Israel has been forced to accept a ceasefire on Gaza. The tides of opinion are turning on Israel’s war on Gaza and Netanyahu’s global support is waning. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was faced with a mass walkout by global representatives during his speech to the UN General Assembly on September 26th, 2025, after multiple Western nations announced their support for recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution. This reflects a dramatic shift in opinion, not only about Netanyahu himself, but also about Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip. However, protests were becoming more frequent not only internationally but domestically within Israel, and recent polls show the extent to which Israel’s public opinion has also changed.
The Israel Democracy Institute published survey results on the 30th of September reflecting the opinions of Israel’s population two years into the war on Gaza. The composition of the Participants, 800 responded in Hebrew and 200 in Arabic, have been selected as a representative sample of the demographic of Israel.
Opinion on the Gaza conflict
On the question of whether or not the time has come to end the conflict, this poll shows considerable support to end the fighting, 66% of the total sample. The percentage of people who responded in favour of ending the conflict, compared to the previous year, particularly increased within the Jewish cohort of the survey rising from a minority of 45% to a majority of 60% in favour. Whilst the Arab cohort remained high at 93% in favour of ending the war in both 2024 and 2025.
Has the time come to end the war in Gaza? (%)
Source: The Israel Democratic Institute.
However, does the motivation behind this shift reflect the sentiment of the international community, which focuses on the suffering of the Palestinian people, or do the people of Israel have different priorities for ending the war?
Talking to The Next Century Foundation (NCF), Hillel Schenker, co-editor of the Palestine-Israel Journal, noted a disparity between the focus of international protest and the mood within Israel. He observed that this shift in opinion towards ending the Conflict is “not primarily because of what is happening to the Gazans, the death and destruction,” but “first and foremost to release the hostages”. This is reflected in all recent polls, including the Israel Democracy Institute survey, which shows that the welfare and release of the Israeli Hostages is a central motivation for both those who want the war to end and those who want it to continue. Over 50% of the Jewish sample population cites the endangerment of the hostages as the main reason to end the fighting.
Main reason why the war in Gaza should be ended (% of respondents who think the time has come to end the war)
Source: The Israel Democratic Institute.
This sentiment can be seen, mirrored in the Israeli support for the recent Trump/Blair 20 point plan, which vows to end the war in Gaza, and has a focus on releasing all hostages within 72 hours of a peace agreement. Polls published by Maariv, a daily newspaper published in Israel, and conducted by the Lazar Research Institute show that the same percentage of people who are in favour of ending the war, 66%, also support this peace plan. Other priorities in Trump’s plan also match those of the public in Israel. Trump’s 20 point plan dictates that Hamas will not have any role in the governance of Gaza in any form, reflecting the largest motivation of those who believed the war should continue, in order “to topple and remove Hamas”.
Recognition of a Palestinian State
In recent months, there has been a tangible shift in the position of many western countries’ supporting a two-state solution. Multiple countries, including the UK, Canada, France and Australia, announced their recognition of the state of Palestine in September 2025, bringing the number of UN countries who recognise Palestinian sovereignty to 157.
However, this trend is seemingly reversed within Israel. The Israel Democracy Institute has shown a comprehensive decrease in the percentage of Israel’s public that believes the Palestinian people have a right to their own state, both in the Jewish and Arab sample populations. In 2024, 89% of the Arab survey sample supported a Palestinian state, which has dropped to 58% in 2025, whilst the Jewish sample now stands at only 18.5%.
In your opinion, do the Palestinian people have or not have the right to their own state? (%)
Source: The Israel Democratic Institute.
The public’s view follows that of the rhetoric of their Prime Minister. Netanyahu has repeatedly condemned those nations that recently recognised Palestine and, in his speech to the UN general assembly, compared a two-state solution to ‘giving Al-Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11th’. This notion of a Palestinian state having a direct effect on Israel’s national security has clearly permeated into the opinion of the general public. When asked whether, in terms of Israel’s national interest, it is preferable for an independent Palestinian state to be established at the present time, a large majority of Jewish respondents (78%) felt that Israel cannot afford this, while in Arab communities the proportion between the 37% believing Israel can accommodate such a state was a similar amount to the 32% who believe it cannot. This shows the anxiety regarding a Palestinian state endangering the Security of Israel, and it is likely to be a considerable motivating factor for the general decline in support, among Israel’s population, for a recognised Palestinian state.
In terms of Israel’s national interests, is it preferable or not preferable for a Palestinian state to be established at the current time? (%)
Source: The Israel Democratic Institute.
International Pressure
The current trajectory of the international community’s opposition to the war has not only begun to show a disconnect with Israel’s aspirations in the region but is also leading to Israel’s isolation internationally. Alon Liel, former Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Planning and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted, in a comment to the NCF, ”the external pressure on Israel [has already] started having an impact and prevented the annexation of the West Bank,” directly thwarting Israel’s longstanding political ambitions. The calls for arms embargos and sanctions are also becoming louder in Europe, with Spain following in the footsteps of Slovenia and approving a total arms embargo with Israel, and just days before a mass walkout during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly. However, whilst International pressure is playing out on the global stage, is it being felt domestically inside Israel?
Addressing the encroaching isolation at a Finance Ministry conference in mid September, Netanyahu asserted that Israel will have to “adapt to an economy with autarkic characteristics” and elicited the image of a “super-Sparta”. In reaction, stocks immediately dipped on the Tel Aviv Stock Market, and the shekel fell in value against the dollar. It also brought about an immediate condemnation from political opposition, business leaders and Israel’s Media, leading to Netanyahu seemingly back tracking on his previous statement, citing a “misunderstanding” and asserting his full confidence in Israel’s global economy.
Nonetheless, the prospect of isolation is creating a heightened level of public anxiety. The Israel Democracy Institute survey found that the proportion of the Israeli public who view international isolation as the country’s greatest existential threat has more than doubled over the past year, while the share who regard the loss of American support as the most significant threat also rose, from 12% to 20.5%. However, political and economic isolation is not the only worry. Speaking from Tel Aviv, Hillel Schenker told the NCF that “people are also worried about a possible ban on Israeli participation in European sports and the Eurovision Song Contest”. This highlights the cultural and everyday impact of increasing isolation on the lives of all, including those not politically or economically inclined.
What is the greatest external existential threat to the State of Israel? (total sample, 2024 and 2025; %)
Source: The Israel Democratic Institute.
Political Popularity
So, how is this fluctuating public sentiment affecting the government and Prime Minister Netanyahu himself?
A headline figure from the survey indicates that 64% of people want Netanyahu to accept responsibility for the events of October 7th 2023, and resign, with 45% wanting a resignation immediately and 19% after the end of the war. Recent polls also show the declining popularity of Netanyahu. Polls published by Maariv show a majority in the Knesset for the right-center-left Zionist opposition parties of 61 out of 120 seats with another 10 seats for the primarily Arab parties. Currently, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennet continues to be the leading candidate for an alternative Prime Minister. These figures indicate that the war and ongoing Isolation of Israel have had a profoundly negative impact on Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition bloc.
The tides of opinion have not only turned in the international community but also inside Israel. However, the sentiment behind this shift stems from different sentiments within Israel, mainly the continued endangerment of Israeli hostages and increasing anxiety concerning Netanyahu’s acceptance of international isolation. Although similar to the discourse internationally, Israel’s public has had enough of the fighting and has had enough of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- It must be recognised that with the recent news of a peace deal being accepted by Hamas and the possible release of the hostages, this situation is rapidly evolving and must be followed carefully.
