Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University

“Walking in Israel” as the Path to “Talking about Israel”:

The Impact of Taglit-Birthright Israel

Prof. Leonard Saxe

February 3, 2009

9th Herzliya ConferenceThe Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel

Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University

Keys to Successful Israel Advocacy

• Motivation to seek information about Israel;

• Means – knowledge to understand Israel’s political and social reality;

• Passion to advocate for Israel when opportunity presents.

Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University

Figure 1

Consulting Israeli News Sources

3

Note. Estimated probability after controls. See Leonard Saxe, Theodore Sasson and Shahar Hecht, Israel at War: The Impact of Peer-oriented Israel Programs on Responses of American Young Adults (Waltham, MA: Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, 2006), 5.

24%

56%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Nonparticipant Participant

Participants 2.3 times as likely to consult Israeli news sources

Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University

Figure 2

Confidence Describing Current Situationin Israel

4

Note. Estimated probability after controls. See Leonard Saxe, Benjamin Phillips, Graham Wright, Matthew Boxer, Shahar Hecht and Theodore Sasson, Taglit-Birthright Israel Evaluation: 2007-2008 North American Cohorts (Waltham, MA: Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, 2008), 31.

28%

59%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Nonparticipant Participant

Participants 2.1 times as likely to feel confident in ability to describe

current situation in Israel

Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University

Figure 3

“Strongly” Agreeing with Descriptions of Israel

5

Note. Estimated probability after controls. See Saxe, Phillips, Wright, Boxer, Hecht and Sasson, 33-34.

35%

55%

19%31%

15%26%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

BR

I N

on-

pa

rtic

ipa

nts

BR

I P

art

icip

ants

BR

I N

on-

pa

rtic

ipa

nts

BR

I P

art

icip

ants

BR

I N

on-

pa

rtic

ipa

nts

BR

I P

art

icip

ants

Source of pride Diverse multicultural society

Lively democratic society

1.6 times as likely

1.6 times as likely

1.7 times as likely

Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University

Figure 4

Strong Feelings of Support/Connection to Israel

6

Note. Estimated probability after controls. See Saxe, Sasson and Hecht, 7. Scale created from battery “Thinking about the conflict, to what extent did you…Feel concern for the lives of Israelis? Feel a connection to Israel? Feel responsibility to help Israelis affected by the war? Feel support for Israel?”

32%

51%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

BRI Nonparticipant BRI Participant

Participants 1.6 times as likely to have strong feelings of support for

and connection to Israel

Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University

Figure 5

“Very Much” Connected to Israel

7

15%

48%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

BRI Nonparticipant BRI Participant

Participants 3.2 times as likely to feel very much connected to Israel

Note. Estimated probability after controls. See Saxe, Phillips, Wright, Boxer, Hecht and Sasson, 24.

Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University

For reports and further information:

www.brandeis.edu/cmjs

saxe@brandeis.edu

www.upne.com/tendays

www.beverlysbooks.co.il