Poll: Over two-thirds of Israelis want elections immediately after war

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

Central Election Committee workers count the final ballots at the Knesset in Jerusalem on November 3, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
Central Election Committee workers count the final ballots at the Knesset in Jerusalem on November 3, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

A new poll from the Israel Democracy Institute finds that over two-thirds of Israelis (69%) believe elections should be held as soon as the war is over — 66% of Jewish Israelis and 84% of Arab Israelis.

Asked how they plan to vote, a majority said they plan to vote for the same political bloc, though many will shift parties within their bloc, particularly those who vote for left-wing parties, the survey finds.

An overwhelming majority of Jewish Israelis (91.5%) across all political orientations think the IDF is trying to obey international law and rules of war. By contrast, just under a quarter (24%) of Arab Israelis say the same.

Two-thirds of Israelis think that the government does not have a clear plan of action for the day after the war, the survey shows.

Amid mass international protests and public criticism against Israel for its conduct in the war, 62% of Jewish Israelis think this is due to antisemitism and hatred of Israel, while only 7.5% think civilian casualties and destruction in Gaza is the reason, the survey finds.

Twenty-two percent say both are equal drivers. In contrast, only 10.5% of Arab Israelis attribute the criticism to antisemitism; 52% to civilian casualties and destruction in Gaza, and 11% to both equally.

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