Majority of Israelis View Trump as Lacking Clear Strategy Amid Iran Tensions, Poll Shows

A recent Channel 13 news poll conducted amid escalating tensions with Iran reveals that 64% of the Israeli public believes U.S. President Donald Trump is improvising without clear goals, while only 16% think he has a well-defined plan. Among opposition supporters, skepticism is even higher at 73%, whereas coalition supporters show slightly more confidence, though 42% still view Trump as lacking direction.

The poll also addressed Israeli domestic politics, finding that 57% of respondents support holding primary elections, with only 14% opposed and about one-third undecided. Support for primaries is strongest among Democrats (77%) and supporters of Benny Gantz (66%), while 58% of Likud voters favor primaries despite potential disappointment ahead.

Regarding the upcoming elections, about one-third of the general public believes the opposition bloc will secure a majority, 28% expect the current coalition to win, and 24% think no side will achieve a majority. Coalition supporters are optimistic, with 65% confident in Netanyahu's bloc winning, while only 5% believe the opposition will prevail. Opposition supporters are less optimistic, with 40% expecting their bloc to win and 13% anticipating another Netanyahu victory.

Pollster Shmuel Rosner tracked 700 undecided voters over several months, assessing who they trust more on key issues between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz. On the Iranian threat, 45% favored Netanyahu; on Hezbollah, 39% preferred Gantz and 35% Netanyahu. On the issue of cost of living, Gantz was favored by 53% compared to 18% for Netanyahu. The poll involved 988 respondents with a margin of error of 3.5%.