Israelis are nearly split on their perceptions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a new research report published on Tuesday by Pew Research Center.
Pew’s polling shows that 52% of Israelis view the premier unfavorably, while 48% have a favorable view. These opinions run starkly on partisan lines, with support for Netanyahu at 97% among coalition supporters, and unfavorable views at 91% among those supporting the opposition.
The discrepancies were also strong among levels of religiosity, with 93% of haredi and religious Israelis, and 72% of traditional Israelis, supporting the prime minister. This is compared to only 22% of secular Israelis supporting Netanyahu.
The polling was conducted between March and April of this year - prior to the passing of the Law to Cancel the Reasonableness Clause, the first aspect of the highly contentious judicial reforms being pushed by the government - with a total of 1,001 adults interviewed face to face in Hebrew and Arabic. It did not include individuals living in east Jerusalem or Judea and Samaria.
How do Israelis view conflict in the country?
Another aspect of the report was how strongly Israelis view conflicts in social and political arenas. This included 75% seeing strong conflicts between the political Right and Left, 71% in conflicts between Israeli Arabs and Jews, and 61% between secular and religious Israelis.
The negative outlook was largely skewed by the viewpoints of younger Israelis, aged 18-29. This is largely in line with polling across the world wherein younger populations are more likely to fear for the future than older people, which could be contributed to the older generation having lived through what they perceive to be similar conflicts that in the end worked themselves out.
This polling also sheds light on recent polling showing Israelis fear of a civil war breaking out between the Right and Left. In a poll conducted by Maariv last week, 58% of Israelis said they fear a civil war. Netanyahu has publicly sought to ease concerns, making rounds on US television stations stating firmly that there will be no war.
Nevertheless, the fears remain in large segments of Israeli society.