JERUSALEM (Press Release) — Israelis are split between an appropriate response to the Iranian attack on April 13, according to the new Gaza War Omnibus survey conducted by Agam Labs at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers.
According to a study of 1,466 Israelis by telephone and internet, slightly more than half (52%) believe Israel shouldn’t respond, while 48% favor Israel responding even if it means extending the current round of the conflict with Iran.
Among those who support a military response, nearly a third (28%) support military action even if it leads to a larger overall war, 34% oppose it in such circumstances, and nearly two-fifths (38%) don’t know. Click here for a link to the report.
Among the respondents who support a military response, 23% favor a tactical attack against Iranian targets and its affiliates throughout the Middle East, 22% support a tactical attack against military targets on Iranian soil, more than a third (36%) want to attempt to remove the Iran nuclear threat, and nearly a fifth (19%) want to launch a comprehensive move against Iran with the aim of overthrowing the regime.
Regarding a counterattack if it undermines Israel’s security alliance with its allies, a majority of respondents (74%) oppose a counterattack, while the remainder believe Israel should strike back at Iran even at the cost of harming coordination with U.S., U.K., and moderate Arab allies.
More than half (56%) of Israelis polled believe that Israel should respond positively to political and military demands from its allies to ensure a sustainable defense system over time, while a third (32%) are undecided, and 12% disagree. Nearly three-fifths (59%) state that American aid to Israel against the Iranian attack obligates Israel to coordinate security actions down the road with America while a quarter (26%) are undecided, and 15% disagree.
Lastly, when queried about issues related to the Gaza War, less than half (44%) of Israeli respondents agree with military action in Rafah even if it is at the cost of creating a foreign relations crisis and damage to its U.S. relations, while only 25% disagree and nearly (31%) are undecided. Additionally, 43% of the public believes that Israel should rely on its allies in the future settlement of the issue of the day after in Gaza with 24% opposed and 33% undecided.
The survey was conducted via the internet and by telephone between April 14-15, 2024, with 1,466 men and women consisting of a nationally representative sample of the adult population in Israel aged 18 and over (Jews and Arabs). Fieldwork was carried out by iPanel.
This sample mirrors the demographic makeup of Israeli adult society, encompassing a diverse range of factors including gender, age, levels of religiosity, geographical location, political affiliations, and voter turnout in the recent elections for the 25th Knesset. Notably, all respondents actively participated in multiple prior assessments throughout the campaign’s evolution, facilitating a comprehensive exploration of fundamental perspectives and changes within this cohort. The survey was conducted by Nimrod Nir, Ido Seltzer, and Nimrod Zeldin from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem along with Asa Shapira and Roy Schulman from Tel Aviv University.
*
Preceding provided by Hebrew University of Jerusalem