Most Israelis believe it was the right thing for Israel to accept US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan; however, they remain doubtful that Hamas will disarm, the Jewish People Policy Institute's (JPPI) findings from its November Israeli Society Index revealed on Tuesday.
The survey indicated strong support for the ceasefire but widespread pessimism regarding the war's primary objective.
War objectives and inquiry demands
90% of the public believes Israel acted appropriately in accepting President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war, while 55% of respondents said Israel accepted the plan because it "had no choice," and 35% viewed it as a good plan.
Despite supporting the peace agreement, only a minority of Israelis believe the objective of ending Hamas rule in Gaza will be fully achieved. A quarter of Israelis (25%) believe Hamas will continue to rule Gaza, and 31% estimate Hamas will have a “significant role.”
Another 20% estimate that Hamas will have a limited governing role. Only 16% of Israelis believe Hamas will have no role, and 60% of Jewish respondents estimate Hamas will retain a significant governing role.
88% of the Israelis demand a Commission of Inquiry to examine the circumstances and failures that led to the October 7 massacre. However, public opinion is split on the commission's structure. 46% support a State Commission of Inquiry headed by a Supreme Court justice, while 42% prefer a National Commission of Inquiry with an agreed-upon composition that excludes Supreme Court representation.
Among Jewish respondents on the left and center-left, 90% support a Supreme Court-led State Commission. Conversely, a majority of right-leaning respondents favor a National Commission.
War naming and political alignment
There is no national consensus on the name of the war. The top choices among Israelis were the October 7 War (42%), the War of Revival (16%), the Swords of Iron (13%), and the Simchat Torah War (12%). By ideological group, there is near-total agreement on the left (85%) and the center-left (80%) on the “October 7 War.”
On the right, 32% prefer “War of Revival,” and 23% prefer “Simchat Torah War.” Among Likud voters from the 2022 elections, 37% favor “War of Revival,” and 24% favor “October 7 War.”
On the question of foreign policy, 45% of Israelis believe Israel aligns with American positions to the proper extent. Thirty-one percent think Israel aligns a bit too much, and 15% feel Israel aligns far too much. Over half of right-leaning respondents (54%) feel Israel aligns its policy with American positions too much.
Conscription and elections
The JPPI Index also examined civil issues. Regarding Haredi Conscription, a majority of Israelis, 59%, oppose revoking voting rights from those who do not enlist in the IDF. Thirty percent support the measure.
Furthermore, 48% of Israelis oppose the bill recently proposed by MK Boaz Bismuth regarding the Haredi draft, believing it will not lead to significant enlistment. Regarding elections, 44% of Israelis want early elections within 3 months, and 10% within six months. 40% support holding elections as currently scheduled for fall 2026.