Poll: More than 60% of Israelis oppose Palestinian state as part of Saudi normalization deal

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According to a new poll by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA), 64% of Israelis currently oppose the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a normalization deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The full survey, which was carried out in collaboration with the Panels Politics research institute, will be published at the 13th Annual Jerusalem Post Conference in New York next week.

Since the Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7, many more Israelis are opposed to a deal that would appear to reward the terror group for the atrocities committed. The results are divided into political groupings, including both Jewish and Arab Israelis: 84% right-wing voters, 54% centrist and 24% left-wing.

Support for a Palestinian state under the condition of demilitarization, dropped notably among respondents aged 60 and above, from 44% to 32%. Similarly, there was a drop from 29% to 20% among those with academic education, and high earners, from 33% to 20%.

Opposition was particularly high among the younger population, with a significant 70% of those aged 18-29 expressing disapproval. Many victims of the Nova Music Festival attack near Kibbutz Re'eim, where 364 young people were brutally murdered, were in this age range. Dozens have since committed suicide, and hundreds of thousands are still waiting to receive psychological support, according to an i24 News report in April.

In the aftermath of Oct. 7, one young Israeli stated, “This has really shaken the peace camp.”

The attacks targeted attendees of the Nova festival and Israeli residents of the Gaza envelope near the border, many of whom were known for actively building bridges with their Palestinian neighbors.

Coinciding with the release of this poll has been the public release of the violent kidnapping of five young Israeli female soldiers from their Nahal Oz army base.

Naama Levy, 19 years old, can be seen in the video, with blood all over her face, pleading with the terrorists for her life. “I have friends in Palestine,” she stated, having taken part in a Jewish-Arab youth peace-making initiative prior to her army service.

The JCPA poll revealed that the Oct. 7 attack led one-third of respondents to change their views. Israelis who previously believed a Palestinian state could be established under certain conditions now completely oppose the idea.

Dr. Dan Diker, president of the JCPA, will present the results at the JPost conference, and discuss the dangers of establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Former Hamas member Mosab Hassan Yousef, author of the book "Son of Hamas," is also scheduled to attend the conference.

Yousef, also known as "The Green Prince," – the son of Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef – defected from the terrorist group in 1997. He became an undercover agent for Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence until he moved to the United States in 2007.

He has been a strong proponent for Israel since Oct. 7 and joined an Israeli public diplomacy campaign in February.

Since 2005, the JCPA has conducted opinion polls on various topics, including the peace process, Israel's withdrawal to the 1967 armistice lines, continued Israeli control of the Jordan Valley and the proposed division of Jerusalem.