The Media Line: Nearly 60% of Israelis Say Ending the War Is Not in Line With Security Interests  

Nearly 60% of Israelis Say Ending the War Is Not in Line With Security Interests  

By The Media Line Staff  

A majority of Israelis believe ending the war with Iran under current conditions would not achieve the country’s security goals, according to a survey released May 05, 2026 by the Israel Democracy Institute.   

The poll found that 59% of the total sample said ending the war is only slightly or not at all compatible with Israel’s security interests. Among Jewish respondents, roughly two-thirds held that view, while almost half of Arab respondents expressed the opposite position.   

At the same time, 62% of respondents said the likelihood of a return to widescale conflict with Iran is high, compared to 30% who assessed the chances as low.   

The findings reflect a broader drop in public confidence. Optimism about Israel’s national security declined from 47% in March to 39% in April, among the lowest levels recorded in recent surveys. Optimism regarding social cohesion also fell, from 30% to 22.5%. By contrast, views on the future of democratic governance and the economy remained stable.   

The survey also examined public attitudes toward Israel’s overall trajectory. In the total sample, 44.5% said the country has experienced more successes than failures, a decline from 48% last year and down 18.5 percentage points since 2020.   

On regional diplomacy, respondents expressed pessimism about prospects with Lebanon. Nearly three-quarters rated the likelihood of reaching a stable diplomatic-defense arrangement with the Lebanese government, including the disarming of Hezbollah, as low or nonexistent.   

Perceptions of external influence on Israeli policy also shifted. A majority, 51%, said the US administration has greater influence over Israel’s defense decisions than the Israeli government, up from 44% in October 2025, while the share attributing greater influence to Israel’s government declined to 18%.   

Concerns about Israel’s international standing were also evident, with 72% of respondents saying declining support among the American public is somewhat or very worrying.   

When asked about long-term security strategy, the largest share of respondents said both military strength and diplomatic agreements are equally important. In the short term, support for prioritizing military power declined to 28.5%, while support for diplomatic agreements rose to 30.5%.   

The survey also addressed domestic issues. A plurality of respondents said security forces treat settlers involved in violence against Palestinians too leniently, a view that has increased among Jewish respondents to 46%.   

The survey was conducted April 26–30, 2026 by the Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research and included 601 Jewish and 150 Arab respondents, representing Israel’s population aged 18 and above. 

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