Israelis want to give peace a chance — with more of their Arab neighbors.
A majority of voters in the Jewish state overwhelmingly support making diplomatic deals with nations such as Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia — although they do not agree to a two-state solution, a k a a Palestinian state next to Israel, nor any country but Israel governing Gaza, a new survey reveals.
The poll, conducted by the Council for a Secure America, shows that 81% of Israelis already support the Abraham Accords — diplomatic agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
That’s a record high in CSA polling. Only 5% of respondents were opposed, and the rest had no opinion.
About 78% of Israelis also support a future diplomatic agreement with Saudi Arabia, while 72% back a friendly deal with Lebanon and 64% support one with Syria, the survey shows.
Seventy-one percent of Israelis believe Saudi-Israel relations would help their economy.
But the Israelis’ relations with their Palestinian neighbors remain fraught.
Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel is seared in their memory, and consequently, a 41% plurality believes Israel should govern the Hamas-led Gaza strip, while only 25% prefer an international coalition that includes Arab countries.
Among younger Israelis ages 44 and under, an even higher number — or 54% of respondents — want Israel to control Gaza compared to just 15% for an international coalition. The 54% figure is nearly double the number of older Israelis who support sole Israeli governance of the strip.
Nearly two-thirds, or 63%, of Israeli voters also oppose a two-state solution, while 22% support it. Those figures remain essentially unchanged across CSA’s two years of tracking.
Opposition to a two-state solution is strongest among younger Israelis: 66% of voters under 44 oppose it, with only 17 percent in support.
Most Israelis meanwhile blame Iran for the strife and violence against Israel in the region.
For example, 61% say Iran is the real culprit directing the attacks against Israel by Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis — a 13-point increase from February 2025 – versus 28% who say those groups act independently with Iranian support.
The Israelis voters also were asked, “Do you believe that the US, IDF [Israeli Defense Forces], and Lebanese Armed Forces together can or cannot one day disarm Hezbollah?”
The answer: 65% said they believe that such a coalition can disarm Hezbollah, while 25% said they cannot.
“These numbers show that Israelis continue to embrace the Abraham Accords model in record numbers,” said Jennifer Sutton, executive director of the Council for a Secure America, a pro-energy group that supports a strong US role in the region and friendly ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
“The appetite for normalization, prosperity, and regional integration is clear, though Israelis remain equally clear-eyed that Iran is the author of the violence that stands in the way of peace, prosperity, and cooperation in the region.Israelis want peace and prosperity.”
“Washington should take note,” Sutton said.
The overwhelming majority of the 557 Israeli respondents in the June survey– 89% — were interviewed in Hebrew online. The other with 11% were surveyed by phone: 6% in Hebrew in ultra-orthodox communities and 5% in Russian for Russian-speaking Israelis.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
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