In-Depth Survey of the Arab Public after a Year of War

Findings of an In-depth survey of the Arab public after a year of war. This survey was conducted in December 2024 and was initiated by the Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation at MDC.
Date

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In-depth survey of the Arab public after a year of war shows:

  • 65.8% report that their sense of personal security is currently weak, primarily due to the rise in violence in Arab communities but also because of the ongoing war.

  • 65.1% report that their economic situation is relatively good.

  • 57.8% believe that the war has created a sense of shared destiny between Arabs and Jews in Israel.

  • 48.7% believe that the two-state solution is the most realistic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

  • 53.4% think that a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be a positive development in the region.

  • 71.8% support the inclusion of an Arab party in the coalition to be formed after the next Knesset elections.

Main Findings:

A majority of the Arab public (65.8%) report that their sense of personal security is weak. The primary reason reported is the incidence of violence in Arab communities (63.1%), though the ongoing war also plays a role (24.6%). At the same time, 65.1% of respondents report that their economic situation is relatively good, and 57.8% believe that the war has created a sense of shared destiny between Arabs and Jews in Israel.

A significant portion of the Arab public (39.4%) report that their sense of belonging to the state has weakened as a result of the war. On the other hand, a similar proportion (42.3%) state that the war did not affect their feelings toward the state, while only 17.4% say that the war strengthened their sense of belonging to the state.

Opinions within the Arab public are divided regarding who should manage Gaza's affairs after the war: 20.7% believe it should be the Palestinian Authority, 20.1% support an international coalition, 17.9% suggest Israel, and 15.8% favor local Gazan entities. Only 6.7% think Hamas should continue governing Gaza after the war.

Half of the Arab public (48.7%) believe that the most realistic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. Others are divided between those who see no solution in sight (27.1%) and those who support a one-state solution, i.e. a state shared by Israelis and Palestinians, from the river to the sea (21.7%).

A majority of the Arab public (61.9%) believe that reconciliation and an end to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians are not on the horizon. On the other hand, a quarter of respondents (26.5%) believe reconciliation and a resolution might be achieved within the next 10 years.

Half of the respondents (53.4%) think that a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia might be a positive development in the region. At the same time, half (49.2%) believe that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should not be a precondition for such an agreement.

A large majority of respondents (71.8%) support the inclusion of an Arab party in the government formed after the next elections. Half of the Arab public (47.8%) support joining any coalition, not just a center-left coalition.

If elections for the Knesset were held today, the expected voter turnout in the Arab community would be 53.3%, similar to the turnout observed in the 25th Knesset elections (53.2%) held in November 2022. In this scenario, Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am are expected to secure 5 and 4 seats, respectively, while Balad is not expected to pass the electoral threshold.

The war has not changed the priorities of the Arab public. At the top of the agenda is the issue of violence and crime (66.5%), overshadowing other issues such as resolving the Palestinian problem (10.9%) and the regulation of planning and construction in Arab communities (10.7%).

With respect to the personal identity of Arab citizens, three dominant components emerge: Israeli citizenship (33.9%), religious affiliation (29.2%), and Arab identity (26.9%). For a smaller segment of respondents (9%), Palestinian identity is the dominant component of their identity.


Full findings - here.