A survey conducted by the Midgam Institute, led by Mano Geva specifically for this project, reveals what the Israeli public thinks about the world’s attitude toward Israel. Additionally, it uncovers which government-supported ideas have virtually zero backing among the Israeli public
Two thousand years of hardship leave their mark. It turns out that most of us carry the Jewish persecution gene: antisemitism leads by a wide margin as the top explanation for the world’s hostility toward Israel. According to the survey conducted for this project, about 60% of Israel’s Jewish population believes this to be the case.
But it’s worth noting the second-ranked reason among Jewish respondents: the intensity of Israel’s military response in the war in Gaza. It’s tempting to dismiss the antisemitism answer as a knee-jerk reflex, but when Israelis are asked to think more deeply, they seem to understand something they prefer not to say out loud.
Breaking down the results by ethnicity, Palestinian citizens of Israel point overwhelmingly to the scale of Israel’s response as the main driver of international criticism—an unsurprising conclusion. Interestingly, despite the government’s vocal focus on campaigns led by groups like the BDS movement, these are cited only as the third most significant cause for the negative global view—by about 26% of Jews and 22% of Arabs.
The Israeli public overwhelmingly rejects the core ideologies of the political far right—which, at present, serves as the main framework guiding government policies. In Parallel, Arab citizens pronounce with intent: End the war.
Still, when Jewish respondents are asked what might improve Israel’s global standing and reputation, the traditional wish to “improve our hasbara (public diplomacy)” rises to the top, with about 35% choosing it. Yet the more telling insights lie at the bottom of the list: ideas like annexing the West Bank, expelling Arab citizens, or cracking down on Israelis who “defame” the country, are supported by mere fractions of a percent of the population.
In short: the public loudly rejects the ideological core of the far right—which currently dictates government policy. And the Arab public responds with decisive clarity and overwhelming majority: End the war.
