Poll shows most Israelis believe Iran gained more from Middle East war

JERUSALEM: A new survey released on Sunday found that a large majority of Israelis believe Iran emerged in a stronger position from the recent Middle East war and the subsequent agreement with the United States.

The poll, carried out by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in collaboration with the Agam Institute, surveyed 3,644 respondents between June 17 and 20. According to the findings, 92.1 per cent said Iran had either won the conflict or benefited more from it. The survey also found that 82.9pc believed Israel’s long-term security had been weakened.

The results indicated that this view extended across political lines. Even among voters aligned with the right-wing bloc that supports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 93.1pc said Iran had come out ahead in the conflict.

Opposition to US-Iran deal

The survey also recorded broad opposition inside Israel to the US-Iran agreement. It found that 63.2pc of respondents opposed the deal, while 12.1pc supported it.

The findings also reflected deep scepticism about the Israeli leadership’s handling of the conflict. Nearly three-quarters of respondents, or 72.5pc, said they did not believe Netanyahu’s assertions about the achievements of the military campaign. In addition, 56.4pc rated his conduct of the campaign as failed or poor.

The poll suggested a political cost for Netanyahu as well. Support for him as prime minister fell from 40.5pc in early March to 29.4pc in June, according to the survey.

Views on Lebanon front

Despite the criticism reflected in the poll, support remained for military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The survey found that 48.2pc backed renewed large-scale military action against Hezbollah even if it risked a confrontation with Washington, while 21pc opposed such a move.

The poll was released as talks aimed at converting the temporary US-Iran agreement into a more durable arrangement were due to take place in Switzerland on Sunday. At the same time, tensions linked to Lebanon threatened to complicate the negotiations.

Washington announced a renewed ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon. Each side accused the other of violating the truce.