Poll Reveals Israeli Voters' Disconnect Between Promises and Scrutiny

A recent poll conducted in August 2026 for the Center for Empowering Citizens by the Roshink Institute reveals a significant gap between the Israeli public's expectations of elected officials and their actual voting behavior. The survey of 504 respondents indicates that while a majority of Israelis state that broken political promises could influence their vote, most do not actively verify if parties fulfill their pledges.

According to the poll, 45% of Israelis would consider changing their vote if they discovered a party had not kept most of its promises, with 8% certain and 37% likely to do so. However, only 31% of voters in the previous election actually checked if their chosen party had fulfilled its promises before voting again. This creates a disconnect between the desire for accountability and the effort invested in it.

The survey also highlights a deep-seated distrust in the government and Knesset, with only 9% expressing high confidence in lawmakers and 19% in government ministers. A staggering 79% of the public respond with distrust or skepticism to government announcements about reforms and large budgets, believing them to be empty political statements or unlikely to be implemented.

When asked about the implementation of government decisions, 62% believe at least half of government decisions are not implemented over time. The reasons cited include political and coalition considerations (35%), irresponsibility and lack of follow-up (18%), bureaucracy and inter-ministerial lack of coordination (16%), and lack of professionalism (10%).

To bridge this information gap, the Center for Empowering Citizens is launching "Sha'ilta," an AI-based game designed to shift political discourse from promises to performance. The tool allows users to select topics like cost of living, security, and education, and presents them with questions based on official government decision data. The initiative aims to equip citizens with data-driven questions to pose to their elected officials, thereby encouraging a focus on policy implementation rather than just general promises.