"
Forty-two percent chose the division of Jerusalem into a capital of two nations as the most dangerous situation.
Seventeen percent believe that designating the city solely for religious and ultra-Orthodox populations is more worrisome and four percent believe that the dirt in the streets is more threatening than anything and serves as the greatest danger for additional destruction.
However, 20% of those asked believe that “Jerusalem is a strong and prosperous city and nothing can endanger it.” The rest of those asked refused to reply. Members of the various Jewish denominations agreed that the split of Jerusalem is the most threatening situation for the retention of its existence.
Seventy-two percent of the haredi population, 63% of the religious, 39% of those who consider themselves traditional and 31% of secular Jews agreed on this issue.
Amongst the secular participants, however, the issue of splitting Jerusalem received first place in a narrow victory since 29% believe that the transformation of Jerusalem into a completely haredi and religious city is more dangerous.
Amongst the ultra-Orthodox, not one participant replied to this issue and those traditionally Jewish are the most optimistic. Twenty-seven percent of the latter believe that nothing can threaten the strong and fruitful city.
Gesher Director Shoshi Becker referred to the data, saying that “precisely because the threat regarding Jerusalem’s division is so central, we need to contend internally with the phenomenon of Jerusalem turning into a ‘city with a dome.’
“The beauty in Jerusalem is found in the array of ethnicities and traditions and the smells of a person’s first home, its variety and the array of perspectives found there.
“Jerusalem, which was destroyed due to unfounded hatred, Jerusalem who makes ‘all of Israel, friends,’ needs to find a way to allow each and every Jew to feel connected to the capital in accordance with their beliefs and to feel at home there,” said Becker.
