New poll finds Israelis ambivalent about the future
Ahead of Israel’s 70th anniversary, a poll finds that most Israelis are optimistic about the economy, ethnic tensions, female empowerment but pessimistic about peace prospects, social rifts, cost of living, government corruption.
Preparations are underway for Israel’s 70th anniversary celebration, but a new poll finds that many Israelis are not so optimistic about the future of the state.
Israelis from all walks of life were polled on how they see the state in 2028 and most had a hard time believing that things will be better than they are today. The poll included 624 participants above the age of 18—501 Jews and 123 Arabs.
The results reveal that 37.5 percent of Israelis believe that the security situation will not change, while 31 percent believe that the situation will improve. Twenty percent, on the other hand, said the situation will in fact deteriorate. On that note, 60 percent of Israelis believe that Israel and the Palestinians will not reach a permanent solution to the conflict while 15 percent foresee a settlement in the near future.
Regarding the Iran deal, Israelis are skeptical. The poll showed that 54 percent predict that within a decade, Iran will develop nuclear weapons, versus 15 percent who are more optimistic. Forty percent do not see a chance for a regional peace settlement with other Arab states and 34 percent expect one to take place.
The economic situation is more encouraging: at least 48 percent believe that the economy will improve, versus 24 percent who believe the reverse is true. Israelis are still pessimistic about affordability, however: 56 percent see it getting harder for young couples to purchase an apartment while only 20 percent believe it will get easier. Fifty-three percent expect the amount of people living below the poverty line to grow, while 21 percent believe that number will shrink.
Much of the population is concerned with social rifts in Israeli society: 47 percent said that the differences between Jews and Arab Israelis will grow and the same number said the same regarding tensions between the religious and secular sectors of society. Nineteen percent, meanwhile, said the rift between Jews and Arabs will shrink and 23 percent said the same for secular and religious Jews.
The good news is that only 15 percent think that ethnic tensions will grow while 44 percent think they will shrink. Regarding the status of women, 69 percent expect more female empowerment and only 4 percent see the opposite trend.
Israelis are also very optimistic regarding relations with the United States: more than half the population sees the relationship growing stronger and only about a tenth think that it will weaken.
On the matter of government corruption, Israelis are less optimistic: 49 percent say that corruption is increasing in proportion versus 22 percent who believe it is decreasing. In any case, a considerable 63 percent of Israelis believe that the right wing will rule even in 2028 and only 8 percent believe that the left will return to center of power in the near future.
Prof. Omri Yadlin, Director of Sapir College, where the poll will be officially presented, said, “The poll results demonstrate that the Israeli public believes that the trends of the past decade will continue and even intensify, for good or for bad.”
