Israelis divided on Iran strikes, skeptical of Trump’s Board of Peace in Gaza – poll

New poll shows Israelis are sharply divided over whether Israel should get involved in a possible war with Iran, while only a minority believe the US-backed Board of Peace can be helpful in the Gaza Strip.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israelis are sharply divided over whether Israel should join the United States in attacking Iran in the event that President Donald Trump decides on military intervention against the regime, a new poll shows.

The survey was conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute from January 25 to 29, polling 755 Jewish and Arab Israelis via internet and telephone.

Among Israelis as a whole, including both Jews and Arabs, a narrow majority (50%) say the IDF should only join in strikes on Iran if Israel is attacked, compared to 44% who say that Israel should join direct military involvement if the US decides to strike.

Jews were somewhat more likely than the general population to back proactive involvement in strikes on Iran, with 48% backing joining an American attack and 46% saying Israel should only join the war if Iran hits Israel first.

Self-described right-wing Israeli Jews were most likely to back a proactive role, with 62% favoring direct involvement, compared to 33% who said Israel should only intervene if attacked. Among left-wing Jews, the proportions were flipped, with 31% backing direct involvement and 66% saying Israel should remain out of the war unless attacked.

The poll also found widespread skepticism among Israelis regarding the likelihood that the US-backed Board of Peace will be able to solve problems in the Gaza Strip while maintaining Israel’s security.

Just 37% of Israeli Jews and 42% of Arabs believe the Board of Peace can be helpful in Gaza without harming Israeli security, compared to 54% of Jews and 34% of Arabs who believe it cannot.

Nevertheless, an absolute majority (51%) of Israelis say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should join the Board of Peace, compared to 30% who say he should reject President Donald Trump’s invitation.