Life in Israel After Oct. 7 in 5 Charts

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gallup surveyed Israelis between Oct. 17 and Dec. 3, just weeks after Hamas launched its attack on Israel on Oct. 7. As the war between Israel and Hamas continues, here are five key insights into public opinion in Israel.

1. Israelis No Longer Support a Two-State Solution

One in four Israeli adults currently support the existence of an independent Palestinian state, while most (65%) oppose it. This is almost a complete reversal of where they stood on the issue a decade ago, when twice as many Israeli adults supported an independent Palestinian state (61%) as opposed one (30%).

This change in attitudes mirrors the shift in public opinion in the Palestinian Territories shortly before the war between Israel and Hamas began. Almost one in four Palestinians (24%) surveyed between July and September of this year supported a two-state solution, down from 59% in 2012.

In both cases, it is not clear how opinions have changed annually over the past decade because of the 11-year gap in measurement between 2012 and 2023. As a result, Gallup cannot attribute Israelis’ drop in support for a two-state solution to the recent conflict alone.

2. Hopes for Peace Grow Further Out of Reach

While one in four Israelis support a two-state solution, even fewer think that enduring peace between Israel and the Palestinian Territories will ever be achieved.

Israelis have been skeptical about the prospects for peace for more than a decade, but they are even more doubtful now. Between 2006 and 2017, 29% of Israelis, on average, thought lasting peace was possible. Since the Oct. 7 attack, less than half as many (13%) hold on to the hope that it could still happen, while a record-high 74% do not expect a permanent peace between the two sides.

Again, as 2017 was the last time Gallup measured public opinion toward lasting peace in Israel, the decline in 2023 cannot solely be attributed to the recent conflict.

3. Negative Emotions Soar After Attack

In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack, Israelis’ emotional health is worse than ever. Record-high majorities of Israelis now say they experienced worry (67%), stress (62%) and sadness (51%) during much of the previous day. More than a third (36%) also report experiencing a lot of anger.

Combining these daily emotions (in addition to physical pain) into Gallup’s Negative Experience Index, Israel now scores a record-high 47. While other countries such as Central African Republic, Iraq and Afghanistan have historically scored higher on the Negative Experience Index than Israel, no other country has ever seen such a large year-on-year increase in negative experiences (up from 19 in 2022) since the World Poll began calculating the index in 2006.

4. Approval of U.S. Leadership Reaches New High

Israelis’ approval of the leadership of the U.S. -- one of its longest-standing and staunchest allies -- has never dipped below a majority since 2006. Even so, approval ratings of U.S. leadership climbed to a new high of 81% in 2023, up from 65% in 2022.

5. Approval of Israel’s Leadership Remains Flat

While residents in Israel have grown more approving of U.S. leadership in 2023, the same cannot be said for their own. Even though approval ratings of Israel’s leadership rose slightly in 2023 to 45%, this is in line with the average since 2006 and similar to the 46% who disapprove of their country’s leadership.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval ratings are essentially the same in 2023 (40%) as they were in 2020 (39%) when Gallup last measured them. However, more Israelis (52%) continue to disapprove of his leadership than approve of it.

Bottom Line

As the fighting between Israel and Hamas continues, Gallup data provide insight into the toll that the initial attack and ensuing war are having on the mindset and wellbeing of Israelis. Hopes for a future two-state solution and lasting peace have grown further out of reach among both Israelis and Palestinians, compared with Gallup’s polling since 2006 in the region.

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