JPPI Israeli Society Index

JPPI Israeli Society Index

JPPI Israeli Society Index is based on a monthly survey of a representative sample of Israelis – Jews and non-Jews – who are asked about their positions on various issues on the Israeli agenda.

JPPI Israeli Society Index

 

• 55% of Israelis: The war is prolonged due to the coalition’s political considerations.

• 76% believe: The government did not make decisions quickly enough.

• Increased confidence in Israel’s military strength and the likelihood of victory, but a decline in confidence in its economic strength.

The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) released its monthly Israeli Society Index today, examining public perceptions on various issues, marking one year since the war began. Below are some key findings.

Prolonging the war?

More than half of the public (55%) agrees with the statement that the war is being prolonged due to the political interests of the coalition.

Among Jewish Israelis, 39% agree; among Arab Israelis, the figure is much higher at 69%.

As expected, a strong majority among coalition party voters disagree with this claim. 84% of Likud voters, 90% of Religious Zionist Party voters, 94% of Shas voters, and 85% of United Torah Judaism voters disagree. In contrast, a majority of opposition party voters agree or somewhat agree with the claim.

Most Israelis do not expect a swift end to the war within a few weeks. 31% believe the war will continue for a few more months, while 44% think it will last for a year or more, with some estimating it could extend to two years.

A significant majority of respondents (53% agree and 23% somewhat agree) think the war has dragged on because the government did not make decisions quickly enough. This view shows substantial differences based on political affiliation and religiosity level. However, even among right-wing groups, a majority agree with this statement (60% of those identifying as “right” and 67% identifying as “center-right”).

Additionally, most Israelis point to international intervention, agreeing at least partially that global interference hindered the war’s progress, preventing Israel from completing its objectives (over 60% of the general public, and 68% of Jews).

A 57% majority also “agree” or “somewhat agree” that the war has dragged on because there were no clear and realistic objectives set to bring it to a close.

Just over a quarter of the Jewish public believes the only way to bring back the hostages is to win the war (27%). Almost a third (32%) think Israel has abandoned the hostages. Meanwhile, 36% say that the hostages haven’t been returned because there is no deal Hamas will agree to.

The ideological split shows that on the center and left, the dominant view is that Israel has “abandoned the hostages” (85% of those identifying as left-wing believe this), while on the center-right, the majority believe that no deal can be made (53%), and on the right, the prevailing opinion is that victory is a precondition for the hostages’ release (60% of right-wingers).

Amid recent IDF successes in Lebanon, there has been a significant rise in public confidence in the IDF’s senior command, and, consequently, confidence in the chances of winning the war. According to the survey, the percentage of those “totally confident” that Israel will win the war rose from 28% in early September to 39% in the latest survey.

This increase occurred after two weeks of IDF operational successes in Lebanon but before the assassination of the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and the second missile attack from Iran. Confidence in victory rose mainly among right-wing groups (right and center-right), which constitute the majority of Israel’s Jewish population, but there is also a noticeable increase among those identifying as center-left.

JPPI President, Professor Yedidia Stern: “The survey results once again show that on a range of issues, Israeli society is polarized along political lines. Despite a slight increase in optimism, as reflected in confidence in the IDF’s strength and Israel’s chances of winning the war, the findings indicating that the war continues due to political interests, along with low trust in the police, should not be overlooked. The public feels that the war’s objectives are neither clear nor realistic enough. As detailed in the survey, the dominant sentiment of Israelis one year into the war is ‘concern.’ Under these circumstances, there is a need to strengthen public cohesion in every possible way as a top priority given the ongoing war.”

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