Research by the National Security Research Institute reveals: 31% of the public believe the northern arena is the most threatening • 26% think the Iranian nuclear threat is the main threat

• Air Force "mighty" plane // Photo: AFP

The Israeli public is continuing to support military activity against Iranian consolidation even at the cost it will lead to war, according to a comprehensive study by the National Security Studies Institute.

The research has been ongoing for 35 years, and it has been able to reflect trends in public positions over the years. This year's study shows that 31% of the public believe that the northern arena is the most threatening to Israel, 26% believe that the Iranian nuclear threat is the main threat to Israel, and only 14% consider the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the main security problem.

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The public also does not see Hamas as a major challenge in Gaza, and only 14% see it as a strategic threat. The study also shows that 54% of the public believe that the Israeli home front is ready for war. This is a surprising figure, because the IDF is convinced that there is a much more significant gap in preparing the home front for the next campaign, and as recently published in Israel Today, it has even been decided to start working to reduce this trend.

ready for war

This discrepancy was also reflected in the study itself: At the same time as the public said it felt the home front was ready for war, 72% of respondents admitted that they were not preparing for the war or that they were preparing for it to a slight extent while only 28% said they were preparing themselves for it.

Iran-enriched uranium // Photo: IP

The study further shows that 82% of the public agrees with the statement that "Israel can only rely on itself", 60% believe that "the people of Israel is the chosen people", and 50% do not trust the US to stand by Israel if attacked as Saudi Arabia Recently attacked by Iran.

The study, which Dr. Tzipi Israeli coordinated, encompassed 800 respondents in face-to-face interviews. The findings will be presented at the INSS Annual International Conference of the National Security Research Institute (INSS) next week, attended by hundreds of senior executives from Israel and around the world.