Tel Aviv, Israel – A new poll published by Israel’s Channel 12 on Saturday revealed that a large majority of Israelis favor continuing military operations against Iran and Hezbollah. At the same time, there is a clear division regarding the assessment of the political leadership’s performance and the criteria for “final victory” in this existential confrontation.
Overwhelming support for continuing the fight
The results revealed that 60% of Israelis support continuing the war against Iran, a figure that jumps to 85% among supporters of the ruling right-wing coalition. In contrast, only 29% believe the war should end now. Regarding the Lebanese front, 67% expressed support for continuing the fighting, while 22% called for a cessation of military operations.
Confidence in the army and declining popularity of politicians
In terms of trust in leadership, military and security officials significantly outperformed politicians. The Israeli army chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, received a rating of 7.3 out of 10, followed by Mossad chief David Barnea with 7.1. In contrast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s popularity plummeted to 5.6 out of 10, while Defense Minister Yisrael Katz received a 5. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich brought up the rear with a mere 3.
Defining “success” in war
Regarding strategic objectives, 52% of participants considered “overthrowing the Iranian regime” to be the true measure of success. Meanwhile, 49% believed that destroying or seizing enriched uranium was the desired goal. Forty-two percent considered a major blow to the missile program to be a “victory,” while only 6% deemed reopening the Strait of Hormuz sufficient success.
Discontent in the Prime Minister’s office
Channel sources reported significant unease within Netanyahu’s office regarding these results. The Prime Minister believes that his low approval ratings, compared to those of military leaders, reflect a lack of public confidence in his handling of the war and the achievement of its strategic objectives, despite overwhelming public support for continuing the fighting.
