As indicated by the data presented above, responses regarding the Global South generally fall within the margin of error and are therefore not subject to quantitative analysis. Meanwhile, Israelis tend to view Israel not as aligning with one side or another but rather as neutral, focusing on building constructive relationships with other countries. This suggests that despite the prevailing orientation towards the West, Israelis are open to mutually beneficial cooperation and good relations with the Global South.
But with whom should Israel build relationships? What exactly is the Global South? The most prominent institutional expression of the Global South is the BRICS organization. However, only 6% of Israelis are well-informed about this organization, and another 10% have heard something about it. The vast majority of respondents (55%) have never heard of it, which likely contributes to the low level of responses regarding Israel as part of the Global South.
As with most other questions, women are more likely to choose the “Don’t know” option (63.4% compared to 47.1% among men). However, there is no significant difference in the level of knowledge about the organization. Awareness of this organization is also virtually unrelated to the degree of (non)religiosity or financial status.
TABLE 5.1. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE ACTIVITIES OF THE BRICS ORGANIZATION? %
However, in the Arab sector and among those from the former Soviet Union, they are significantly more likely to speak about being aware of this organization and less likely to speak about not being aware than among Jews and native Israelis.
Table 5.2. Awareness of BRICS organization activities % /national sector and country of birth
The difference in awareness of this organization among groups categorized by secularity, level of religiosity, and material well-being is mostly within the margin of statistical error.
There is no clear trend between age and level of awareness, but differences in response shares do exist. Therefore, to determine the awareness levels by age, an index was calculated by assigning weights to each response option according to the degree of the parameter’s expression. The highest weight (1) was assigned to the option indicating the highest level of awareness (“I know about the organization’s activities”). As the degree of awareness decreased, the weights of the responses also decreased (“I have heard about it, but do not know the details,” weight = 0.75; “I have only heard the name,” weight = 0.35). The response indicating a lack of awareness was assigned a negative weight (-1). These weights were multiplied by the corresponding response values, which were then summed up. This approach allowed us to see not only the level of awareness but also to determine the prevailing characteristic of the parameter: awareness or lack of awareness. The results showed negative awareness in all groups, with the prevalence of unawareness in the 55+ age group.
Question 5.4 Level of awareness of BRICS % /age
