The Israeli public supports the continuation of military activity against Iranian entrenchment in Syria even if it means going to war, according to a new study by the Institute for National Security Studies.
The National Security Index is an annual public-opinion study that has been conducted by the INSS since 1984 and offers insight into public opinion trends over the years.
According to the 2019 study, 31 percent of the Israeli public believes that the northern sector, including Lebanon and Syria, poses the greatest threat to national security; 26 percent think that Iran’s nuclear program is the central threat to Israel; and just 14 percent view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the most serious security problem facing the country.
Only 14 percent of the Israeli public considers Hamas in the Gaza Strip as a strategic threat.
The study also reveals that while 54 percent of Israelis feel that the home front is ready for a war, 72 percent said they were not preparing for war or were only slightly preparing for it, while just 28 percent said they were very much readying themselves for war.
Additionally, the study found that 82 percent of the public agrees with the statement that “Israel can rely only on itself” in a war, while 60 percent agree with the statement that “the people of Israel are the chosen people.”
Half of the respondents said they don’t trust the United States to stand by Israel if it is attacked, as Saudi Arabia was recently attacked by Iran.
In the study, which was overseen by Dr. Tzipi Israeli, 800 people were questioned in face-to-face interviews. The complete findings will be presented on Jan. 28 at the 13th Annual INSS International Conference in Tel Aviv, which will be attended by senior officials from Israel and abroad.
This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.
