Israeli faith in gov't at lowest in at least 20 years - poll

Israelis’ faith in the government is at its lowest in at least 20 years, according to a poll released by the Israel Democracy Institute on Monday.

Twenty percent of Israelis have faith in the government, down from 28% in June, the poll showed. Only 12% of right-wing voters said they had faith in the government. Faith in the government among left-wing voters remained low.

The lack of faith was also reflected in the approval ratings for the government on its functioning at the beginning of the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an approval rating of 22%, and the government as a whole received 14%.

Faith in the IDF remained high (87%), but its senior officers received an approval rating of 45%.

The media was trusted by the public more than it was in June, however, with a rise from 25% to 39%.

How do Israelis feel about the current war in Gaza?

Regarding the Israeli hostages in Gaza, roughly half of the public (49.5%) said Israel should negotiate with Hamas to secure their release, even if it means stopping the war to do so (17.5%), or while continuing the war (32%).

Israelis were split about whether there is a clear plan of action, with 43% of respondents saying the army has a clear plan and 47% saying it does not.

As the war continues, civilians in the Gaza Strip will continue to be affected, and Israel’s Jews and Arabs disagree regarding whether Israel should consider them while making its plans of attack.

Close to half of Israelis (47.5%) believe Israel should not consider Gazan civilians at all, while two-thirds think it should only consider them minimally.

On the other hand, 83% of Arab Israelis believe Israel should give significant consideration to the welfare of Gazans.

Regarding whether Israel should wage a war against Hezbollah at the same time, the respondents were also split. Forty-three percent want the IDF to attack Hezbollah now, while 41.5% think the army should do its best to prevent going to war in the North.