Majority of public thinks Israeli democracy under threat

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This belief differs greatly across the political spectrum, with 94% of the Left, 71% of the Center, and just 38% of the Right expressing this opinion.

By EVE YOUNG DECEMBER 17, 2024 12:41
 RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS) Israelis protest against the government’s proposed judicial reforms in Tel Aviv on February 4. (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)

Fifty-four percent of the Jewish Israeli population believes that democratic governance in the country is under threat, according to an Israel Democracy Institute poll released Tuesday.

This belief differs greatly across the political spectrum, with 94% of the Left, 71% of the Center, and just 38% of the Right expressing this belief.

Over three-quarters of Israeli Arabs think that Israeli democracy is under threat, the poll found.

The poll also examined public trust in the country's institutions, finding that the IDF continues to be the institution the public trusts most (77%), while political parties are trusted the least.

The Knesset and government also have low rates of public trust, with just 16% saying they trust the Knesset and 25% saying that they trust the government.

The Knesset building, home of Israel's legislature, in Jerusalem, on November 14, 2022 (Illustrative). (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Levels of trust in the media are also low, with just 26% saying that they trust the media.

Israelis trust the court more than the government

Of the three branches of government, the judiciary is most trusted by the public, with 39.5% expressing trust in this branch.

Trust in the Israel Police stood at 37%, and trust in Israel's president stood at 38%.

In spite of the fact that a large majority of the public expressed trust in the IDF, only a slim majority of Jewish Israelis said that they believe that the IDF is politically neutral. Less than one-third of Arabs believe that the IDF is politically neutral, the poll found.

When looking at public trust in police, around two-thirds of both Jewish and Arab Israelis believe that the police are not politically neutral. 

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