Most Israelis support Iran war, optimistic about victory: Poll

Israelis’ security fears surged following the outbreak of the war, but so did their optimism for the future.

By World Israel News Staff

A poll of the Israeli public conducted before and after the outbreak of Operation Roaring Lion revealed that a strong majority of Israelis support the war and believe the conflict could ultimately lead to a better future for the region.

The survey, commissioned by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, included approximately 3,200 Israeli citizens over the age of 18. Respondents included both Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel.

Because the study was distributed shortly before the conflict began — but some respondents completed it only after the war started — researchers were given a rare opportunity to measure how the outbreak of fighting affected public opinion in real time.

According to a summary of the survey published by Walla, 63 percent of respondents said they supported the war, while about 25 percent said they opposed it. Thirteen percent said they were undecided.

Nearly all of the respondents who said they opposed the war were Arab citizens of Israel, who comprise roughly 21 percent of the country’s population.

Despite broad support for the military campaign, the war significantly increased concerns about personal and national security.

Before the outbreak of the war, 22 percent of Israelis said they were “highly concerned” about their personal security. About 33 percent expressed similar concerns about national security.

After the outbreak of the fighting, those figures rose sharply. The percentage of Israelis worried about their personal safety doubled to 45 percent, while 50 percent said they were very concerned about national security.

At the same time, optimism about Israel’s future significantly increased.

Before the war began, only 37 percent of respondents said they felt optimistic about Israel’s future. Following the onset of the conflict, that number rose to nearly half of respondents.

Those results also indicate that many Israelis believe the conflict could reshape the Middle East, possibly even paving the way for peace between Jerusalem and Tehran.