World
Poll: 92% of Israelis believe Iran emerged as winner after war and deal with US
Israelis overwhelmingly view the war with Iran and the subsequent deal between Tehran and the United States in a negative light, with 92.1 percent of Israelis believing the Islamic Republic to have won, according to a survey published Sunday.
The poll of 3,644 respondents, conducted between June 17 and 20 by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in collaboration with the Agam Institute, paints a stark picture of public sentiment following the US-Iran deal.
The survey found that even among voters who support the right-wing bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 93.1% believed Iran had won.
Furthermore, 82.9% of respondents believe the six-week campaign against Iran weakened Israel’s long-term security, and 86% have a negative attitude toward the outcome of the fighting and the deal forged by the US and Iran without input from Jerusalem.
The poll also found 87.8% of Israelis believe that the country failed to achieve the objectives it launched the offensive to achieve, or fulfilled only some of them. Israel and the US has said they aimed to eradicate Iran’s nuclear program and missile threat, and bring down the regime.
The findings pointed to a broader crisis of confidence in Israel’s leadership, with nearly three-quarters of those surveyed, 72.5 percent, saying they did not believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assertion that Israel achieved significant gains and removed an existential threat, and 56.4% rating his management of the war as “failed” or “poor.”
Just 26.5% considered the premier’s management of the offensive “good” or “excellent,” and 17.1% considered it “fair.”
The poll also pointed to the political price paid by Netanyahu, with support for his premiership plummeting from 40.5% in early March to 29.4% in June.
Also apparent in the survey was the depth of the anger over US President Donald Trump’s handling of the war and its aftermath, including the deal with Iran, which is deeply unpopular in Israel.
Among survey respondents, 69.1% rated his management of the war as “failed” or “poor,” compared to just 10.8% who considered it “good” or “excellent.”
At the same time, however, the poll found ongoing support for military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Asked whether Israel should renew major military action against Hezbollah, including strikes in Beirut, even at the risk of a clash with Trump, who has voiced displeasure over the fighting in Lebanon, 48.2% of respondents said it should, compared to 20.9% who disagreed with this option and 30.9% who said they were unsure.
Finally, respondents were asked whether Israel’s wars against Hamas and Hezbollah had fulfilled the goal of “total victory” espoused by Netanyahu and his government for the past 31 months since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack sparked the war in Gaza and beyond.
Just 12.2% of respondents said they believe Israel achieved most of the goals encompassed in the claim of “total victory,” which the survey described as “among other things, toppling Hamas rule in Gaza, freeing the hostages, and later removing the Hezbollah threat in Lebanon.”
Another 61.3% said Israel did not achieve these goals “at all,” while 26.5% assessed that Israel had achieved “some” of its goals.
The poll was conducted between June 17 and 20. The survey questioned 3,644 Israelis aged 17 and over in a weighted sample to reflect the population. The maximum sampling error is 2.2% at a 99% confidence level, the pollsters said.
