When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated the US-Israeli war on Iran at the end of February, Israel’s objectives appeared clear: dismantling Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and bringing about the collapse of the Iranian government.
Now, following the signing of an agreement between Iran and the US, with negotiations between the two countries continuing in Switzerland, a new poll has found that 92 percent of Israelis believe Iran has won the war.
The survey, conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found that Israelis overwhelmingly view the war and subsequent deal with the US in a negative way, with 83 percent of those polled saying the campaign has weakened Israel’s long-term security and 86 percent feeling negatively about the outcome.
This public perception mirrors the feelings of Israel’s political and military elite, many of whom see the end the war on Iran as representing a turning point that will see Israel’s regional influence weakened.
The poll found that 72.5 percent of Israelis do not believe Netanyahu when he says that their country has achieved significant gains and removed an existential threat, a feeling that also reflects the growing uncertainty around the prime minister’s future.
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Close to 88 percent of Israelis believe Israel has failed to achieve its objectives, or that it has fulfilled only some of them. Fifty-six percent of respondents said Netanyahu’s management of the war on Iran was poor, or that it had failed.
These feelings about how Iran has emerged from the war are not matched by a desire for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, which has been a key stumbling block during negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Iran has insisted that a ceasefire cannot hold while Israel continues to bomb Lebanon, and Israeli troops are stationed many kilometres across the border with southern Lebanon.
US-Iran deal leaves Israel isolated and Netanyahu exposed
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Forty-eight percent of Israelis, according to the poll, support Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon, where it claims to be focused on targeting Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned armed movement. Those Israelis who support this said they did so even if it risked a confrontation with US President Donald Trump.
The poll was conducted by the Agam Institute in collaboration with Hebrew University between 17 June and 20 June. The survey questioned 3,644 Israelis aged 17 and over in a weighted sample to reflect the population.
The maximum sampling error is 2.2 percent at a 99 percent confidence level, the pollsters said.
