Majority of Israelis Believe Iran Has Won the Middle East War

A recent opinion poll shows that a majority of Israelis believe Iran has won the war between Israel and the United States against Tehran. The majority of Israelis, according to the latest poll, also believe that Iran has become stronger after the war raged in the Middle East. This was revealed in a new opinion poll released by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Agam Institute, on Sunday (21/6) local time. The poll was conducted among 3,644 Israeli respondents between 17 and 20 June. The latest poll is considered to reflect a bleak picture of public sentiment after the initial peace agreement was signed by the US and Iran. The results of the poll show that 92.1 per cent of Israelis stated that Iran had won or gained more from the conflict. Meanwhile, 82.9 per cent of respondents felt that Israel’s long-term security had weakened. The poll also found that among Israeli voters who support the right-wing bloc, which is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s voter base, 93.1 per cent of respondents believed that Iran had won. Opposition to the US-Iran peace deal is widespread among Israelis, with 63.2 per cent of respondents opposing the agreement, compared to only 12.1 per cent who expressed support. The findings in the latest poll are seen as indicating a broader crisis of confidence in Israel’s leadership. Nearly three-quarters of the survey’s respondents, or 72.5 per cent, said they do not trust Netanyahu’s claims about the success of Israeli military operations. Meanwhile, 56.4 per cent of respondents rated the management of military operations as a ‘failure’ or ‘poor’. The poll also shows the political price Netanyahu is paying, with support for his leadership plunging from 40.5 per cent in early March to just 29.4 per cent in June. Despite this, the poll shows continued support for Israeli military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Nearly half of the respondents, or 48.2 per cent, support a major military operation against Hezbollah, even if it risks confrontation with the US. Only 21 per cent opposed such a move. The poll was released as negotiations to turn the temporary agreement between the US and Iran into a more permanent deal were held in Switzerland on Sunday (21/6), although the conflict in Lebanon threatens the talks.