A clear majority of Jewish Israelis oppose a potential hostage deal if it would allow Hamas to remain in power in any form in Gaza, a survey conducted by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs found.
The JCFA poll, which was conducted by Lazar Research on May 5-6, included 702 respondents – both Jews and Arabs – aged 18 and older. It presents a stark picture of public opinion over a year and a half after the October 7 Hamas-led massacre, which triggered the war.
The poll was conducted ahead of The Jerusalem Post Annual New York Conference next week.
The results showed that 66% of Israelis remain opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines, a figure that has remained stable since previous polls. Among Jewish respondents, opposition to a Palestinian state rose to 78%, while only 1% expressed unconditional support for its establishment.
One of the poll’s most telling findings was that 70% of all respondents – and 81% of Jewish respondents – expressed fear of a repeat of the October 7 attack originating from the West Bank. In contrast, 53% of Arab respondents said they were not concerned about such a scenario.
The survey showed overwhelming opposition to Hamas remaining in power in any form. Some 85% of respondents said they oppose Hamas maintaining a military force in Gaza, while 81% said they oppose Hamas playing any civilian governance role. Support for Hamas in any capacity stood at just 7-8%.
Public sentiment also strongly opposed the return of evacuated Israeli residents to their border communities in southern Israel if Hamas remains in power, with 63% against such returns and only 11% supporting it. If Hamas remains only as a military force, opposition rises to 67%, and support falls to just 8%.
While opposition to involving the Palestinian Authority in post-war governance of Gaza has declined – from 60% in March to 50% – support remains low at just 25%. A growing share of respondents said they were undecided, possibly reflecting continued political uncertainty.
Despite the lack of clarity about Gaza’s future, 71% of Israelis support the Trump peace plan as it relates to the conflict, with 82% support among Jewish Israelis.
Iranian nuclear threat
Regarding the broader Iranian nuclear threat, 60% of Israelis support a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, similar to the results from the March JCFA poll. Of those, 37% said they favor a strike coordinated with the US, while 23% said they would support a strike even without American cooperation.
The results underscore a shift in national consciousness, according to Dan Diker, president of the JCFA.
“The findings reflect a new security reality for Israeli society and continued public opposition to a Palestinian state that supports terrorism, even under the condition of normalization with Saudi Arabia,” Diker said.
“The survey also shows that the Israeli public is not willing to accept continued Hamas rule in Gaza, even when faced with the dilemma of a hostage deal with Hamas. The public understands that Israel’s security and existential threats require decisive leadership.”