Poll: Half of Jewish Israelis support occupying Gaza after the war

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

Illustrative: IDF tanks are positioned in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on May 9, 2024. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)
Illustrative: IDF tanks are positioned in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on May 9, 2024. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)

Fifty percent of Jewish Israelis support occupying the Gaza Strip after the war against Hamas ends, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

Asked who should govern Gaza after the war, 50% of Jewish respondents said Israel; 15 percent said they didn’t know; 10 percent said the Palestinian Authority, but without its President Mahmoud Abbas; eight percent said people who live in Gaza should decide; seven percent said other, five percent said the PA with Abbas; four percent said the United Nations; and zero percent said Hamas.

Among Arab Israeli respondents, 37% said people who live there should decide, 18% said the PA without Abbas, 16% said they didn’t know, 11% said the PA with Abbas, nine percent said Hamas, 5% said the United Nations, 3% said Israel and 2% said other.

Among all Israeli respondents, 40% said Israel, 16% said they didn’t know, 14% said people who live there should decide, 12% said the PA without Abbas, 6% said the PA with Abbas, 6% said other, 4% said the UN and 2% said Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come out against the idea of Israel governing Palestinians in Gaza after the war — a prospect vehemently rejected by the international community. Only far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir have come out in support of Israel permanently occupying the Gaza Strip and re-establishing settlements there, but the Pew survey indicates support for their stance may be more widespread among Jewish Israelis than thought.

Pew also found that the share of Israeli Jews who believe an Israeli and a Palestinian state can peacefully coexist has plummeted since October 7.

The figure of 19% was the lowest since Pew started surveying Israelis in 2013. It is down from 32% in a survey released just weeks before the war broke out.

In 2013, according to Pew, nearly half of Israeli Jews — and a majority of Israelis overall — supported a two-state solution. In 2005, another polling firm found that most Israeli Jews supported the establishment of a Palestinian state.

One thousand and one Israeli adults participated in the in-person survey, which included a representative population of Jews and Arabs.

It had a margin of error of four percentage points.

The major caveat of the survey was that it was conducted between March 3 and April 4, finishing nearly two months ago, likely making many of the other results outdated.

JTA contributed to this report.

Most Popular