Nearly half of Israelis volunteered at outset of Gaza war, survey finds

Nearly half of Israelis took part in volunteering activities at the start of the war following the October 7 massacre in 2023, according to a new survey conducted by the Israeli Volunteering Council.

The survey showed, however, that a month into the war, war-related volunteering patterns dropped to a rate of 28.7%. 

Currently, 14 months into the war, some 15% of Israelis participate in war-related volunteering.

With regard to time allocated to such activities, the survey found that 10% of the volunteers participated daily, while an additional 38% volunteered more than once a week.

The poll also revealed that participation in volunteering activities spanned across all segments of Israeli society.

In the first weeks of the war, people from all age groups volunteered, though the majority were middle-aged.

A higher volunteering rate was observed among individuals with academic education (approximately 48%) and those with above-average income (about 51.7%).

Among spontaneous volunteers who had not volunteered prior to the war, there were more secular individuals (29.9%) compared to religious (19.9%) and traditional (22.2%) individuals.

A majority of volunteers, some 90.2%, stated that their strongest motivations were the desire to help others and concern for the well-being of citizens.

The unique characteristics of the war, as well as the way it broke out, also influenced the public’s choice to volunteer.

Aiding in various sectors 

Almost half of the volunteers were involved in collecting, packaging, and distributing food and supplies.

About one-fifth assisted with transportation and delivery of food and equipment. A similar number supported the security forces.

The rest were engaged in various activities, including aiding in social media advocacy, assisting evacuees, supporting vulnerable populations, and helping reservists’ families.

Ronit Bar, CEO of the Israeli Volunteering Council, stated that the massive public volunteering during the war, along with informal civil initiatives, played a significant role in relief efforts throughout the conflict.

“Unlike what is typically seen in emergency situations worldwide, and even in Israel, these initiatives continued beyond the initial emergency phase, with many of them sustaining their activities throughout the year of the war,” Bar noted.