Almost 80% of Israelis trust the IDF command, a record high in comparison with other recent surveys, while only 54% trust the government, a new survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute revealed on Monday.
The low levels of trust in the government were recorded, even with almost three out of every four Israeli answering that they believe the strikes on Iran were the correct decision, and with 65% thinking that the war will improve the situation in the Middle East over time.
The patterns repeat in Israelis' trust in "President Trump to 'do the right thing' regarding US–Israeli relations," with a record-breaking 75% answering positively - of those, 34% said they have "a great deal of trust" in Trump.
Then again, a clear divide remains over President Trump deserving Israel’s highest civilian honor, with about half of Israelis (47%) believing he deserves the Israel Prize, while 16% believe he does not deserve it but should receive it for diplomatic reasons, and 26% think it should not have been awarded at all.
Additionally, the survey revealed that the majority of Israelis feel the war is being won, a sentiment not recorded in months.
Israelis' views on Trump's plan for Gaza
Another aspect of the survey was to analyse the Israelis' views on how to proceed in Gaza, with a clear majority preferring to allow time for the diplomatic initiative advanced by President Trump before making further military decisions.
The survey indicates that 59% of Israelis say Israel should allow Trump’s Gaza plan to proceed and wait a few months to see how it develops, while 26% favor returning to fighting and conquering the remaining territory in Gaza, and 15% say they do not know.
JPPI’s Israeli Society Index is compiled by Shmuel Rosner and Noah Slepkov, with research, production, and writing assistance from Yael Levinovsky. Prof. David Steinberg serves as a statistical consultant.
Data for JPPI’s March 2026 survey was collected between March 2 and March 5, 2026. Data collection in the Jewish sector was conducted through the TheMadad.com panel (591 respondents), while the Arab sector sample was collected through Afkar Research (201 respondents), approximately half online and half by telephone.