A new survey conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute has revealed changing attitudes among the Israeli public towards a range of key security, political and social issues, including perceptions of US President Donald Trump’s commitment to Israel’s security.
According to findings published by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, the survey was carried out during the recent escalation with Iran as part of the Israeli Voice Index for May. The results show that only 41% of Jewish respondents believe that Israel’s security is a central consideration for Trump.
The survey also found that 57.5% of the overall public believes ending the war with Iran under the current circumstances would not serve Israel’s security interests.
At the same time, only 17.5% of respondents rated Israel’s handling of Hezbollah as “good” or “excellent”, while 61% said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not run in the next Knesset elections, including approximately a quarter of Likud voters.
The poll was conducted by the Viterbi Family Centre for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute.
Confidence in Trump Falls Among Jewish Israelis
When respondents were asked whether Israel’s security is a major priority for Trump, the results showed a sharp decline among Jewish participants.
The proportion answering positively dropped from 64% in March to just 41% this month, marking the lowest figure recorded since the institute began measuring the indicator in November 2024.
By contrast, Arab respondents showed a notable increase in confidence on the same question. The percentage who believe Israel’s security is a central consideration for Trump rose from 43% to 59%.
Among Jewish respondents on the political left and centre, only a minority now believe that Israel’s security remains a priority for the American president.
Support for that view stood at 25.5% among left-wing respondents and 32% among centrists, compared with 34.5% and 62% respectively in March.
Among right wing respondents, the figure fell from 70% in March to 48%, reflecting a significant decline in perceptions of Trump as a protector of Israel, a role he previously enjoyed in the eyes of a majority of the public.
Expectations of Iran Have Changed
The survey contrasted current attitudes with those recorded in March during Operation Rising Lion, when public optimism regarding the military campaign against Iran was considerably higher.
At the time, around two thirds of respondents believed the operation would eliminate Iran’s nuclear programme and neutralise the threat posed by ballistic missiles.
More than half also believed it would contribute to the downfall of the Iranian government.
Current findings, however, suggest that only a minority across the political spectrum now expect such objectives to be achieved through any future agreement.
Participants were asked whether a potential agreement between the United States and Iran to end the conflict would include provisions preventing Iran from continuing nuclear weapons development, eliminating the ballistic missile threat, and weakening the Iranian government.
A majority of respondents, 56%, believe any agreement would include measures preventing the continued development of Iranian nuclear weapons.
However, only 32% believe such an agreement would eliminate the ballistic missile threat, while just 28% think it would weaken the Iranian government.
Majority Oppose Ending the War Under Current Conditions
The survey also found that, consistent with last month’s results, a majority of respondents oppose ending the war with Iran under current circumstances.
Overall, 57.5% believe ending the conflict now would not align with Israel’s security interests.
Support for ending the war remained low across all three major Jewish political camps.
Only 30% of left wing respondents, 26.5% of centrists, and 29.5% of right wing respondents said ending the war under current conditions would serve Israel’s security interests.
Widespread Dissatisfaction Over Hezbollah Front
The findings also revealed a high level of dissatisfaction with Israel’s performance in confronting Hezbollah.
Only 17.5% of the overall public rated Israel’s handling of Hezbollah on the northern front as either good or excellent.
Among Jewish respondents, the figure stood at 19.5%, while only 8% of Arab respondents gave a positive assessment.
The dissatisfaction extended across the political spectrum.
Even among the Jewish right, only around one quarter of respondents rated Israel’s performance positively on this issue.
Support was significantly lower among respondents from the political left and centre.
