Majority of Israelis view October 7 as central to their vote ahead of elections, IDI poll shows

The survey showed a contrast between Israel's Arab and Jewish populations, with 68% of Jewish Israelis saying the attacks were central to their party choice, while 32% of Arab Israelis said the same.

A majority of Israelis view the events of October 7, 2023, as central to their choice in the upcoming 2026 Knesset elections, data from a September Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) poll showed.

According to the IDI's Israeli Voice Index survey, 62% of respondents said the Hamas attacks were either very central or fairly central to their election decision.

The survey, conducted remotely with 755 Jewish and Arab participants, showed a contrast between Israel's Arab and Jewish populations on the subject, with 68% of Jewish Israelis saying the attacks were central to their party choice, while 32% of Arab Israelis said the same.

IDI President Yohanan Plesner commented on the results, saying that the 2023 Hamas massacre casts "a long shadow over Israel's upcoming elections."

IDI president: Formation of October 7 state commission of inquiry 'essential'

"Questions of security, accountability, and whether the lessons of the attack have truly been learned will weigh heavily on many voters as they make their choice," he said. "More than three years later, Israel still lacks an independent, authoritative account of what went wrong, and what needs to be fixed to rectify the terrible failures."

Plesner emphasized the importance of the next government's responsibility to form a state commission of inquiry on October 7, describing the future move as "essential."