Israelis overwhelmingly trust IDF spox over PM Netanyahu - poll

By YUVAL BAGNO/MAARIV, STAV NAMER/MAARIV, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

Published: NOVEMBER 14, 2023 22:34

Updated: DECEMBER 14, 2023 19:22

IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari gives a statement to the media in Tel Aviv on October 16, 2023. (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90) — IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari gives a statement to the media in Tel Aviv on October 16, 2023.

(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)

Asked whom they trust most to deliver the news, less than 4% chose the Prime Minister, compared to 73.7% who chose Hagari. Among right-wing voters, the number is only 6.6%.

When it comes to news, Jewish Israelis trust R-Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman, more than they trust their Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, by a margin of about 70%, according to a new poll conducted by Dr. Gal Yaabetz, of Bar-Ilan University. The poll surveyed a representative sample of 505 Jewish Israelis.

Asked whom they trust most to deliver the news, less than 4% chose the prime minister, compared to 73.7% who chose Hagari. The low number is only slightly higher when selecting specifically for right-wing voters: Of them, only 6.6% chose Netanyahu. This disparity is consistent with other public opinion research conducted since October 7. A poll conducted within one week of the war found that only 29% of Israelis thought Netanyahu was qualified to be prime minister, but 71% trusted the IDF to succeed in the war.

The new poll found shifts not only in whom Israelis turn to for news but also when it comes to how much news Israelis are consuming overall. In general, Israelis are reporting more news consumption since the start of the war than was their habit before October 7. More than 60% of respondents said they are consuming more than 3 hours of news a day, and 38.6% of those (about 23% of the total population) are consuming more than 4 hours a day. This is compared to less than one hour per day before the war began.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv on the current Israel-Hamas war November 11, 2023. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

A dramatic increase in the usage of Telegram

When asked to give the main reason why they consume news during the war, most Israelis (57.4%) said they do so to "stay informed." 23% said they do so for their personal sense of security. Other reasons, such as feelings of belonging, or community, or simple curiosity were not significantly represented among respondents.

About half (48.5%) of respondents have turned to new channels to get their news. Notably, a large majority of respondents, about 73%, said they have joined or downloaded Telegram since the war began.