Annual survey: Less than 20% of Israelis rate country’s situation as good/very good; 58% believe democracy in danger

Fewer than one in five Israelis rate the country’s overall situation as “good” or “very good” in the Israel Democracy Institute’s 2024 Israeli Democracy Index.

At the same time, some two-thirds of Israelis still believe the country is a good place to live. The survey finds a strong sense of belonging to the state among a majority of Jews and a smaller majority of Arabs despite challenges.

The survey was initially conducted in May 2024 and then revisited in October. It thus does not reflect the most recent political and regional events, including the ceasefire in Lebanon and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria.

The poll finds that 58% of Israelis believe Israeli democracy is in danger. Among Jews, the figure is 54%; among Arabs, it is 77.5%.

Trust in the police has gone down to 37%, especially after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The IDF enjoys the highest levels of trust among state institutions, at 77%.

The Index finds that sentiments of national cohesion had peaked after October 7 and have since gone down, though they are still higher than in previous years. Right-left political disputes are regarded as most the important issue among Jews, while tensions between Jews and Arabs is the main issue among Arabs.

Only 25.5% of Jews think the state can be trusted, compared to 81% who say they can rely on their fellow Israelis in times of need; 62% of Arabs believe they can trust their fellow countrymen.