New Poll Shows Majority of Israelis Oppose Gaza Withdrawal Without Security Control

A new survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) reveals that a significant majority of Israeli Jews, 72%, reject any scenario of withdrawal from Gaza without maintaining a security perimeter within the Strip. This represents an increase from 68% who held this view last year. Among all Israelis, 59% oppose such a withdrawal.

Concurrently, support for a full occupation and administration of the Gaza Strip by the IDF is on the rise. Currently, 30% of all Israelis and 36% of Israeli Jews back this measure. However, political divisions are stark, with 62% of right-wing voters supporting occupation compared to 91% of left-wing voters who are completely opposed. The overall opposition to occupation remains stable at 46%.

The Israeli public is sharply divided on the feeling of victory in the current war, with 40% believing Israel is winning or has won, versus 37% who feel the opposite. The sense of victory is almost exclusively associated with the right-wing, where 77% rate victory highly, while this figure is zero among left-wing respondents.

The poll also examined attitudes towards Jewish vigilantism in the West Bank, specifically referencing an incident in the village of Qusra. A majority of Israelis (51%) used the harshest terms to describe the perpetrators, with 33% labeling them "Israeli terrorists" and 18% calling them "nationalist criminals." Conversely, only 13% chose milder descriptions like "youth who sometimes go too far" or "salt of the earth." Ideological divides are pronounced here as well: 94% of left-wing respondents chose severe definitions, while only 3% on the right labeled the perpetrators as terrorists, with the rest using softer terms.

Professor Yedidia Stern, president of JPPI, noted that the broad agreement against the rioters is unusual in a polarized society, emphasizing, "Even one who acts solely on public opinion incentives must enforce the rule of law against the rioters, immediately." Regarding rising global antisemitism, 47% of Israelis and 57% of Jews believe Israel should not change its policies at all in response. Furthermore, 44% of Jews completely reject any link between Israeli policy and the rise in antisemitism, while 58% of the Arab sector believe there is a significant connection.