Poll shows rift between US Jews, Israel on religious affairs

JERUSALEM – A new poll shows American Jews are unhappy with the way the ultra-Orthodox stream of Judaism dominates religious affairs in Israel.

The poll, commissioned by the Jerusalem Post and the American Jewish Committee and released Thursday, shows "a growing deep rift" between U.S. Jews and the state of Israel.

The results come amid tensions over Israel's failure to carry out an agreement to allow non-Orthodox prayers at Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray.

A majority of those polled support egalitarian prayers at the site, and allowing liberal denominations conduct weddings and conversions.

The poll surveyed 1,002 American Jews by phone and had a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.