Majority of Israelis Oppose Ending Iran War Now

A majority of Israelis believe that ending the current war with Iran under existing conditions would not serve the country's security interests, according to a survey released this week by the Israel Democracy Institute.

The poll, conducted April 26 to 30 among 601 Jewish and 150 Arab respondents aged 18 and older, found that 59 percent of the overall sample viewed an immediate end to the conflict as only slightly compatible or not compatible at all with national security. Roughly two-thirds of Jewish respondents shared this position, while nearly half of Arab respondents held the opposite view. Across political lines among Jewish Israelis, a majority in the center (70 percent) and right (65 percent) opposed ending the war now, with just over half on the left agreeing.

The survey, carried out by the institute's Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, also revealed widespread expectations of renewed escalation. Some 62 percent of respondents anticipated another large-scale confrontation with Iran, compared with 30 percent who saw the risk as low.

Public concerns extended to external influences and international standing. A majority, 51 percent, said the...