Three-quarters of Israeli public opposes an Iran attack if it undermines security alliance - survey

According to a survey performed by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 74% of the Israeli public opposes an Israeli counter-attack in Iran if it would undermine the security alliance between the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and several moderate Arab countries, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia.  

The survey was conducted by a team of researchers led by Nimrod Nir. Respondents were asked if they think Israel should respond to the Iranian attack on Saturday night, to which 52% answered that it is better not to respond to end the current round of conflict. In comparison, 48% answered that Israel should respond, even if it means that the price would be an extension of the current conflict. 

Respondents were also asked how they believed Israel should respond to Iran’s attack on Saturday night. Of the 48% who support a military response, 25% support an operation on Iranian territory, while over a third support a strategic operation to remove Iran’s nuclear threat. 

When asked if the Israeli government is strong compared to Iran, 46% of the Israeli respondents said that the Israeli government is strong. An equal number of respondents, 27%, said that the Israeli government is weak or responded that the government is neither weak nor strong. 

Over half of Israelis believe Israel should respond to its allies' security demands

Over half of the Israeli public believes that Israel should respond to security demands from its allies, compared to 12% who oppose it. Nearly 60% believe that American aid against Iran’s attack requires Israel to coordinate security with the country.

Additionally, 43% of the respondents believe Israel’s allies should also be trusted with arranging security in Gaza and in the West Bank, compared to a quarter of respondents who disagree. A third of respondents declined to answer the question.  

The survey sample was collected between Sunday and Monday through the IPanel company and included 1,466 Israeli respondents aged 18 and older. The sample includes a diverse array of Israeli society in terms of religion, gender, age, area of residence, and voting record in the 25th Knesset elections.