Jerusalem, 5 August, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Despite the trauma of the October 7 attacks and 22 months of war with Hamas, most Israelis remain deeply connected to their country, expressing a strong sense of national belonging and optimism for the future, according to report by the Israel Democracy Institute released on Tuesday. The survey also found a deepening bond between the Druze community and the state, and a growing reluctance to travel abroad amid surging global antisemitism.
IDI President Yohanan Plesner said the report challenges the narrative of a country unraveling. “Despite a brutal war and deep internal disagreements, most Israelis remain deeply attached to the country and committed to its future,” he said. “These are powerful indicators of social strength.”
The July 2025 Israeli Voice Index surveyed 753 adults in Hebrew and Arabic, representing Israel’s adult population. Conducted July 27–31 by the institute’s Viterbi Center, the poll has a margin of error of 3.57%
Among both Jews and Arabs, most respondents said they had no desire to emigrate. Eighty-four percent of Jewish Israelis said they would not consider moving abroad, and among Arab citizens, that figure stood at 69%. The study found that interest in emigration has actually dropped slightly since 2022.
“One explanation may be the rise in antisemitism abroad, which has dampened enthusiasm for emigration,” the authors wrote.
Among Jewish respondents, 65% said they believed Israel is a good place to live, and 67% of Arab respondents agreed. This includes a strong sense of connection to the state and its challenges — especially among the Druze community, where 90% of respondents said they felt a part of the country. That number was significantly higher than among Muslims (58%) and Christians (56%).
“Among the Druze, the sense of belonging to the state is especially strong, and in fact stronger than among Jews,” the report said.
Slightly over half of Jewish respondents and nearly half of Druze said Israel’s military intervention in southern Syria — where more than 1,000 Syrian Druze were killed in clashes with Sunni Bedouins backed by the Syrian army — was appropriate, while about a quarter in each group viewed it as too limited. Among non-Druze Arabs, one-third said the response was too limited, 19% called it excessive, and about a quarter declined to take a position.
Another sign of confidence: the majority of Jewish Israelis, 65%, said they are optimistic about Israel’s future. Among Arab Israelis, optimism was slightly lower at 48%. Overall, these figures have remained remarkably stable over the past two years.
The survey also captured shifting travel patterns. Among Jewish respondents, 23% said they had canceled or postponed trips abroad because of antisemitism — a sharp increase from 13% in 2022. That number rose to 34% among religious Jews and 36% among Orthodox respondents. Many cited concerns about safety, hostility toward Israeli travelers, or increased scrutiny of Israeli passports at foreign borders.
Approximately 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead.
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