Poll Finds Few Israelis Think They Defeated Iran, Most See Security Decline

A new survey by the Institute for National Security Studies, published Wednesday, paints a bleak picture of Israeli public opinion after the war with Iran. Only 15% of Israelis said Israel won the fight, while 37% said Iran won and 43% said the war ended inconclusively.

The poll also found a new low in views of Israel’s national security: just 20% described it as good or very good, while 42% said it was bad or very bad and 37% called it moderate. Forty-one percent said Israel’s security situation worsened after Operation Lion’s Roar, compared with 26% who said it improved.

On the northern front, 81% of respondents said the security situation does not allow residents to feel safe. Fifty-seven percent opposed a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon even if Hezbollah fulfills a ceasefire agreement. Sixty-six percent said the recently agreed understanding between the United States and Iran is bad for Israel.

Most respondents expect renewed fighting: 68% think Israel will need to resume war with Iran within a year, and 54% believe it could do so. Fifty-nine percent support military action against Hezbollah even at the risk of a clash with President Donald Trump, and 52% say the same about another strike on Iran. Only 35% believe Israel can act according to its own judgment when its view differs from Washington’s on security and diplomatic matters. The poll was conducted June 18 to 21 by INSS with iPanel, among 805 Hebrew speakers and 152 Arabic speakers, using a weighted representative sample of adult Israelis.