A rally calling for the release of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv, November 30, 2024. (Photo: Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Over half of the Israeli population (57%) believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is not doing enough to secure the release of the remaining 100 hostages, according to a fresh poll published by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) this week.
This marks an increase from a March poll, when public opinion was reportedly “more evenly divided on the issue.”
“The share of respondents who think the leadership is doing its utmost to bring the hostages home has decreased in both the Jewish and the Arab samples,” the IDI stated.
The poll also revealed sharp divisions in Israeli society along political lines.
Approximately 60% of right-wing Israeli Jews reportedly still believe the government is doing what it can to release the remaining hostages in Gaza. However, this figure represents a decrease from 66% of right-wing Israelis who reportedly held this view in March. By comparison, only 20% of centrist and 14% of left-wing Israelis believe the Israeli government is doing everything to bring the hostages home.
The IDI poll also surveyed Israelis on whether Netanyahu can effectively manage his wartime responsibilities while testifying at his trial. According to the results, 48% of respondents expressed doubt about his ability to handle both tasks simultaneously, while 46% believe he can manage both.
The poll results highlighted differing perspectives between Arab Israelis and Jewish Israelis.
About 61% of Arab Israeli respondents expressed doubt that Netanyahu can effectively serve as prime minister while standing trial, compared to 45% of the Jewish Israeli public who shared this view.
Unsurprisingly, there were sharp divisions on this issue along political lines.
A whopping 70% of Jewish Israeli respondents believe that Netanyahu cannot function as prime minister while standing trial. The percentage drops to 55% among centrist and 34% among right-wing Israeli Jews. If accurate, it would mean that 66% of right-wing Israeli Jews still back Netanyahu compared to only 30% of left-wing politicians.
The ongoing war began on Oct. 7 of last year when several thousand Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and massacred 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, in Israeli border communities. In addition, terrorists kidnapped 251 Israelis, Americans and other foreign nationals. A solid majority of the Israeli public has backed the Israeli military operations against Iran’s regional terror proxies, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
However, there has been growing frustration in Israel with the lack of progress regarding a deal to release the hostages who have been in captivity for 14 months.
In April, 62% of Israelis expressed their dissatisfaction with the progress of the war in Gaza, according to a poll conducted on behalf of the news outlet Maariv. The dissatisfaction was more pronounced among Israelis who voted for opposition parties.
The Israeli public has also been divided on the issue of whether it is possible to bring home the hostages while simultaneously fighting against Hamas terrorists. At the beginning of the war, most Israelis reportedly prioritized the war against Hamas. However, in July, two-thirds of Israelis reportedly prioritized securing the release of the hostages over continuing the war, according to a Channel 12 poll.