A new survey by the Israeli Democracy Institute (IDI) found a sharp decline in the share of Jewish Israelis who believe US President Donald Trump views Israel's security as a central consideration, alongside broad skepticism about a potential US-Iran agreement and continued dissatisfaction with the government's handling of Hezbollah.
Only 41% of Jewish respondents said Israel's security is a central consideration for Trump, down from 64% in March and the lowest figure recorded since the question was first asked in November 2024.
Among Arab respondents, however, the share expressing that view rose from 43% to 59%.
Support for the statement declined across the Jewish political spectrum. Among respondents identifying with the Left, 25.5% said Israel's security is a central consideration for Trump, compared with 34.5% in March. In the Center, the figure fell from 62% to 32%, while among those on the Right it dropped from 70% to 48%.
The survey also examined public expectations regarding a possible agreement between the United States and Iran.
Preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons
Respondents were asked whether such an agreement would include provisions preventing the continued development of Iranian nuclear weapons, eliminating the ballistic missile threat, and weakening the regime in Tehran.
A majority (56%) said they believe an agreement would prevent further development of Iranian nuclear weapons. Far fewer believed it would address other concerns. Only 32% said they expect an agreement to eliminate Iran's ballistic missile threat, while 28% believe it would weaken the regime.
The findings reflect a notable shift from March, when public expectations regarding Israel's military campaign against Iran were considerably more optimistic.
At the time, about two-thirds of respondents believed the operation would eliminate Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities, while more than half thought it could lead to the fall of the regime.
The survey found that 57.5% of Israelis believe ending the conflict with Iran under the currently discussed framework would not serve Israel's security interests.
Among Jewish respondents, fewer than one-third in any political camp said ending the war would be in Israel's interest. The figures stood at 30% on the Left, 26.5% in the Center, and 29.5% on the Right.
Respondents also expressed dissatisfaction with Israel's handling of Hezbollah in the North.
Only 17.5% of the public rated Israel's performance as good or excellent. Among Jewish respondents, the figure was 19.5%, compared with 8% among Arab respondents.
Only one-quarter of right-wing Jews gave gov't positive feedback on handling of Hezbollah
Even among right-wing Jewish respondents, only about one-quarter gave the government's handling of Hezbollah a positive rating. Support was even lower among respondents on the Left and in the Center.
The survey also examined public attitudes toward Netanyahu's political future.
A total of 61% of respondents said the prime minister should not run in the next Knesset election.
Among Jewish respondents, 57% opposed another Netanyahu candidacy, while 39.5% supported one. Among Arab respondents, 83% said he should not run, compared with 11% who said he should.
A more detailed breakdown among Jewish respondents showed significant divisions on the Right. About two-thirds of those identifying as center-right said Netanyahu should not run again, while 69% of respondents on the hard right supported another candidacy.
As expected, large majorities on the Left, center-left, and in the Center opposed a future Netanyahu run.
Analysis of voting patterns in the 2022 election found that most coalition-party voters support Netanyahu's continued involvement in politics. However, roughly one-quarter of voters for Likud, the Religious Zionist Party, and United Torah Judaism said he should not run in the next election.
The Israeli Voice Index for May 2026 was prepared by Prof. Tamar Hermann, Dr. Lior Yochhanni, and Yaron Kaplan. The survey was conducted by the Viterbi Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israeli Democracy Institute between May 31 and June 5. It included 603 Hebrew-speaking respondents and 150 Arabic-speaking respondents, representing the Israeli population aged 18 and older.