Think tank poll shows declining belief among Israelis that President Trump has their back

A new survey published by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) suggests that many Israelis are becoming less confident that U.S. President Donald Trump prioritizes Israel's security interests, while pessimism about the country's future remains widespread across political and demographic lines.

According to the poll, only 44% of Israelis believe Israel's security is a "central consideration" for Trump. The survey also found that 61% of respondents believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not run in the next Knesset elections.

The findings come as the Trump administration pushes for a diplomatic agreement with Iran and seeks to stabilize Israel's northern border following months of conflict – issues that remain at the center of public debate in Israel.

The number of Israelis expressing doubts about Trump's commitment to Israeli security is notable given growing confidence in him among some of Israel's Arab neighbors. The trend was highlighted when the U.S. State Department approved the possible sale of nearly $2 billion worth of counter-unmanned aerial systems to Kuwait.

The U.S. State Department declared, "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that has been an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East."

Beyond attitudes toward Trump, the IDI survey found declining optimism about Israel's near- to medium-term future. Respondents reported lower confidence in Israel's security, democratic institutions, economy and social cohesion.

Although the declines were relatively small, ranging from 1.5% to 4% across categories, they were recorded in nearly all demographic groups surveyed.

The poll also examined public attitudes toward the conflict with Iran and the related challenge posed by Hezbollah. In both cases, levels of optimism were limited.

While Jews who identify with the political Right were somewhat more optimistic than other groups, most Israelis expressed skepticism that national security concerns would be adequately reflected in negotiations involving Iran.

The issue of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal remains especially sensitive after months in which many Israelis spent hours each day in bomb shelters.

The report noted, "The highest share in the total sample believes that the agreement will include preventing the continued development of nuclear weapons (56%). However, only 32% estimate that it will include eliminating the threat of ballistic missiles, and even fewer think that it will help bring about the weakening of the regime of the ayatollahs (28%)."

The survey also found that a majority of the total sample (57.5%) think that ending the war with Iran under the current conditions is not at all compatible, or is compatible to only a small extent.

Regarding Israel's security interests – among Jews – less than one-third think that ending the war under the current conditions is compatible with Israel's interests.

In contrast, there was a significant jump among Arabs who believe that ending the war is appropriate for Israel's security interests.

Those concerns may have been reinforced by comments from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who said earlier this week that an agreement with Iran would be reached soon and be "a home run for the American people," while acknowledging that "Israel might not like it." Regarding Hezbollah, the report found similarly low levels of confidence in current policy.

According to the survey, 17.5% of the total public give Israel a good or very good grade for the way it is dealing with Hezbollah in the north, with Jews leading the approval at 19.5% and Arabs at 8%.

On the Right, around one-quarter give a good or very good grade, while on the Left and in the Center, only a negligible minority think so.

Taken together, the findings point to a broader sense of uncertainty and pessimism within Israeli society that extends across political, cultural, and socioeconomic divides.

The survey's findings were echoed by "D," a self-employed Modern Orthodox father of seven children, three of whom are currently serving in the IDF, who said he struggles to remain optimistic about the country's future and shared his perspective with ALL ISRAEL NEWS.

"Everything just keeps getting harder," he said. "There's never enough money for everything we need to pay for, but that's an old story. What bothers me more lately is that everywhere I go, people are in a bad mood. Everyone is on edge and ready to start screaming at anyone who causes them even the smallest kind of problem... Now would be a good time for the Moshiach (Messiah) to come. I know Jews have been saying that for a long time, and maybe things were worse in the past, but things are pretty bad right now."

The survey also highlighted significant differences among demographic groups. Jewish Israelis who identify with the political Right generally expressed greater optimism than those on the Left, while Arab citizens of Israel tended to be more pessimistic, particularly regarding their personal futures.

"A" is a young Palestinian man who lives with his extended family in eastern Jerusalem. He did not want to be publicly identified, but told ALL ISRAEL NEWS that many Arab Israelis and residents of eastern Jerusalem, as well as Palestinians living elsewhere in the West Bank, are increasingly pessimistic about the future.

According to A, some are considering emigrating to Canada or Europe if given the opportunity, while moving to the United States has become more difficult than in the past.

When asked about the prospect of a future Palestinian state in the West Bank, he remarked that he would be among the first Palestinians to leave such a state and move to Israel.