Prof. Ze'ev Khanin: The "Russian" Israeli community is shaped more by its local experience than by its Soviet and post-Soviet heritage

Photo: Erez Biton Photography

At the 35th Annual Association for Israel Studies Conference, Prof. Ze'ev Khanin presented a synthesis of extensive research focusing on the Russian-speaking community in Israel.

Drawing upon comprehensive studies conducted over the past nine years, Professor Ze'ev Khanin emphasized that the primary expectations of Russian-speaking Israelis regarding national leadership align closely with those of the broader Israeli public.

In recent years, national security issues have remained a priority for 50% to nearly 90% of the community. Regarding socio-economic concerns, Prof. Khanin highlighted housing solutions for young couples, retail price reduction, economic deregulation, and the enhancement of formal education as key priorities for Russian-speaking citizens.

Concurrently, nearly one-third of Russian-speaking olim (exceeding 60% among the elderly) indicate that Russian-speaking citizens face greater challenges compared to the native-born population. Approximately 45% of the community (with higher percentages among middle-aged demographics) believe that issues specific to Russian-speaking citizens are limited. Conversely, only about one-quarter of the community, primarily young adults, maintain that the problems of Russian-speaking Israelis do not differ from those of the general population.

"It appears that the concept of 'Russian interests' in recent communal discourse has evolved from a matter of simple integration into a more organic integration of national and communal agendas," stated Prof. Ze'ev Khanin during a panel discussion chaired by Dr. Haim Ben-Yakov, Director General of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

Since 1989, approximately 1.1 million Russian-speaking olim have arrived in Israel. To date, nearly half of this population, across various age groups, maintains a degree of connection to the Israeli 'Russian' community.

Overall, the cited research indicates that with respect to the core challenges facing the state and society, as well as Israel's relations with Russia and other post-Soviet states, the 'Russian' Israeli community is shaped predominantly by its local experiences rather than its Soviet and post-Soviet heritage.

The panel discussion "The Russian-Jewish Diaspora in the Shadow of Russian-Israeli Relations" was organized by the Institute for Euro-Asian Jewish Studies with the support of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. The participants included:

Prof. Vladimir (Ze'ev) Khanin, Academic Chairman of the Institute for Euro-Asian Jewish Studies (IEAJS), established by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. He teaches Israel Studies, Jewish Sociology, and Political Science at Ariel University and Bar-Ilan University.

Dr. Velvl (Vladimir) Chernin, Director of Publishing Projects at the IEAJS and lecturer in Yiddish Language and Culture at Ariel University. His presentation analyzed the correlation between diaspora identity and identification with the Jewish state through the lens of Russian-Jewish literature in Israel.

Dr. Jennifer Shkabatur, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, who presented on "The Social Media Mirror: Identity and Politics in the Russian Diaspora."