Israeli Public Concerned Over Election Integrity and Views on Iran, West Bank Unrest

A new survey by the Israeli Democracy Institute, conducted in July by the Viterbi Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, reveals current Israeli public attitudes on key political, security, and social issues. Regarding Iran, 37% of respondents believe Israel should avoid military involvement in any US attack on Iran and only respond if directly attacked. About 20% support Israel persuading the US to undertake a joint military operation, while 18% say Israel should join only if requested by the US, and 16% favor attacking without US coordination. Political divisions are clear: around 60% of left-wing Jews favor non-involvement unless attacked, while right-wing Jews show stronger support for proactive Israeli military action.

On the West Bank, 72% of the overall sample anticipate a high likelihood of a Palestinian popular uprising (intifada) in the near future, up from 59% in November 2025. Among Jews, about 80% foresee such unrest, compared to less than 40% of Arabs. Regarding security forces’ handling of settlers involved in violence against Palestinians, 46% of Jewish respondents believe the authorities are too lenient, a consistent finding over the past year. Among Arabs, over half also think the response is too soft. Political camps differ: most left and center Jews see the security response as too weak, while fewer right-wing Jews agree, with a notable share believing the response is too harsh.

Ahead of elections, 56% of respondents prefer primaries to select party lists, with 11% favoring party leader decisions and 15% supporting a selection committee. Jewish respondents strongly favor primaries, while Arab respondents are more divided, with significant minorities supporting leader or committee control. Among Jewish political camps, primaries are favored by 77% on the left, 55% in the center, and 60% on the right.

Concerns about election integrity are rising, with a majority believing there is a real threat to the purity of elections from internal and external actors. Among Jews, 72% express concern, compared to 58.5% of Arabs. Within Jewish political groups, 90.5% of the left, 76% of the center, and 66% of the right perceive a danger to election integrity. This issue has become central in public discourse following warnings by the President of Israel before the election campaign.