Over half of Jewish Israelis believe the Hamas-led 7 October attacks bear comparison to the Holocaust, a new poll by the Israel Democracy Institute has found.
The April 2025 Israeli Voice Index, based on responses from 600 Jewish and 149 Arab adults, shows 57 percent of Jewish respondents view the analogy as valid, up from 54 percent last year.
The survey also revealed growing public scepticism over a Gaza hostage deal. Nearly two-thirds (62.5 percent) of Jews said they were pessimistic about an agreement with Hamas. Among Arab respondents, the trend was reversed, with 63 percent expressing optimism.
On military matters, 55.5 percent of Jews rated IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir positively, making him the highest-ranked civil servant in the poll. He scored far lower among Arabs (2.18 out of 4).
Support for pre-emptive action against Iran also split opinion. A slim Jewish majority (52 percent) backed striking Iran’s nuclear facilities even without US support, while 76 percent of Arabs opposed such a move.
Despite tensions, Jewish optimism has increased since last year: 44 percent now feel hopeful about Israel’s security, up from 32 percent, and 51 percent are optimistic about the country’s democratic future, compared to 35 percent in 2024.
The poll has a margin of error of ±3.5 percent.
